Flying High - a military spouse and freelance paralegal shares her story

Guest blog post by NAFLP member Kris L. Canaday

As I stare out the airplane window, my mind runs through all the things to be done. It’s a quick trip. Find a house and head back across the country to finish packing. I have so many things still to do – I haven’t even touched the kitchen and I still need to schedule the utilities. Oh yeah, I also need to finish that paternity action when we land.

I am a military spouse. I am also a freelance paralegal. Why? So I don’t have to give up my career every time we transfer. Lately, that seems to be regularly. We’re leaving Washington after less than two years and just learned that we may only be in Louisiana for one year instead of three. I don’t think I’m going to unpack much more than my kitchen and office this time around. . . .

READ MORE at the new NAFLP blog

Birds of a feather, or a wig . . . online networking groups from serious to silly

Online networking is all the rage these days, from our own NAFLP Members-Only Forum and open Freelance Legal Professional groups on LinkedIn and Facebook to any number of other online communities. I set out to compile a list of groups that might be of interest to NAFLP members and found more than I ever imagined. Thus I abandoned, for the moment, any attempts at a comprehensive list. I have collected, however, a list of some groups that you may want to check out for business leads, mutual support, job postings, or a hearty laugh.

First on the Facebook paralegal group list is Did I seriously graduate from college to become a paralegal? boasting a membership of 477 (apparently unhappy in their career) members.

“Did you just finish paying $40,000 a year to earn a degree from a top university and are now wondering why you now make binders for a living? Are you sick and tired of making labels and sticking them on folders? Do you understand (but do you truly understand?) what a redweld-cut feels like? Do you have more client/matter numbers ingrained in your memory than phone numbers of your friends (who you don't hang out with anymore anyway because you're always at work)? Do you have nightmares about having bates stamped documents beginning with the last number from the last production rather than the next consecutive number? Have you pulled an all-nighter doing privlogging? Do you have absolutely zero desire to be a career-paralegal? Do you need to use a Tide pen after lunch to remove pizza? Do you eat all your meals in the same building you work in? If these disgruntled complaints sound familiar and you get your daily workout by lifting boxes of documents, then this is the group for you.”

I, of course, invited them to check out NAFLP for more career options.

Other Facebook groups for paralegals include Paralegals Networking Gateway, Legal Assistant Support Group, Paralegals Anonymous, Paralegal Division of the State of Texas, Paralegal & Temp Jobs in London, BC Paralegals, Paralegal, Paralegal Pipeline, Paralegal/Legal Assistants of Halifax, and Paralegal Protest.

Facebook groups for interpreters and translators include Freelance Translators, Translators United, Leave Translation to the Translators, Interpreters and Translators, Translation Jobs, and I'm a Translator, get me out of here . . . (maybe they should chat with the "Did I seriously graduate from college to become a paralegal" group).

Here are a selection of Facebook groups for lawyers – Law Students Building a Better Legal Profession, Women Lawyers - Back on Track , Future Corporate Lawyers, Future Lawyers of America, and Young Barrister Group.

Want to find legal groups on LinkedIn? Here's how I do it. Log in, search for David A. Barrett, Esq., the World's Largest LinkedIn Lawyer, review his group list and pick your favorites.

The Brits, however, take today’s award for the best laughs! These two groups were my favorites:

Save the Wig! “Various types have been threatening to abolish barristers' wigs for decades. But to my dismay, I learned last night that the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales has resolved to abolish wigs in all civil courts in England and Wales. Voice your opposition.”

Perhaps those in opposition to wig abolishment want to ensure they continue to be recognized as barristers rather than solicitors, for reasons set forth by the next group.

"Barristers are better than solicitors in every conceivable way" group. “On the one hand you have barristers- dashing, glamorous, obscenely intelligent and effortlessly classy. Daily they stride forth, fearless and proud, to fight tirelessly for justice, freedom and the underdog, while nobly robed in wig and gown, which may be archaic, yet remain oddly alluring. The pitiful masses can only gaze in admiration as counsel hoist aloft their verbal lances, and engage in their rhetorical joust, intent only on victory (and on getting the £50 fee for some shitty bail application). And on the other side you have solicitors- squinty eyed, sallow skinned desk monkeys. Clothed in their cheap, sensible suits, boasting less charisma than a volume of the white book, and more often than not impotent. Essentially glorified secretaries, these bastards still for reasons unbeknown to any reasonable man receive sickeningly generous training contracts, before starting work on a salary which would give the average pupil a wet dream. But this is clearly only a comfort blanket, a pathetic attempt to numb the awe and envy we know they all feel for their glorious legal brethren at the Bar.”

Have any great groups to share? Email us at melody@naflp.org.

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Feature article on FreelanceSwitch.com, and more

FreelanceSwitch.com, an online community of all types of freelancers, has just published an article titled "Freelancing and the Law" featuring Melody Kramer and the National Association of Freelance Legal Professionals.

"Most people think about creative careers when they consider freelancing. But not Melody A. Kramer. She’s the Co-Founder of the National Association of Freelance Legal Professionals, and has cracked the code on how legal eagles can break into freelancing, too." Read more at http://www.freelanceswitch.com/.

Other recent postings regarding legal freelancing include the following:

"Freelance Paralegals - A Balancing Act", LawCrossing, undated

"What Holds Unhappy Lawyers Back from Leaving?", Law Street Journal Law Blog, June 23, 2008

"Outsourced Legal Services", Prism Legal, undated (this article includes a survey of legal outsourcing providers and users in the US and the UK)

"Legal Outsourcing in India is Growing, but Still Confronts Fundamental Issues", Law.com, January 23, 2008

Offshore legal outsourcing sparks concerns, and marketing strategies

There has recently been an emergence of legal outsourcing companies that send work traditionally done by associates and paralegals overseas. India seems to be a common home for these practices. The work reportedly outsourced includes legal research and writing, document review, and other tasks.

As a practicing attorney, I have always felt a little queasy about foreign outsourcing of legal work, but I hadn't ever sat down and listed out the potential concerns. However, I stumbled across a recent blog entry from someone who does not even appear to be part of the legal industry, that had an amazingly insightful list of concerns that law firms and clients should have about the practice. The most troubling concern raised was that of foreign nationals having access to highly sensitive client information that could easily be sold to the highest bidder, with absolutely no recourse for the U.S. client. Other concerns with the practice of course include the inability of the responsible attorney to adequately supervise subordinates in other countries, lowered ability to confirm qualifications, and possible problems with unauthorized practice of law.

As with rising associate salaries, increases in outsourcing of legal and paralegal work, but with simultaneous concerns about the practice, present a marketing opportunity for freelancers.

Marketing efforts can focus on education about legal outsourcing as well as offering your services. For example, prepare a brochure citing the rise in legal outsourcing by law firms wanting to reduce costs, then explain how local outsourcing (i.e. outsourcing work to you) provides the same cost-cutting benefits while avoiding the possible problems inherent in offshore outsourcing.

Welcome novice law firms into the concept of local legal outsourcing with an offer they cannot refuse – a money-back guarantee or a reduced rate on your first project. Then, and above all, DO QUALITY WORK. There is no better source of referrals than satisfied customers.