FAQs for Hiring Attorneys

Posting a Project Takes Less than Two Minutes!

After you have registered as a posting attorney, it is time to get work done!  The first box on your dashboard reads “Post a New Project or Build a New Team" - click this box.  From there, select "Post a New Project" and complete the following easy steps:

1. Name your Project.  Name it something that reminds you what the project is about.  For instance, you may name it “Memorandum on Fraudulent Transfer Law.”  As the project name is visible to our registered Lawclerks once the project is posted, do not include any confidential information in the name.
2. Set your "application period."  This is how long you will accept applicants before awarding the project to a Lawclerk.  Please note that you may assign the project to a Lawclerk before the stated “application period” expires.
3. Next, set the “project deadline.”  This is the date and time by which the Lawclerk must complete and submit the final work to you.  We recommend that you always request an initial draft, which is accomplished by clicking “yes” in the “initial draft deadline” box and setting the date and time for the initial draft.  You can then markup the initial draft for the Lawclerk to revise as necessary - just as you would with an associate or paralegal in your office.
4. Next enter the “project price.”  This is the flat fee price that you will pay for the completion of your project. As a reminder, your credit card is only charged if you assign a Lawclerk to complete your project, which flat fee is held in escrow until you approve the final work product.
5. You can then select the “area of law,” “project type,” and "skill level" from the dropdown menus.  Note that you may select more than one area of law and more than one project type.  Lawclerks are given the opportunity to be alerted when projects in their area(s) of specialty are posted.  As such, you will want to include all applicable areas of law to garner interest from the most qualified Lawclerks in the applicable area(s) of law.  The last information needed is the “skill level,” which serves to let the Lawclerks know how complicated you believe the project to be.
6. On the next screen, you will be asked to provide a project description.  You will want the description to be detailed enough so that the Lawclerks have sufficient information to determine whether they have the skillset and are interested in completing your project for the flat fee you have set.  As the project description is viewable by the Lawclerks, it is important that it does not contain any confidential information.
   Sample Project Description:
   I need a Daubert Motion to exclude an expert.  I represent defendants in a fraudulent transfer case.  Plaintiff has disclosed an expert who simply restates Plaintiff's facts and performs simple calculations and creates charts.  Ultimately, the report is misleading as a result.  I would like a Daubert motion to exclude the expert.  The Lawclerk will have to review the report and deposition transcript, and draft the motion with references to both.
   ‍
   ‍You will also need to provide project details that enable the Lawclerk to better evaluate the economics of your project, such as the: (i) expected length of the document you are seeking the Lawclerk to prepare; (ii) estimated number of hours to complete the project; (iii) number of discovery requests to respond to; or (iv) other information that will allow the Lawclerk to better determine whether she wants to apply for the project at the flat fee price you have set.
7. The last step is to review and affirm the rules governing the use of Lawclerks.

Yes!  Our freelance attorneys (we call them "Lawclerks") are all U.S. attorneys that are duly admitted to one or more state bars and in good standing.

When pricing a project, we suggest that you price your project at 40% of the estimated billable value to your client.

• Straightforward project - $75 - $90 per hour
• More complicated project - $100 per hour
• Short deadline - $100 per hour
• Complex project - $125+ per hour

You should set an application period that makes sense for your project.  If you have a short deadline, set a shorter application period.  Remember that no matter what application period you set, you can always select a Lawclerk at any time.

For each project, you are provided a secure and encrypted communication hub that only you and the Lawclerk for the project can access. Not only does this preserve confidentiality, but you have all of the communications about the project at your fingertips instead of searching through emails and texts.

Watch the video below to see how easy it is to discuss a project through our communication hub.

You can video conference or start an audio call right through the LAWCLERK platform. Within any open project, click on the Start Meeting Icon, and an invite will be sent to the Lawclerk assigned to that project. If they are logged into their account, they will see the call request come through. If they are not logged in, they will receive a missed call notification. You are still able to use the chat function and can send messages while on a video or audio call. It’s a very simple process and a great way to easily communicate about your project in order to get it completed quicker.

Watch the video below to see how the video conferencing function works from your open project.

In addition to the communications hub that allows you to chat with the Lawclerk, you can also email or call them. The assigned Lawclerk's name and picture is provided in the upper right hand corner of your dashboard. Simply click on the Lawclerk's picture to get their email and phone number.

