Law Technology Today From the ABA Legal Technology Resource Center
LAWCLERK™ Launches Legal Services Marketplace Which Will Change the Way Attorneys Hire Freelance Lawyers at ABA TECHSHOW 2018
LAS VEGAS, NV, February 23, 2018 – LAWCLERK™ will debut its revolutionary legal services marketplace at the ABA TECHSHOW in Chicago on March 7-10, 2018. The company, founded by three attorneys, provides a streamlined platform for busy attorneys to hire freelance lawyers from across the country while staying ethically compliant.
The idea for LAWCLERK™ came about after the realization that the supply and demand curve of the legal industry has turned against an entire generation of lawyers. “Many smart, talented lawyers are underemployed or choosing alternative legal careers where they aren’t using their full work product capacity. This creates a tremendous opportunity for solo practitioners or firms to tap into this underutilized legal talent by hiring these lawyers as freelancers,” says Co-Founder Greg Garman.
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that legal services, when measured as a percentage of the overall U.S. economy, has been shrinking since 2006. Yet, at the same time, the number of lawyers has continued to rise. According to the ABA, there are now over 1.3 million lawyers in the country, which represents a doubling since 1985. This means the legal industry is creating more attorneys while the industry, as a whole, is diminishing.
According to Altman Weil’s 2017 Firms in Transition Report, 69% of lawyers who had used contract/temporary lawyers found a “significant improvement in firm performance.” Similarly, shifting work from attorneys to paraprofessionals produced the same “significant improvement” for half of the respondents with another 36% reporting that it was simply too soon to tell. In both cases, the use of non-traditional staffing has proven to be the leading strategy for cutting costs and increasing profitability.
The so-called “secret sauce” of LAWCLERK™ is that the hiring attorneys are engaging the freelancers to work on discrete legal projects in a paraprofessional capacity, according to Co-Founder Talitha Gray Kozlowski. She explains “The freelancers don’t go to court, talk to the client or communicate with opposing counsel – that’s how LAWCLERK™ allows attorneys to stay ethically compliant while still opening the doors to a nationwide network of incredibly talented freelancers.”
Kristin Tyler, Co-Founder, recalls how the company heard about a recent LAWCLERK™ user who posted a project to the marketplace from her mobile phone while at the gym early in the morning. The attorney needed a research memo the same day. The attorney had several prompt applicants. She selected a freelancer who completed the project and received a comprehensive memo back by early afternoon. The attorney rated the freelancer as a five out of five stars. Tyler says, “The most common feedback we get from our hiring attorneys is that they are incredibly impressed with the credentials and work product from our freelancers.”
About LAWCLERK™
LAWCLERK™ is where attorneys go to hire freelance lawyers. The marketplace allows busy attorneys to tap into a nationwide network of freelance lawyers, called Lawclerks, to add subject matter expertise without increasing overhead. The freelance Lawclerks come from a wide variety of backgrounds ranging from recent law school graduates to seasoned attorneys ready to handle the most sophisticated of legal issues. Lawclerks bring a vast array of knowledge from every legal practice area allowing the hiring attorney to get the right legal talent, when and how they need it.
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ABA TECHSHOW is an annual legal technology Conference and EXPO designed to bring lawyers and technology together for three days of CLE and networking. Presented by the ABA Law Practice Division, ABA TECHSHOW helps lawyers practice efficiently through the use of technology.
