Legal Research Officer

**Legal Research Officer or Research Officer**

**TrustLaw, Thomson Reuters Foundation**

**About the Thomson Reuters Foundation**

Join a team which leverages media, legal and data-driven expertise to strengthen independent journalism, enable access to the law and promote responsible business. The Thomson Reuters Foundation is an independent charity that uses media, law, and data expertise to promote free, fair, and informed societies. Our mission is to empower key actors to make informed decisions that positively impact people, society, and the environment.

**What We Do**
- Deliver targeted programs, research, news, and legal support to strengthen independent journalism and promote responsible business.
- Provide capacity-building initiatives to support our mission.

**TrustLaw**

TrustLaw is the global pro bono service of the Thomson Reuters Foundation which connects high-impact NGOs, social enterprises, and independent media with free legal assistance from top law firms and corporate legal teams worldwide. We also:

- Conduct groundbreaking legal research on key social and policy issues.
- Run strategic initiatives, including:

- TrustLaw Index of Pro Bono, (a global benchmark survey).
- Fees and Hours collection (an annual survey on pro bono work).

**About the Role**

The Foundation is recruiting a highly skilled **Legal Research Officer/ Research Officer, TrustLaw** to work with the Access to Law team to support partner engagement, data analysis and report writing and the design, coordination and successful delivery of global initiatives for our legal network. This role involves balanced responsibility across two core areas:
(1) dedicated support for the TrustLaw Index of Pro Bono (approximately 50% of time), and

(2) broader Global Legal Team initiatives and programmes (approximately 50% of time).

**About the Role**:
As a Legal Research Officer/ Research Officer reporting into the Legal Manager, Global (based in London), you will:
**TrustLaw Index of Pro Bono (50%)**
- Provide dedicated support for the TrustLaw Index of Pro Bono, our global biennial benchmark survey of the scale and trends of the pro bono legal sector, including:

- Work with the Legal Manager, Global and other stakeholders to develop and make refinements to the survey every two years, taking account of current or future pro bono sector needs and trends
- Run the data collection process and related legal sector engagement to ensure strong engagement with and participation in the survey
- Manage, clean, and analyse complex data sets from participating law firms and legal teams across multiple jurisdictions
- Work with data analysts to ensure high-quality data analysis and to identify emerging trends in the data sets
- Draft and develop the report in an easy-to-read, engaging style based on quantitative and qualitative analysis of the data
- Work with Communications and other teams to develop a sustained, exciting communications strategy to engage the TrustLaw team and broader legal pro bono community in the findings of the Index
- Work closely with the Legal Manager, Global and others throughout the lifecycle of the Index from planning and kick-off, to supporting project management and successful delivery.

**Global Legal Initiatives and Team Support (50%)**
- Support the work of the Legal Manager, Global to track the pro bono sector, identify opportunities and gaps, and support with the development of initiatives, trainings and resources to address them.
- Support collaboration with regional teams to ensure alignment between global and regional legal initiatives.
- Support our work to develop, refine and manage resources geared to the legal pro bono sector, such as our Championing Pro Bono Guide, Measuring Pro Bono Impact, the Global Pro Bono Survey, the UK Collaborative Project (UKCP) and Global Corporate Pro Bono resources.
- Support the work of the Legal Manager, Global, and Senior Leadership Team within TrustLaw in engaging with key legal partners, including by obtaining data and feedback to develop pro bono impact reports and supporting with the TrustLaw Giving Programme.
- Liaise with the Foundation’s Communications, Digital and Design teams to ensure strong communications and engagement and smooth development of digital assets to showcase global initiatives.
- Provide cover support to the Programme Coordinator, Global as needed during periods of leave, ensuring continuity of global legal team operations.
- Contribute to other Access to Law team initiatives and research, as needed.
- Please note that this role requires you to work hours that overlap significantly with core team availability, which may require at least two late shifts each week. _

**About You**:
This role is all about using the power of data to drive access to law through better and stronger legal pro bono practices. You are a fit for the role of Legal Research Officer/ Research Officer if your background includes most or all of the following:

- An exceptio