Delivering Online Legal Services: How to Set Up and Operate a Virtual Law Practice

With the advent of the internet and growing new technologies, attorneys need not be bound to the structure of a "brick and mortar" business model.  Lawyers can now reach out to potential clients and resources through the use of extranets, cloud based software platforms, and network legal information as well as better communicate with current clientele over the internet.  Richard Granat joins Damien Allen to discuss "The Virtual Law Firm"

Announcer:  Welcome to GAL Radio brought to you by the Greatest American Lawyer blog, changing the way law is practiced through technology, innovation and creativity.  Turning the business of law on its head and shaking things up to the betterment of clients, lawyers, law firms and society.  Now here’s your host, Damien Allen.

 

Damien Allen:  Good afternoon and welcome to GAL Radio.  My name is Damien Allen and joining me today on the phone is Attorney Richard S. Granat of Directlaw.com and Mylawyer.com.  He’s also the Chair of the Elawyering Task Force of the Law Practice Management Section of the American Bar Association, and today we’re discussing delivering online legal services and how to set up an operative virtual law practice, and I know the American Bar Association is issuing guidelines as the major focus for them. Richard, welcome to the program. 

 

Attorney Richard S. Granat:  Hi, Damien.  Good afternoon. 

 

Damien Allen:  Pleasure to have you on the show today, sir.  Could you please tell us what is a virtual law practice?

 

Attorney Richard S. Granat: Well, a virtual law firm is really characterized by access to the law firm through what we call a client portal where clients can sign on with a username and password.  It’s not like a typical website that you see which just has the lawyers biographies and some legal information, but is really a platform under which the law firm can actually deliver legal services to the client and relate to the client online,  collaborate with the client, give legal advice online.  It’s essentially a vehicle for online legal services, and this is something new.  We sign onto our bank or we do our brokerage online, we do our travel online, but law firms are not really done that before.  They haven’t had what we call a secure client portal where the client could actually sign on to the law firm. 

 

Grow Your Small Firm NOW

Carolyn Elefant of My Shingle.com and The Law Firm of Carolyn Elefant discusses the many ways solos and small firms can build their arsenal and business fast on today's GAL Radio.

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Sponsored by: Greatest American Lawyer

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Announcer: Welcome to GAL Radio, brought to you by the Greatest American Lawyer blog. Changing the way law is practiced through technology, innovation and creativity. Turning the business of law on its head and shaking things up to the betterment of clients, lawyers, law firms and society.

Damien Allen: Good morning and welcome to GAL Radio. My name is Damien Allen, and joining me today on the phone is Caroline Elefant of the Law Offices of Carolyn Elefant in Washington, DC, and the proprietor of MyShingle.com. Good morning and welcome to the program, Carolyn.

Attorney Ranks 80 out of 200 Best Careers for 2010

Attorney ranks 80 on list of 200 best jobs for 2010 as discussed in this post by Debra Cassens Weiss on ABA Journal – Law News Now.  Paralegal is ranked 7th. 

See related articles:

How Attorneys Can Stop Being Perceived as Ambulance Chasers

If there ever was a derogatory term for a lawyer, it is this – being called an ambulance chaser is similar to being compared to a vulture; you’re portrayed as being responsible for sucking the blood out of someone who is literally fighting for their life. It’s not hard to understand why all personal injury lawyers are tarred with the same brush even though some of them are decent human beings who value their ethics and morals – we hear of them hounding people to file cases, suing people who have done nothing except be in the wrong place at the wrong time for absurd amounts of money, clogging up the courts and in general, making a mockery of our judicial system.

Attorneys can stop being perceived as heartless ambulance chasers who are out to scam people of their money if only they:

Introducing Virtual Trademark Paralegal -- Melodee K. Currier

Melodee K. Currier, President

P. O. Box 402Dublin, Ohio 43017
614-799-2433 - Telephone
866-749-2433 - Toll Free
614-799-2275 - Fax
www.etrademarkparalegal.com

I am a 1989 graduate of the Florida Atlantic University Paralegal Program in Boca Raton, Florida and have over 25 years' Intellectual Property experience working in the corporate Legal Departments of Owens-Illinois, Inc., IBM and Wendy's International, Inc. From 2002 to 2008 I was a paralegal at Wendy's International, Inc., solely responsible for its entire U.S. and International IP portfolio, including its subsidiaries, Baja Fresh and Cafe Express.

Working in the 21st Century with Virtual Paralegals

by Melodee K. Currier

In today’s competitive market place, are you looking for ways to reduce costs and provide faster turnaround to your clients?  Do you operate with a budget in mind and find getting help on a temporary or full time basis is too expensive?  Do you have difficulty finding competent help when you need it?

For Attorneys Flying Solo Virtual Paralegals Are Indispensible

by Alisa Johnson

With the economic recession in full swing hundreds of lawyers have suddenly found themselves out of work, with even more graduating and waiting in the wings.  For many sitting around for the next job with a big firm doesn’t seem like a very feasible alternative.  Some have made the difficult choice to go it alone, and are quickly finding that virtual services are an important resource to keep costs down.

Register For Audio Conference On Value Of Virtual Assistants

The Center for Competitive Management has scheduled a 75-minute audio conference for Tuesday, May 12, 2009, at 2:00 p.m. E.S.T. concerning the pros and cons of hiring and managing Virtual Assistants.  Traverse Legal Attorneys Enrico Schaefer and Brian Hall will be two of the expert faculty who will present real-life examples from both the law firm and the virtual worker perspectives.

Please visit the following link to register for the conference: Virtual Paralegals and Legal Assistants: How to Maximize Cost Savings & Increase Client Value.

An Explosion of Talent: And It’s Available Right Now!

Small and medium sized firms always hire just as needed.  Not only are Large law firms not hiring, they’re actually laying off attorneys and downsizing.  That means that there is a lot of legal talent, both young and old on the street looking for work.  Doesn’t it seem like it is time for law firms to consider virtual workers and lawyers to consider contract work? 

Are You A Virtual Worker Looking For A Job? Are You A Law Firm Looking For Virtual Worker?

As you know, our law firm has had tremendous success with its virtual worker program, working through a basecamphq.com extranet system.  What you may not recall is that we launched a job board for both virtual workers and employers looking for independent contract workers at the Greatest American Worker Job Board. 

We have been extremely impressed with the response. Thus far, 141 job seekers have added their resumes and 37 employers are looking to hire.  Note that posting for both employers and employees is, at this point, free.  There are some amazing resumes available online.  You might want to register here and check them out.