Appellate Court Legal Research Director

• Location
• Chicago, Illinois
• Office
• Appellate Court
• Posted Date
• 02/18/26
• Closing Date
• Submissions must be received by Friday, March 20, 2026.
• Division
• First District, Illinois Appellate Court
• Benefits
• An attractive judicial branch benefits package is offered, including pension, medical, dental, vision and life insurance, as well as deferred compensation and generous leave time. Please refer to the following Benefits Information Sheet for additional details.
• Salary
• Annual salary range $114,482 to $158,000.

The First District, Illinois Appellate Court, seeks an experienced and collaborative Legal Research Director to lead a talented staff of attorneys. This leadership role ensures the highest quality of legal analysis supporting the court’s decision-making. The ideal candidate brings both deep legal research expertise and a commitment to mentoring and innovation within the judicial system.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES : The Legal Research Director of the First District of the Illinois Appellate Court is an executive level position with a wide-range of responsibilities for the management of the First District’s Legal Research Department. The position is located in Chicago, Illinois. The Research Director assigns the tasks to be performed by the Appellate Court Research Attorneys in the Research Department. The Research Director is also responsible for supervising the work of the Appellate Court Research Attorneys and assuring that the work is completed in a correct, timely, and professional manner. The Research Director confers with justices and other members of the First District of the Appellate Court concerning matters before the court or issues relevant to the work of the court.

The Research Director supervises and is accountable for the work of all personnel in the Research Department, including new graduates and experienced attorneys with a passion for legal writing and a strong interest in appellate and criminal law. As supervisor, the Research Director impresses upon all staff their status as valued members of the Court’s legal team. The Research Director has administrative duties which include preparing monthly and annual reports to the Chair of the Executive Committee of the First District of the Appellate Court, detailing the work performed by the research staff; keeping attendance records of all personnel and submitting them to the appropriate office each pay period; obtaining all necessary equipment and supplies for the department; and ensuring compliance with equipment and personnel auditing procedures for the state. The Research Director has the responsibility for hiring of all personnel in the Research Department. The Research Director makes recommendations to the Executive Committee regarding disciplining or discharging of all personnel for approval of such recommendations. The Research Director also prepares an annual performance evaluation of each employee.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: Qualified candidates are licensed Illinois attorneys with a minimum of seven years legal research and writing experience, including experience successfully managing operations and leading and supervising diverse employees. Candidates must demonstrate a thorough understanding of the challenges and opportunities of a large, comprehensive, and complex institution and the ability to effectively and efficiently master and deploy a strong working knowledge of the Illinois Judicial Branch and the functions of the Illinois Courts at all levels.

Candidates must demonstrate extensive and substantial writing and editing skills and abilities. Candidates must also possess strong oral communication skills, high level technology skills, demonstrated problem-solving and supervisory skills, and a clear and demonstrated commitment to principled leaderships skills and the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Interested persons should submit a resume, professional writing sample, three professional references, and a letter of interest stating how the candidate’s experiences and qualifications connect with the required and preferred credentials, characteristics, and priorities expressed in the position profile to:

[email protected]

Submissions must be received by Friday, March 20, 2026.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER