FAQs for Hiring Attorneys

Put LAWCLERK to Work for You!

Put LAWCLERK to Work for You!

What is LAWCLERK?

LAWCLERK was built by attorneys that understand that in order to have a successful law practice in the 21st century, you must evolve and adapt your business model. You must be flexible and nimble to meet your clients’ needs. You must have the resources to power your firm – whether that means taking bigger cases, a higher volume of cases, additional practice areas, or having the resources to compete with bigger firms.

 

LAWCLERK connects you with our extensive network of freelance lawyers and gives you the systems and tools you need to seamlessly select and work with your chosen on-demand attorneys. We handle the vetting, payment, and tax reporting, as well as provide a mechanism for you to bill your client for the work you delegate.

LAWCLERK additionally ensures that a confidentiality and non-disclosure agreement is executed for every project, provides a two-tier conflicts check process, provides a secured and encrypted chat and document library to allow you to safely and securely share documents, and allows you to build your hand-selected teams of on-demand associates.

 

To ensure your success, we also provide you with your own Dedicated LAWCLERK Advisor to assist you with putting LAWCLERK to work for you.

 

Join thousands of successful attorneys using LAWCLERK to increase profitability, efficiency, flexibility, and to get more done!

How does LAWCLERK work?


Step 1
Register for an account. It is free and takes less than 2 minutes.

Step 2
We give you a Dedicated LAWCLERK Advisor to answer all your questions and help you put LAWCLERK to work for you.

Step 3
Get work done! It’s quick and easy! You can start by posting your work to the marketplace and our talented freelancer lawyers will apply to you or you can build a team of your hand-selected on-demand lawyers to work with on repeat.

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To post a project

  • Pick a project.  Do you need an appellate brief, MSJ, opposition, reply, memo, lease, contract, purchase agreement, discovery responses, blog, or anything else drafted?
    You will be provided a document library to share documents with the Lawclerk, as well as the Lawclerk’s phone number and email, and a secure and encrypted communication portal so that you can discuss the work you need done.The Lawclerk will get to work and provide you with an initial draft (if requested).You can review the initial draft and request revisions just like if the work was completed by an associate or paralegal in your firm.Your credit card will be charged the flat fee price you set when you select the Lawclerk you want to work with, which funds will be held in escrow until you approve the final work product.When you get the final document, you will also get a time card so you can bill the Lawclerk’s time to your client if you choose.
  • Log into your account and click “post a project.”
  • Provide a brief description of what you need drafted, your deadlines, and the flat fee price you will pay for the work.
  • Freelance attorneys (we call them “Lawclerks”) with applicable experience will apply to you.
  • Review the applicants’ resumes, writing samples, and reviews from other attorneys of the applicants and select the Lawclerk you want to work with.
  • You will be provided a document library to share documents with the Lawclerk, as well as the Lawclerk’s phone number and email, and a secure and encrypted communication portal so that you can discuss the work you need done.
  • The Lawclerk will get to work and provide you with an initial draft (if requested).
  • You can review the initial draft and request revisions just like if the work was completed by an associate or paralegal in your firm.
  • Your credit card will be charged the flat fee price you set when you select the Lawclerk you want to work with, which funds will be held in escrow until you approve the final work product.
  • When you get the final document, you will also get a time card so you can bill the Lawclerk’s time to your client if you choose.

To build a team:

  • Log into your account and click “build a team.”
  • 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.
  • Next you’ll want to name your team.  Ex. Discovery Team or Employment Law Team.
  • Your Team Description is up next.  We recommend adding as much informantion 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Simply click on “accept” to add an applicant to your team.
How can outsourcing improve my practice?

Growing Your Practice and Profits with Freelance Lawyers

 

“Using my team of freelance lawyers “has allowed me to grow and scale my practice in ways I never imagined. Having a team of highly qualified lawyers available to spin up at a moment’s notice has been an absolute game changer for my firm!”

– Robert Wright, Intellectual Property Attorney

 

There are only 24 hours, and if you want to do something crazy like sleep or see your friends and family, then there are far fewer hours to work. This means that to grow your firm and profits, you need to leverage the time of other lawyers.

 

Traditionally, this was done by hiring full-time associates whose revenue from their billings were traditionally divided 1/3 to pay the associate, 1/3 to cover their overhead expenses, and 1/3 for your profit. This means that if you bill your associate’s time at $225 per hour, $75 of that $225 should be allocated for their pay, $75 should be allocated for overhead, and $75 should be realized as your firm’s profit. But this only works if your associate is busy full time and if you collect all of their billed time, which is rarely the case. When your associate is not busy full time and when you collect less than 100% of their billed time, the 1/3 that is supposed to be your profit ends up being consumed to pay the associate’s salary and benefits.

 

There is a better way! By using freelance lawyers, you can have the benefits of leveraging their time without the overhead, commitment, and lost profits of full-time employees.

