Legal research support so attorneys can focus on billable work

Legal professionals lose significant time to research tasks that don't require a JD—case background checks, regulatory lookups, competitor intelligence, and client intake research. A Trusty Oak EA handles the time-consuming groundwork so you can walk into a deposition or client meeting already prepared. This isn't paralegal work; it's the research layer that supports your team without adding headcount.

Fractional research support for lawyers and law firms

How Trusty Oak handles research for lawyers and law firms

A Trusty Oak EA assigned to legal research typically works within tools your team already uses—Clio, MyCase, or a shared Google Drive—and follows a research brief you provide or that your Client Success Manager helps you build during onboarding. Day-to-day, they handle tasks like pulling public court records via PACER, compiling state-specific regulatory summaries, researching opposing counsel or expert witnesses using LinkedIn and public databases, and organizing findings into structured memos or spreadsheets your attorneys can act on immediately. You review the output and flag what needs refinement; the EA iterates and maintains a running research log so nothing gets duplicated. Your role is to set the direction and standards—the EA handles the execution.

What your EA takes off your plate

The most common mistake attorneys make when first delegating research is handing off a vague request—'find everything on this company'—without specifying the decision it needs to support. Before your first research assignment, write one sentence explaining what you'll do with the findings; that context alone will make the output significantly more useful. It also helps to share one example of a past research memo you considered well-organized so your EA can match your preferred format from day one.

1

Public Court Records Research via PACER

Pulling case history, docket entries, and filed documents for opposing parties or referenced precedents using PACER and state court portals.

2

Regulatory and Compliance Research

Compiling jurisdiction-specific statutes, agency rules, or recent regulatory changes relevant to a client matter using official government sources and legal databases.

3

Opposing Counsel and Expert Witness Profiling

Researching professional backgrounds, published opinions, prior case involvement, and public statements using LinkedIn, bar association directories, and Westlaw profiles.

4

Client and Business Entity Due Diligence

Running background checks on prospective clients or counterparties using Secretary of State filings, litigation history, and public records to support intake decisions.

5

Legal News and Case Law Monitoring

Setting up and managing alerts via Google Alerts or Westlaw to track developments in relevant practice areas, flagging items that warrant attorney review.

Tools our team works with

We adapt to your existing stack — no forced migrations.

SEMrush
SimilarWeb
Statista
G2
Apollo.io
LinkedIn Sales Navigator

...and many more!

Trusted by lawyers and law firms

Trusty Oak supports lawyers and law firms including Advantage Evans, La Firma Inmigrantes Primero, Rupal Law — handling everything from research to broader operational support.

What research support costs for lawyers and law firms

Drag the sliders to build a monthly plan that fits your workload.

Executive Assistants
~$35/hour
10 hours $350
Specialists
~$50/hour
20 hours $1,000
Fractional Executives
~$95/hour
0 hours $0
Your monthly budget
$1,350

Starting at $1,000/month. One-time $300 onboarding fee includes your Strategic Delegation Plan.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Trusty Oak EAs can work within research platforms you provide access to, including Westlaw, LexisNexis, or Clio Grow. They don't come with their own subscriptions to paid legal databases, so you'd need to grant credentials for any licensed tools. For tasks relying on public records, PACER, state court portals, and open-source research, no additional access is needed.
Trusty Oak EAs are US-based professionals who sign confidentiality agreements as part of the engagement. That said, you should evaluate what level of client detail needs to be shared for each task—many research requests can be scoped in a way that limits exposure to sensitive case specifics. Your Client Success Manager can help you think through how to structure assignments appropriately.
A Trusty Oak EA isn't a paralegal and won't perform legal analysis or draft documents requiring legal judgment—that distinction is important. What they do well is the research groundwork that precedes that analysis: gathering, organizing, and summarizing information from public and licensed sources so your attorneys and paralegals can work faster. It's a cost-effective layer at $35–$50/hr with no long-term hiring commitment.

Put your next research task in better hands

Trusty Oak's onboarding includes a Strategic Delegation Plan built around your practice's actual workflow—so your EA is ready to produce usable research output from week one. Monthly plans start at $1,000 with a one-time $300 onboarding fee.