Lawdable : Cost-Effective & Flexible Legal Solutions for Corporate Legal Departments & Law Firms : Cost-Effective & Flexible Legal Solutions for Corporate Legal Departments & Law Firms: Counsel On Call

Nine years ago when we started Counsel On Call – we celebrated our anniversary on April 3 -- we had to work our tails off just to get a courtesy meeting with a client. We spent a lot of time in those meetings addressing uninformed stereotypes about contract lawyers who ‘couldn’t get a job in a real firm’ or were ‘too lazy to do the work.’ After talking in detail about the quality of our attorneys and how they simply didn’t want the big firm life, or had another interest they wanted to pursue in addition to practicing law, or wanted to spend more time with family, we started to get beyond those initial hurdles. Realistically, most everyone we met with knew an attorney that fit our model.

I’m glad to say that many of these prejudices have dissipated over the last decade, and I’m especially pleased to see that so many talented attorneys now choose to practice law in a non-traditional way. It’s more rewarding that clients recognize this as well. Most of our clients refer to our attorneys as Counsel On Call attorneys, or employment attorney, bankruptcy attorney, corporate attorney or discovery attorney … there is certainly more awareness that not every great lawyer works in a “permanent position” within a firm or in-house. It’s helped us get to the pressing matters at hand – ways we can provide our clients with effective business solutions that incorporate low-priced, experienced and highly qualified attorneys.

So what was the tipping point? This is difficult to say. First, the attorneys who have worked with Counsel On Call the last nine years have helped change the perception of our clients. Second, once clients started working with our attorneys, they realized how easy it really was, and how much value each attorney offered. Third, our clients were willing to share their experiences with others – most of our business has grown through referrals.

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A recent National Law Journal article on the current market for contract attorneys perpetuates some unfortunate misconceptions and generalizations about the practice, the attorneys who choose to work this way, and companies that assist them in identifying opportunities with law firms and corporate legal departments. The article really got my blood boiling.

There’s little doubt that the increasing volume of electronic document review work, coupled with off-shoring and a challenging economy, has led to downward pressure on rates and less than optimal working conditions in certain markets. But to write, as Ms. Kay did, that all contract work consists of "low-level document review" at hourly rates of $30-35 an hour under deplorable working conditions? That is just simply wrong, as is the suggestion that contract lawyers are, as a group, both discontented and without other career options.

We work every day with in-house departments and law firm managers who seek creative solutions to managing a host of complex issues while controlling costs. Our clients are seeking assistance in all practice areas, from managing EEOC investigations to negotiating complex contracts to drafting appellate briefs (and everything in-between). E-discovery has also provided many flexible work options for our attorneys, and our clients receive great value when these attorneys continue to work on the case as it proceeds. It is important to note, however, that rather than “settling” for temporary assignments, our attorneys have made an active decision to practice in a non-traditional way, one that provides more control over their lives and schedules. We have countless attorneys who have chosen to make working with Counsel On Call their career. In turn, we treat them as the highly competent professionals they are.

We have a saying around here: “Put yourself in the other person’s shoes.” We invoke it when dealing with the attorneys who work with us, with our clients and with our co-workers, and believe it helps everyone involved in an assignment feel comfortable and work effectively. We’re fortunate that our clients are also very concerned about work environments and benefits offered to our attorneys, and we never put our people in a situation in which we ourselves wouldn’t work. For these and other reasons, our attorneys are not "discontented” and instead give us rave reviews, continuing to refer other attorneys as both candidates and clients.

While it is unfortunate that certain agencies have treated attorneys shabbily as market pressures increase, it is unfair to suggest, as the article did, that all do.

NOTE: The National Law Journal ran our letter-to-the-editor response to the article on Jan. 26.
 

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It’s hard not to notice all the negative news hitting from all angles lately. Roiling markets, bailouts, rising unemployment and declining 401(k) balances. It’s easy to get caught up in it, and to find yourself in an all-out panic. Or at least a funk. A New York Times article a few weeks ago that touted the benefits of making a big, life-affirming purchase -- despite the troubled economy -- has really stuck with me.

