03rd Aug 2021

AUTHOR– SIMRAN PAHUJA

BHARTI VIDHYAPEETH NEW LAW COLLEGE, DEEMED TO BE UNIVERSITY, PUNE

INTRODUCTION

In the recent there has been a rise in the demand for freelancers particularly in the law industry these free lancers are termed or referred to as free lance attorneys  or legal consultants. Due to the features of  feasibility  to work at their stipulated  time , energy  , scope and self employment  has lead to an entice among the individuals which in turn has led to a rise in demand of free lancing as a career as individuals  can work from their comfort zones and not constrain or stick themselves to the monotonous law firm environment in particular.  Among all the features free lancing  serves,  the feature of self employment  is what  entices individual   to choose free lancing as their career  .

A job of a freelancer  in the field  of law can lead to a major source of income generation  . There might be a lot of people for whom joining a law firm could be a tedious task or could not be a job they desire for . Freelancing could take a lead in the same.  Freelancing not only helps  to earn a lump sum amount of income but also at the same  time helps to develop  various kind of hobbies  the individual  is interested in . Emerging technology , budget  – conscious  client and changing ways of doing  business has lead to a new breed of legal professionalism and thus , the demand for freelancers  is taking a lead .

WHAT ACTUALLY IS FREE LANCING

Freelancers  are independent  contractors  or self employed  individuals  who work from home or remote location  . The boost in science  and technology  and the advent  of internet smartphones  databases etc. have made it feasible to work from the comfort of your home or a remote location .

Law individuals  as freelancer do not  work  for a particular client but they being independent  contractors  work for various clients all over . There are various firms who are over loaded with tasks to be performed with a given time period here comes in the role of a freelancer, These organizations or client heirs freelancers specialized in a particular field and payment is done in accordance to stipulated work take. The job of freelancing is solely dependent on the individuals opting for it as it is upon him how much monetary benefit he requires and how much work he could complete in the allotted time slots after analyzing the same a freelancer could assemble his work force and target account to his monetary requirements

Kristin Tyler the cofounder of Law Clerk explains how well qualified attorneys became freelance lawyers ” They came form every background you can think of “ ,  she explains . “We’ve got law professors that freelance. We’ve got former Big Law attorneys with really specialized knowledge of really high [1]level legal areas that have gotten burnt out or don’t want to do the Big Law race anymore, and so now they want to do freelance work. We’ ve got lawyers that safety home with kids or elderly parents. We’ve got retired and semiretired lawyers with decade of experience.” (lawyer portal .com blog , n.d.)

There are various individuals who have to safety at home due to prevailing circumstances but also at the same time want to step in the legal industry for them the job of freelancing works the best. [2]

 

PANDEMIC AND FREE LANCING

Covid – 19 has affected various firms in a negative way there may be an merging silver lining for freelance lawyers. As Kristin Tyler notes in this episode of the daily matters podcast, some firms are using the moment to make out possible to outsource going forward.  ” They ‘ re taking that time and using it to finally setup the system and processes that they’ve wanted to set up to properly delegate to freelancers. ” (lawyer portal .com blog , n.d.) she says.

STEPS TO BECOME A FREE LANCE LAWYER

  • Determine your Legal service
  • Register your service
  • Administrative Task
  • Networking
  • Get a website
  • Start a blog
  • Keep patience
  • Determine your legal service : This is the very crucial step in your journey as a freelancer  . Determine the type of legal services required by your clients , choose a specific  area to concentrate  your work.  Researching is the key to success , researching about the particular field of interest has always served as a lead to individuals therefore  ,always do some research before taking the plunge when shifting your legal  career  toward a freelancer.[3]
  • Register your service: Once   the area you want to work in is decided the next step is to initiate legal registration of  your service . Are you going to be a sole proprietor  ?  A limited liability firm or a company considering the difference between the three will help decide whether you want to operate   your service on freelance basis.
  • Administrative  Task:  In order   to maintain a coordination between administrative duties and in order to preserve them you may reacquire a separate   bank account for the purpose relating to billing and taxes   . If you plan on working solely without compliance of help or without the support of legal assistance, consider using lawyer accounting   software. These lawyer accounting software would not only help you automate repitative task but also serve as a tool for calendaring, documents management, billing, invoicing, time tracking  etc .
  • Networking: Networking basically  means  interconnecting  people or accustoming people with the  services you offer . A network helps you to share these services to the people at large once the initial  foundation of determining of legal services, registering yourself and following up your administrative task you are now ready to share your services to the clients at large. Networking   is the key to success in a freelance business because the more the network of individuals  you are connected the more  is the growing scope . Lawyers working in a law firm generally target individuals  and other  business  for work . The clients you’ll often find as a freelance  lawyer will typically come from other lawyers and law firms . Individually having a bucket list of contracts  , this is the best place to start searching  for business .Networking  could be done by setting up various  accounts on social networking websites and share your services in order  to expand them . LinkedIn  is one of the major source of connecting is one of the major source of connecting professionals  and individuals  of your field  various  other sites to job opportunities  are my are My Practice , Attorney Online , International Lawyers Network etc.
  • Get a Website :  Once  accustoming  people  regarding the servicer you offer the next step is to set up a website of your own . A website  basically helps to offer competitive  advantage to a freelance lawyer . If you decide to get a website it is very important  to understand how to operate  and use that particular website in order to benefit your business . If you are tight on budget  then are various local SEO methods that can help you secure your purpose  but , if you could spent money you can try advertising your service using Google Pc or Facebook ads .
  • Start a Blog : Blogging is a great way to spread  knowledge to individuals  . A freelance  lawyer specialized in a particular  field could write blogs regarding their area of knowledge  . The various  benefits of blogging are free services promotion . Thus, helps to improve your SEO , make connections with prospective clients and build credible reputation online .
  • Be Patient :  Success  is a slow process and requires time therefore, patience  is the key to success  . Try and make a strategic  plan , dedicate your time and efforts and be patient . There is a the factual situation of leap and fall in every business therefore , the beginning will be some of the toughest  moments until the momentum builds and your reputation spreads amongst your community

CONCLUSION

To conclude, Freelancing is a very good option to consider in the legal field, Flexible hours, long vacations, and the ability to choose and choose your assignments. Yeah, it’s a possibility for lawyers if you become a legal freelancer, an opportunity that appeals to more lawyers every year. Lawyer Exchange, Montage Legal Group, Legal Bee, Aggregate Law, Hire an Esquire, and several other companies have been set up to directly connect independent lawyers to law firms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REFERENCES

[2] https://www.thelawyerportal.com/blog/the-rise-of-the-freelance-lawyer

https://www.isba.org/ibj/2014/12/theriseofthefreelancelawyer

[3] https://amazelaw.com/7-simple-steps-become-freelance-lawyer/

Advancing to the future : the developing freelance ecosystem in the legal world – iPleaders

 

*The views in this article are author’s point of view. BSK Legal may or may not subscribe to the views of the author. This article is not intended to substitute legal advice. Any portion or part of this article can be reproduced, copied or used, in whole or in part, after giving due credit to the publisher. The Copyright of the article is with the author.