Modifying deadlines or increasing the price of a project is easy.

1. Once you are in the project that you are looking to modify, simply click on the "Edit Project" icon and then update the applicable project details (deadlines, price, etc.).

2. Once you've updated the project details, the Lawclerk will be notified that you have proposed a change in the project details (a scope change).  The Lawclerk will then need to accept your proposed scope changes.  

3. If you requested a price change, once the Lawclerk approves the scope change, the project status will switch to "additional payment pending."   Simply click on the menu (the three stacked bars) in the upper-left hand side of your dashboard and go to "Manage Payment" and approve the additional payment.  

4. Once you've completed those steps, the project status will return to in-process.

You have total control over your deadlines.

You set your deadlines when you post your project and the Lawclerks that are able to meet them will apply. We see projects posted with two week deadlines (ex. MSJs and appeals) and projects posted with one day deadlines (ex. quick research).

We also know that sometimes clients don't get documents/information to you in a timely manner and that we all get busy and can't turn comments on initial drafts as quickly as we had initially planned. In these situations, we recommend that you edit the project details to reflect the new deadlines to ensure both you and the Lawclerk are clear on your deadlines.

Modifying deadlines or increasing the price of a project is easy.

1. Once you are in the project that you are looking to modify, simply click on the "Edit Project" icon and then update the applicable project details (deadlines, price, etc.).

2. Once you've updated the project details, the Lawclerk will be notified that you have proposed a change in the project details (a scope change).  The Lawclerk will then need to accept your proposed scope changes.  

3. If you requested a price change, once the Lawclerk approves the scope change, the project status will switch to "additional payment pending."   Simply click on the menu (the three stacked bars) in the upper-left hand side of your dashboard and go to "Manage Payment" and approve the additional payment. 

4. Once you've completed those steps, the project status will return to in-process.

If you no longer need a project completed and the Lawclerk has either not done any work on it or the Lawclerk agreed to cancel the project, you can cancel the project by requesting a dispute.  To request a dispute, please follow these simple instructions:

1. 1. Go into the project from your dashboard.
   2. Once on the communication hub, under the name of the project, you will see in gold letters the status of the project which should read "In Process."  Clicking on the status will bring down a dropdown menu with the option to "Request a Dispute."  Click "Request a Dispute."
   3. On the next page, you will simply enter the reason for the dispute - i.e. "I no longer need the project."  If you have already discussed the need to cancel the project with the Lawclerk, please also note that.
   4. Once submitted, our arbitrator will take a look at the details, contact the Lawclerk to confirm the cancelation, and issue a refund for the project.  Cancelled projects are usually resolved and refunds issued in less than 24 hours.

From your dashboard, you have the ability to post a project and to build a team. You may be asking yourself - What's the difference? Here's the short answer:

"Post a Project" is how you get work done. When you post a project, you're posting a specific job to the marketplace (or a team member) with details of what the project entails, along with price and deadlines.

"Build a Team" is how you find the Lawclerks that you want to work with on a consistent basis. When you build a team, you're inviting Lawclerks to apply to be on your team so that in the future, instead of posting projects to the marketplace, you can instead invite a member of your team to do your work. Your team members are your on-demand virtual associates.

With LAWCLERK Teams, you can build your on-demand team of virtual associates.

Attorneys take different approaches in creating their ideal on-demand virtual associate teams. Some attorneys create teams by types of work, while others build their teams based on practice area.

For instance, a small firm with a national education practice has developed one team of Lawclerks they work with to prepare substantive demand letters, another team to prepare their litigation briefs, and a third team to handle their appellate briefs.

Conversely, a solopreneur in the rural Midwest that practices both family and criminal law has developed a separate team of Lawclerks that specializes in each of these practice areas. By doing this, she always has her go-to attorneys with the experience she needs for a particular matter. In fact, she will often have the same attorney on her team handle the bulk of the written work for an entire case – from propounding and responding to discovery, to drafting the briefs, to preparing her hearing notes.

By creating your LAWCLERK Teams, you can ensure that you have the skilled workforce you need to scale your business, whether that is taking on a higher volume of cases or taking on larger cases, without the expense and limitations of a full-time associate.