The article really made me think smaller, actually – easy, inexpensive, or life-organizing things that we can do for ourselves that can make a big difference in our moods, getting us through the day, the week, or maybe even this whole lousy market cycle. I realize there are a lot of people working especially insane hours this time of year, but that’s all the more reason to carve out a little time to focus on some more personal issues:

Check in with yourself. Even though we often lose sight of it, each of us knows what works best to relieve stress – whether it’s meditation, yoga, playing or listening to music, handy work, cooking, reading, or exercising, make sure to budget some time for the healthy activities you love best. Or give up an unhealthy habit: A friend recently quit drinking Diet Coke after decades of being addicted, and is feeling great; another quit monitoring market gyrations during the day, and finds he’s way calmer and more upbeat.

Stay close to home. Consider scaling back on outside activities and catch up on rest, home projects and time with your family. Explore a neighborhood park or gallery. Organize a touch football or softball game. Invite friends over for a game-watching party, or holiday-movie-watching party. Clean out a closet, or reorganize your kitchen or garage. After years of thinking we didn’t have the time or energy for a dog, we recently adopted a shelter puppy. It’s brought us together as a family (and certainly provided lots of opportunities for exercise). 

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Firms and corporate legal departments are finding ways to reward their attorneys and build loyalty and motivation at the same time, according to the The Am Law Daily (from the November 2008 American Lawyer). Even the GC of Wal-Mart has gotten religion, according to the article.

Each additional adoption of this trend provides a bit more evidence that allowing lawyers some latitude doesn’t lead to chaos, neglecting clients, or declining profits-per-partner. We often recommend that our clients consider remote and flexible schedules for our attorneys working on their assignments, finding that this allows our clients to not only save money, but work with some exceptional attorneys who are looking only for these types of arrangements. As someone who has worked in flextime arrangements with two different companies, I can attest to the loyalty it has inspired in me. To be able to attend those school plays, go to the dentist or work from home while waiting for the cable guy has made all the difference in my family’s balancing act.

We'd love to hear about your flexible work experiences, bad or good.
 

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Just when we think the only news about corporate America is either depressing or horrifying, someone goes and does something refreshingly wonderful.

Sara Lee has announced that it’s launching what it is calling "returnships" -- four- to six-month internships at the Downers Grove, IL-based foodmaker for mid-career professionals who have been out of the workforce for a few years.

Spearheaded by CEO Brenda Barnes, a mom who stopped and later returned to her career after some time off to spend with her kids, it seems like a win-win. What a great way to tap into a market of trained professionals, address some projects flexibly, and build good will with the shoppers that form their company’s target market, all at the same time! Absolutely brilliant! I would imagine that after what amounts to a four-to-six-month on-the-job interview, they will make a number of permanent hires out of the group.

I think there are plenty of ways the legal profession could piggyback on this -- we've certainly seen similar situations work out very well for both our clients and some of our attorneys who return to the practice of law. 

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We’ve received some very positive feedback from an article in The Tennessean last month about our company and our induction into the Nashville Chamber of Commerce’s Future 50 Hall of Fame (unfortunately there's no link to the special section in which the article ran). There’s just one point I’d like to clarify.

The article makes it seem as if a majority of our attorneys are moms and other female attorneys who left the profession due to life circumstances (and wanted to get back into the profession). While we are fortunate that many women choose to practice with us, in reality, the attorney breakdown at Counsel On Call is basically a 50/50, male/female split. So yes, we do have many working moms – I am one and it was a big reason why I started this company – but many of our attorneys practice law with us while pursuing other interests (whether it’s as a sports writer, a teacher, or a musician) while others have chosen more of a work-life balance for their careers (like wanting to spend more time with family or to work only 40 hours a week).

Those pursuits, and the many others we’re fortunate to help facilitate, certainly aren’t gender specific.

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