 

Using the same metrics, if you pay your freelance attorney $75 per hour and you bill your client $225 per hour for their services, your profit will be $150 per hour because you do not have to worry about paying salary and benefits when they are not working.

 

Let’s take a deeper dive into some real life examples of how to leverage the time of freelance lawyers to make more money.

 

Our first example assumes you need a complicated motion in limine drafted (perhaps a Daubert motion). You could draft it yourself and consume days of your valuable time or you could have an experienced freelance lawyer draft it for you, thereby leveraging their time and allowing you to focus on meeting with potential clients, marketing, and growing your business.

 

Let’s look at the economics. If it takes your freelance attorney 20 hours to complete the complex motion and you bill their time to your client at the reasonable market rate of $225 per hour, the total billed to the client is $4,500. If you paid the freelance lawyer $2,000 ($100 per hour) to prepare the motion, your profit is $2,500, plus, you saved yourself 20 hours that you can better spend on developing your practice!

 

If you litigate, whether in family court, state court, or federal court, discovery is a necessary evil. Even if you do not hate doing discovery, there is no chance you think drafting or responding to requests for documents, interrogatories, or admissions is the best use of your time. This is the perfect type of work to outsource. First, instead of procrastinating until the end of the discovery period, you can keep the other side on their toes and control the pace of the case by quickly propounding your discovery. Second, you can leverage the freelancer lawyer’s time to make a profit for you while you spend your time focusing on your business and clients.

 

If it takes the freelancer lawyer 10.4 hours to draft your initial requests for documents, interrogatories, and admissions and you bill their time to your client at the reasonable market rate of $225 per hour, the total billed to the client is $2,340. If you paid the freelance lawyer $780 ($75 per hour), your profit is $1,560, plus, you saved yourself 10.4 hours, you didn’t have to draft the discovery, and you won’t be scrambling to get your discovery done as the discovery window closes.

 

Can you make a profit if you bill on a flat fee basis? Yes! Say you charge $1,000 to prepare a lease or a trust and it takes you three hours to prepare it. This equates to a $333.33 hourly rate. If, instead of drafting it yourself, you pay a freelance lawyer $400 to prepare the lease or trust and you spend one hour reviewing and finalizing the lease or trust, your effective hourly rate is now $600.00. This is nearly double your effective hourly rate when you just do it yourself.

 

Download our Ultimate Guide to Legal Outsourcing: Growing Your Practice and Profits Through On-Demand Virtual Associates to learn more!

 

 
Are there any monthly or annual fees?

Great news! There are no monthly, annual, or other reoccurring fees!

 

You only pay the flat fee price you set when you post a project and assign a Lawclerk to complete the work for you.

Who are the freelancers (aka "Lawclerks")?

The Skill and Experience of Lawyers Looking to Freelance Will Amaze You!

 

You may be wondering what lawyer wants to freelance. Let us share some astonishing facts with you that hopefully will resonate as you think about your colleagues over the years. 57% of lawyers in private practice stop practicing within five years.

 

These are attorneys that went to law school, passed the bar, possibly had a state or federal clerkship, and then worked for a firm or the government for years.

 

You have so many brilliant colleagues that were excellent attorneys but found being a firm or government lawyer incompatible with also being a parent and ultimately left the practice of law. These talented men and women are rejoining the legal force as freelance attorneys because they can work when their kids are at school, nights, and weekends, without the commitment of full-time employment.

 

 

Here is another staggering statistic, at the 250 largest law firms, there is less than a 30% chance of making partner. This is often called the “big law up or out” system. These highly skilled lawyers without the necessary million-dollar book of business to become partner are leaving big law and many are hanging their own shingle and freelancing as they build their firms or developing freelance careers as they are keenly appreciative of its flexibility after big firm burnout.

 

 

This may shock you, but millennials are now 25 to 39 years old. While a remarkable over generalization, this is an entire generation of attorneys, many with more than a decade of legal experience, that are more concerned with work life balance than previous generations. Many of these talented lawyers are building freelance businesses for themselves so that they have total flexibility in their schedules, the ability to work and travel, and ultimate control over the type of work they do and their workload.

 

 

A new trend is also developing with retired lawyers choosing to freelance. Whether motivated by the need to “stay in the game,” a love for the law, or financial considerations, attorneys with decades of experience are offering their sage advice on a freelance basis.

 

 

There are many other life circumstances that are conducive to freelancing. Military spouses, for instance, are well-suited for a freelance career as they must frequently move. Attorneys that have opened their own practices and are working on developing their book of business often supplement their income by freelancing. And law school professors make additional money during their summers off.

 

 

The “gig economy” has reached legal and the number of highly-skilled lawyers looking to work on a freelance basis is exponentially increasing as they realize they can put their education and training to work in a way that is conducive to their families and lives.

