As legal process outsourcing (LPO) continues to expand in market share, so too the number and type of services offered by LPOs. The various types of legal support services that can be outsourced are varied and diverse as the legal market itself. The concept of LPO being at nascent stage, most LPO providers offer a wide array of legal support services - a one window solution for all type of services. But as the industry grows further, it is expected that LPOs will differentiate themselves not only by size and capabilities, but also by what area of law or what type of services they are best suited to outsource.
Earlier, there were trend to outsource low end work like para-legal services, deposition summaries, etc. But with the growth of LPO industry many LPOs including G. P. Law Solutions have developed itself for providing high end skilled services like Legal research and writing. Legal research and writing services encompass both drafting research memorandums as well as drafting legal pleadings like trial motions, briefs in support, appellate briefs, writs, etc.
Both small law firms as well as big law firms alike can benefit from the cost and time advantages of outsourcing Legal research and writing. By taking advantage of a global work-force, they can not only save time and money but also realistically expect high quality work product.
Why Outsource Legal Research and writings?
Since Law is anything but simple and clear, legal research and writing time-consuming and difficult. A good quality effective legal research and writing requires both efficiency and thoroughness. Usually it is seen that an attorney have to research an issue number of times before he feels comfortable with the result of his research.
Legal Research also requires adequate tools including Lexis® or Westlaw® to be effective and efficient. These tools are expensive, and often they are not used frequently enough to justify the expense for many law firms.
How LPOs successfully provide high quality Legal Research services?
LPOs operating from India or other offshore locations can effectively manage Legal Research and writing projects and can effectively control quality through appropriate training from the outsourcing US law firms. Due to the complex nature of the work, many a times, in first month of legal research outsourcing appropriate result may not be achieved. But, as offshore attorney develops themselves with the training provided, certainly quality product with cost and time advantage comes at place.
A robust training program for all employees of the LPO is essential. Any LPO claiming to provide high quality Legal Research and writing services must have a strong training process and a well developed curriculum for training. Many LPOs including G. P. Law Solutions have full-time trainers dedicated to training attorneys in US law. However, G. P. Law Solutions always remains open if outsourcing law firm wishes to train attorneys in their own way and demands those trained attorneys for their exclusive work.
An LPO offering Legal Research and writing services must have a work-flow process that effectively leverages technology and synthesizes the offshore team’s capabilities with that of the US team. The work-flow process must take into account the time difference between the two teams, as well as the time sensitive nature of most projects.
Checklist to evaluate an LPO’s providing Legal Research and writing Services
• Is the LPO have appropriate training program and whether they are open to further training provided by the outsourcing law firm
• Does the LPO have an easy and believable work-flow process?
• What are qualifications of their attorneys?
• Whether LPO is ready to part some of its staff exclusively for the projects of outsourcing Law firm?
• How does the LPO gather data for its research projects?
