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The Job of a Contract Attorney

ryan-frank | Jan 4, 2010 |

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Contract law has become a fairly large part of the legal industry in this past decade. In a failing economy, in-house attorney positions have grown scarce. Working as contract attorneys has provided many law school graduates with an alternative form of employment. Contract attorneys are basically lawyers for hire. They work on a per-case basis, much in the way that any independent contractor works.

What do Contract Attorney's Do?

Unlike in-house attorneys, contract attorneys don't really work directly with clients and they don't do much work in actual courtrooms. Instead, the job of the contract attorney is to, among other things, conduct case research, draft legal briefings and review files. Contract attorneys are usually hired by firms or in-house lawyers when there's a case requiring an especially heavy workload. A contract lawyer is essentially backup; he handles a lot of the behind-the-scenes desk and paperwork that's is a necessary part of building a good case.

Also, in counties that do not have a public defender, contract attorneys may be hired to serve as assigned defense counsel.

Time Worked

Contract attorneys are hired on a per-case basis, which means that when the case is over, their job at the firm is done. Contract attorneys who've been working in the field for a while tend to develop close relationships with different firms who hire them regularly to work on cases.

Advantages for Firms

Many law firms, especially small firms looking to expand, like to employ search contact attorney job listings because it gives them increased flexibility. Having a large workforce of temporary contract lawyers allows them to expand without having to hire full-salaried employees. Firms are legally allowed to add a surcharge to the fees of their contract lawyers, so long as the fee charged the client is reasonable.

Contract Attorney Agencies

As contract attorneys have become a growing sector of the legal industry, agencies have developed that represent contract attorneys and work as middlemen between law firms and attorneys for hire. For a fee, these agencies ensure that their contract attorneys have a steady flow of assignments, and some law firms prefer to work through such agencies since they guarantee a certain level of professionalism.