Lawyers USA Your Business Partner

In the current economic climate, it’s no surprise that many lawyers are looking for work. And law firms are seeking contract attorneys as a cost-effective way to staff specific projects.

Hoping to meet both of these needs, Laurel Edgeworth recently launched Law Clerk Connection , a website where lawyers looking to hire help for discrete projects post their jobs and lawyers and law students looking for work bid on the projects.

“This is the first of its kind as far as a freelance system for lawyers and law clerks,” said Edgeworth, a lawyer who is based in Los Angeles. “We also have the ability to do some degree of background check, we have a rating system and there is a totally secure document-sharing system in place,” so that the entire process can take place virtually.

Essentially, a lawyer looking for help posts an ad for a legal project. Lawyers can set a budget by specifying how much they are willing to spend or they can let bidders make their best offer at either an hourly or a flat rate. Currently, there is no charge for a lawyer to post an ad for a project.

Those looking for work – who pay to join the site and provide proof that they attended, or are currently attending, an ABA-accredited law school – may then bid on the project.

Once the lawyer selects the winning bidder, the site facilitates the transfer of documents and handles payment, Edgeworth said. Afterwards, both sides can provide feedback on the process.

The site is geared toward solos and smaller firms, who typically don’t have the time or the money to undertake an extensive hiring process for a small project. According to Edgeworth, her site gives lawyers a nationwide job applicant pool.

But Ed Poll, the founder of LawBiz Management Company in Venice, Calif., expressed concern that with a glut of websites already available for lawyers seeking work, Law Clerk Connection faces an uphill battle.

In addition, the term “law clerk” – which most attorneys assume to be law students – might cause some lawyers seeking help on a project to look elsewhere to hire lawyers, Poll said.

But Edgeworth said she doesn’t think having “law clerk” in the name will dissuade lawyers from using the service, noting that the term also includes practicing lawyers.

“I am not overly concerned with the connotation, because law firms utilize law students on a regular basis,” she said.

While the site hasn’t made any connections yet, “we’re in the process of educating lawyers on how the process works,” Edgeworth said.

Questions or comments can be directed to the writer at: correy.stephenson@lawyersusaonline.com

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