Maximizing the Value of Contract Attorneys: Best Practices for Law Firms

1. Maximizing the Value of Contract Attorneys: Best Practices for Law Firms

2. Contract attorneys are rapidly becoming essential in the modern legal landscape, integral to legal practice, providing vital services to busy and successful law firms. Contract attorneys are typically bar-admitted licensed attorneys hired on a temporary, as-needed basis, either by working through contract attorney staffing firms or direct hiring. 

3. From major corporate deals and litigation to minor transactional work, contract attorneys are increasingly relied upon to provide quick, high-quality, and cost-efficient legal advice. This enables a law firm to balance its permanent resources while ensuring that they are staffed to fulfil the demands of its clients. Contract attorneys have evolved into an effective tool for training and onboarding junior employees while controlling costs. 

4. The growing importance of contract attorneys in modern law firms shows no signs of abating. It reflects a changing and increasingly competitive legal market. In the era of business-oriented legal practice, law firms strive to address client demands while remaining cost-effective. Contract attorneys are quite beneficial when it comes to specialized legal matters. 

5. Practices law firms can follow to maximize the value of contract attorneys:  Setting clear goals and expectations:  Law firms must be clear about their expectations and goals from the contract attorney to make the most use of them. By setting clear expectations and goals, firms can ensure that all team members are on the same page and that everyone’s roles and responsibilities are clearly defined. A few key areas to consider include: 

6. Defining the Scope and Objectives: Prior to initiating any legal project, the firm should clearly communicate the goals and scope of the project to the contract attorney. This includes the type of services required, deadlines for completion, and any specific requirements or instructions the attorney should follow.  Outlining Specific Deliverables and Deadlines: When establishing the deliverables the contract attorney must meet, it must be as clear as possible. This might include filing motions, conducting research, and/or preparing legal documents. Furthermore, the firm should agree on reasonable timelines the attorney must meet. 

7. Leveraging Contract Attorneys for Efficiency and Cost Savings:  Using contract attorneys to improve organizational efficiency and save costs has been a more appealing alternative for firms in recent years. While this approach can save organizations money and reduce recruiting extra full-time staff costs, it is critical to use contract attorneys carefully for maximum efficiency and cost savings.  Organizations should initially identify legal tasks that can be delegated to contract attorneys. Determining which services should be performed by contract attorneys and which should be handled by the organization’s in-house legal team is crucial. This will ensure that the use of contract attorneys benefits the organization overall.