To post a team, simply follow the instructions below or watch a small webinar by co-founder, Kristin Tyler:

1. From your dashboard, click on the box with the huge plus sign that reads "Post a New Project or Build a New Team" and a pop-up will appear.  From there, click on "Build a New Team."
2. You have the ability to make your name visible on the team post or post anonymously.  Our recommendation is to have your name visible as Lawclerks are more inclined to apply to teams when they can see your profile.
3. Next you'll want to name your team.  Ex. Discovery Team or Employment Law Team.
4. Your Team Description is up next.  We recommend adding as much information as possible.  The more detailed and precise you are in who you are looking for, the more attractive your post will look to potential applicants.  Identify: (i) the type of experience you are looking for - be specific (number of years of practice, trial experience, etc.); (ii) the type of work you anticipate giving to the Lawclerks on your team; (iii) any useful or interesting information about your work or firm; and (iv) if you know, the frequency with which you anticipate assigning work.
5. Finally, note the areas of law.  Once you've completed these steps and clicked next, your team will officially be posted to the marketplace.  This sends out a notification to all of our Lawclerks who have identified an interest in your areas of law.
6. To view your team applicants, you simply need to open your team from your dashboard and begin reviewing their bios, resumes, writing samples, and reviews.
7. Simply click on "accept" to add an applicant to your team.
8. Note, you can always turn on and off your acceptance of applicants for your teams.

Benefits of Building Your Hand-Selected Teams of Lawclerks

Attorneys that have embraced outsourcing and incorporated it into their business model are building teams of on-demand attorneys to work with on a consistent basis. This enables them to take more cases, a wider variety of cases, and bigger cases, while allowing them to focus on growing their business.

By incorporating outsourcing into your firm, you can take on bigger cases because you are not limited by “bandwidth.” The elasticity of the on-demand virtual team of associates allows you to work with as many attorneys as you need for any given case – to flex up when you need an army of attorneys. As Tom Howlett, a small firm plaintiffs’ attorney explained, by using his team of on-demand virtual attorneys “I have the ability to leverage the kind of resources that some of my big firm opponents have.”

In another example, a boutique firm was up against AmLaw100 firms in a billion-dollar litigation. The case involved more than four million pages of documents that had to be reviewed and the material information synthesized in a useful manner for depositions and motion practice. The firm created a master spreadsheet of the relevant information to be identified in the documents and utilized a small army of freelance attorneys to complete the document review. The ability to outsource this incredible volume of document review to their on-demand discovery team was integral to maintaining the case at the firm and providing excellent service to their client.

By creating your team of on-demand virtual associates to help you when, but only when, you need it, you will have the “bandwidth” you need to take on and successfully prosecute and defend bigger cases. You can also have the workforce to take on a higher volume of cases.

"The biggest thing is not just price control, it’s that I can have seven projects going at once. There’s no associate that can do that."

– Morris Fischer, Employment and Business Lawyer

Once you have added Lawclerks to your teams, you have the ability to send them a direct invitation to complete your work.  Here are the steps to invite your team members to projects:

1. From your Dashboard, click on the "Teams" tab located on the top of the page (see below).

2. Here you will see all of your current teams.  Pick the applicable team.  For this project, I want to work with a member of my Employment Law team. 

3. When you click on the applicable team folder, you will see your team members.  From here, all you need to do is click the green "Assign to a Project" button that appears below the picture of the team member you want to work with.

4. After this, you will simply fill in the project details.

5. Your team member will then receive the invitation to do your work.  A sample invitation is below.  Note that when you invite a team member to do work, they are able to send you a message in addition to simply accepting or declining the invitation.  For instance, perhaps they can do the project, but need an extra day.  This is how they would discuss that with you.

6. When your team member accepts the invitation, you are off to the races!

For every project, you are given a secure and encrypted document library through which you and your Lawclerk can safely share documents.  Because we know that maintaining client confidentiality is of critical importance, only you and your selected Lawclerk for that project can view the document library.  The document library is so secure that even our developers cannot access your documents.

Please watch this short video to see how easy it is to share documents:

When you accept your Lawclerk's final submission, you will receive an email that has both a receipt for the amount you paid, as well as the Lawclerk's timecard so that you can bill their time.

 

In addition, you can always view and download the Lawclerk's timecard from within the project folder.