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Vol. 72, No. 4, April 1999 |
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Contract lawyering as a career alternative
Marketing yourself as a contract lawyer
Like all self-employed people, contract lawyers must
market themselves and cultivate new and repeat business. Consider
these marketing strategies:
- Some larger cities have contract lawyer placement agencies.
These agencies make their money by charging the law firm a fee
- often double the amount the agency pays the contract lawyer
- for each hour worked. From an agency, contract lawyers might
obtain work on a short term, discrete research and writing project,
be requested to make an appearance, or handle a deposition, or
be assigned to an on-going project or case that lasts for several
months.
- Although it may be fruitful to submit a resume to each of
the local temporary agencies, most attorneys obtain their contract
work through personal referrals and solicitations. Call everyone
you know, including opposition counsel, other colleagues, and
classmates, and attend bar functions to cultivate as many leads
as possible. Much of the contract work comes from solo and small
practices, since the bigger firms often contact their alumni
about overflow projects. However, those larger firms often
are more willing to pay a temporary agency to obtain help, so
register with the agencies if you'd like to be placed with a
larger firm or in a niche practice area.
- Periodically call past clients to check if they need any
current assistance.
- Make each client feel that their work is top priority and
they are the most important client. Also, be absolutely timely
in completing projects so that clients never have to worry about
missing a deadline.
- If no longer working on a particular case, contact the client-lawyer
to find out the results of the work you performed, both for your
own education and to indicate your continuing interest in the
case.
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Hindi Greenberg
was a full-time civil 1itigator for 10 years, a contract lawyer
for six years, and is the president of Lawyers in Transition,
a San Francisco-based national organization that provides information
about career options and resources in and out of law, including
contract legal work. Her book, The Lawyer's Career Change Handbook,
was published recently by Avon Books. |
Conclusion
Although there may seem to be a number of negatives to contract
lawyering, detriments can be balanced by the often interesting
incidents encountered in journeys among many law offices and
lawyers.
As in the full-time practice of law, the work done by a contract
lawyer can be interesting, boring, intellectually stimulating,
dull, diverse, repetitive, or a combination of all things good
and bad. The difference is that the contract lawyer can decide
with whom to work, which assignments to accept, and which hours
to work in meeting deadlines - luxuries not usually allowed to
law firm employees. Because of these benefits, and because the
staffing needs of law firms will continue to fluctuate, contract
lawyering as an alternative to the full-time practice of law
will continue to grow.
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