 

 

Hear directly from our Lawclerks:

 

What is a Dedicated LAWCLERK Advisor?

At LAWCLERK, we are dedicated to helping attorneys improve their practices and their lives. We are here to help you increase profitability, efficiency, flexibility, and to get more done!

 

We are the only outsourcing platform that gives you a Dedicated LAWCLERK Advisor. Your Dedicated Advisor is eager to answer any questions you may have, to help you post projects, and build your on-demand teams of Lawclerks. They are here to help you put LAWCLERK to work for you!

 

Are the Lawclerks all U.S. attorneys?

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.

 

  1. An attorney that was previously barred and in good standing, but allowed their license to lapse due to retirement, to stay home with children or parents, or similar circumstances may, at LAWCLERK’s discretion, be a Lawclerk.
  2. Don’t worry!  The LAWCLERK Care Team verifies every registration and we conduct a yearly audit of our Lawclerks.
  3. Our Lawclerks come from a wide range of experience, including former judicial clerks with appellate experience, military spouses, stay at home parents, former big law attorneys, law professors, and even retired attorneys with decades of experience.
Are there limits on what Lawclerks can do?

At LAWCLERK, our freelance attorneys (we call them “Lawclerks”) work in a paraprofessional capacity under the supervision of the attorney posting and assigning the work. In furtherance of our commitment to ethical compliance, we provide the following guidelines:

 

  1. The hiring attorney shall have sole professional responsibility for the work product of the Lawclerk.
  2. The hiring attorney will supervise the Lawclerk’s performance of services on the assigned project to ensure compliance with the applicable Rules of Professional Conduct.
  3. The hiring attorney will establish and maintain the relationship with his or her client.
  4. The Lawclerk shall have no contact with the hiring attorney’s client, including without limitation no email, telephone, skype, web, social media, or in-person contact.
  5. The Lawclerk shall not appear in court or any other judicial or administrative body on behalf of the hiring attorney’s client.
  6. The Lawclerk shall not serve or otherwise disseminate their work product or any other documents to anyone other than the hiring attorney.
  7. The Lawclerk shall not sign or file any documents with any court or administrative body in connection with a project.
  8. The Lawclerk shall have no contact with opposing counsel, witnesses, or other persons potentially involved in the project for which the Lawclerk has been engaged, including without limitation no email, telephone, skype, web, social media, or in-person contact.
  9. The hiring attorney shall have sole responsibility for determining the fee charged to his or her client for legal services. The Lawclerk shall not have any involvement in determining the fee charged to the posting attorney’s client for the Lawclerk’s services.
What type of work can I get done?
How to Register as a Hiring Attorney
Additional Questions

Additional Questions

How does LAWCLERK's integration with Clio work?

LAWCLERK spent thousands of development hours building its robust integration with Clio! Attorneys using Clio for their practice management software will benefit from the ease of features that can be linked between their LAWCLERK and Clio accounts. The integration allows attorneys to streamline functions like calendaring, tasks, documents, billing and more.

 

Greg Garman, LAWCLERK Co-Founder and CEO, says “The integration allows Clio’s 150,000 legal professionals to seamlessly integrate with the LAWCLERK marketplace and its nationwide network of freelance lawyers for a more efficient and profitable law firm.”

 

Connecting your LAWCLERK and Clio accounts takes just a few clicks. Log in to your LAWCLERK account and click on the menu bar in the upper left-hand corner of your LAWCLERK dashboard and select “Connect to Clio” to start the process. This 38 second video shows just how easy it is to integrate your LAWCLERK and Clio accounts.

 

 

Once you’ve set up the integration, you’ll be able to post a new project to the LAWCLERK marketplace and sync it to a Clio Matter. Syncing a LAWCLERK project to a Clio Matter will enable you to streamline deadlines, tasks, documents and billing. You will select the Clio Matter in step two of posting a new project. This video gives you step by step instructions on how to post a project that syncs with Clio.

 

 

After you’ve posted a new project on LAWCLERK, the project is automatically created as a Task in the associated Clio Matter. Here’s a guide how to access and view the Task in Clio.

 

 

If your project involves many documents, this integration is going to save you a ton of time. You can now import documents directly to the LAWCLERK documents library from your Clio Documents file to provide the Lawclerk with the information they need to complete the project. Here is a quick video tutorial.

 

 

Once work is completed on a LAWCLERK project, the Lawclerk uploads their preliminary or final document submissions to the LAWCLERK document library and those document files can be exported to the Documents files in the associated Clio Matter. Click here to watch our video.

 

 

Perhaps the coolest feature of the integration is that it allows the Lawclerk to enter their time spent working on a project directly in the LAWCLERK dashboard. These time entries are then automatically synced to your Clio Matter for billing purposes! Check out this video to see how to view your Lawclerk’s time records at any time using the integration.

 

 

Can I register as both a Lawclerk and a posting attorney?

Of course! You’re more than welcome to sign-up as both a hiring attorney and a Lawclerk.

 

LAWCLERK was designed by attorneys who understand the ebbs and flows of private practice.  Sign-up as a posting attorney when you need an extra set of hands and as a Lawclerk when you need a little extra income.

 
How do I cancel a project or submit a dispute?

We understand that sometimes clients change their minds, cases settle, and case strategies change.  If you have posted a project and no longer need it completed and the Lawclerk has not done work on the project, you can cancel the project by requesting a dispute.   Or, while it is unusual, if you are not satisfied with the quality of the work product you receive, you can also request a dispute.  To request a dispute, please follow these simple instructions:

 

1. Go into the project from your dashboard.

2. Once on the communication hub, under the name of the project on the upper-left hand side, you will see in gold letters the status of the project which should read, “In Process.”  Clicking on the status will bring down a drop-down menu with the option to “Request a Dispute.”

 

 

3. On the next page, you will simply enter the reason for the dispute.  Once submitted, our arbitrator will take a look at the details, contact both the posting attorney and Lawclerk, and gather all the details needed to resolve it.

 

How does LAWCLERK maintain its security?

Our proprietary technology was developed to protect client confidentiality, comply with all 50 state’s ethical rules, and protect your privacy.

 

LAWCLERK uses Amazon Web Services Server Side Encryption for the encryption of files and communications transmitted over our platform.  We use Amazon web service because of their unparalleled cutting edge technology, which is the home of the data of international banks, stock markets, hospitals, and universities.  The encryption protocol uses AES-256 encryption, which is categorized by the National Security Agency as Suite B Cryptography, which is more fully described at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NSA_Suite_B_Cryptography.  All communications within each project’s communication hub are encrypted when the data is at rest (database encryption).

 

Our marketplace is so secure that the site administrators and developers can’t even see the confidential information shared between posting attorneys and Lawclerks.

For more information on LAWCLERK’S security, review LAWCLERK’S Terms of Use.

How does LAWCLERK handle conflict?

 

We built our proprietary technology to comply with each state’s ethical rules.


Here’s how it works:

    1. After an attorney posts a project, the attorney completes a conflicts checklist.
    2. Qualified Lawclerks apply, and then the attorney selects the Lawclerk of his or her choice from the pool of applicants.
    3. Only after the individual Lawclerk is selected, do they see the confidential conflict list.  At this point, the Lawclerk must review the conflict list and confirm that they do not have any conflicts.
    4. The Lawclerk is also required to review and comply with the conflict rules for each state in which the attorney that has posted the project is barred.
    5. We require an additional layer of contractual obligation to provide even more protection than is provided for under the Model Rules.
    6. In addition to contractual compliance with the ethical rules, each Lawclerk must also sign a Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement for each project.
    7. We take conflicts so seriously that the our technology blocks a Lawclerk from working for a formerly opposing party even if it were permitted to do so under the ethical rules.
    8. A Lawclerk can only view documents and the communication hub for the project after clearing conflicts.

 

Our marketplace is so secure that the site administrators and developers can’t even see the confidential information shared between posting attorneys and Lawclerks.

Is LAWCLERK ethically compliant?
Projects and Teams

Projects and Teams

How do I post a project?

 

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.

How do I price my project?

 

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


Alternatively, you may want to set your flat fee price by considering how many hours the work should take to complete and multiplying that by an appropriate hourly rate taking into consideration the complexity and urgency of the project.  If it is a complicated project, you need highly specialized knowledge or experience, or you need the work on a short deadline, we recommend increasing the hourly rate.  

You should price projects at rates that are appropriate for your practice and clients.  But, the following are good suggestions for starting rates:

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

 

How long should I set the application period?

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.

How do I communicate with the Lawclerk after they are selected?

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.

 

How do I increase the price or change my project 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.

What's the average timeframe for projects to be completed?

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.

How do I increase the price or change my project 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.

Can I cancel my project?

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. 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.
What is the difference between a team and a project?

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.

What is LAWCLERK Teams and how do I build a team?

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.
Why would I want to build a team?

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

How do I invite a Lawclerk on my team to complete a project?

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!

How do I share documents?

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:

 

Do I get a timecard so I can bill my client?

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.
 
Payment & Billing

Payment & Billing

How is payment handled?
How is tax reporting handled?

Good News! LAWCLERK handles all of the tax reporting!

 

LAWCLERK handles all tax reporting by issuing IRS Form 1099s on or before January 31 of each year to all qualifying Lawclerks that have complete projects in the preceding calendar year.

 

The punchline – you can get work done without worrying about tax reporting.

Did we miss your question?  
Contact our Care Team at:

(888) 479-5728 OR SUPPORT@LAWCLERK.LEGAL