What is Legal Process Outsourcing?
Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO) is a lesser known concept in the non-legal community. LPO is an industry wherein foreign companies outsource legal work to countries where it is significantly cheaper to perform. Since lawyers in countries like the USA and UK charge exorbitant fees for legal work, companies assign this work to lawyers in countries like India as it is much more cost-effective. All work and exchange of information take place online. LPO is a high-end industry that has been growing rapidly in the past few years, bringing about a global paradigm shift in the delivery model for legal services.
What are the benefits of Legal Process Outsourcing?
Not many qualifications are usually required to work in the LPO industry; a law degree from a recognized university and proficiency in English is sufficient. This means that law graduates who are just starting out in the highly competitive legal community can gain some experience working in this industry. Furthermore, LPO is not only beneficial for the big firms- it is beneficial for those small firms who have limited staff members and also a limited budget. When they are completely caught up in a case which requires all hands on deck for a period of time, they can simply outsource some of their work instead of hiring additional staff for performing legal formalities such as proof-reading and drafting documents with the help of templates. One of the most obvious but significant benefits of LPO is cost savings. Firms can save a huge amount of money by opting for external/ offshore vendors instead of in-house legal personnel. Furthermore, LPO is also highly flexible; small and mid-tier firms can scale up or down their number of in-house and external talent on the basis of how much workload they have to deal with the workflow at a particular point. This also reduces the firm overhead and helps these small firms be at the same level as the big firms.
What kind of work is accomplished at LPOs?
LPOs in India cannot work on Indian laws or for Indian clients as prescribed by the Bar Council Rules. So lawyers working in LPOs usually work on foreign laws. They perform tasks such as proofreading documents, checking for compliance with laws, legal research and drafting documents based on templates provided. LPOs are a great way of getting access to external talent and filling the gap between internal competencies. It also reduces the turnaround time for projects as the work is well delegated between internal and external legal personnel.
Why should lawyers choose to work in the LPO industry?
Even though lawyers do not prefer to work in this industry because they often confuse it with BPOs and think that the work is tedious; it is a very stable and flexible job which is a good option for junior lawyers and law students just starting out. Graduates who are interested in areas of international law can start out with this industry as it facilitates research into foreign laws. Furthermore, for individuals who prefer working from home or past lawyers who want to restart their career, the LPO industry is the best option. Working in LPOs brings various learning opportunities as some of the Indian LPOs work for the biggest law firms in the USA and UK.
In conclusion, even though the LPO industry is still in the development stage in India, it is a rapidly growing industry which is highly efficient and useful for the legal community. This industry is highly promising with the prospect of a lot of job opportunities in the coming years.
LPOs in India cannot work on Indian laws or for Indian clients as prescribed by the Bar Council Rules. So lawyers working in LPOs usually work on foreign laws. They perform tasks such as proofreading documents, checking for compliance to laws, legal research and drafting documents based on templates provided. LPOs are a great way of getting access to external talent and filling the gap between internal competencies. It also reduces the turnaround time for projects as the work is well delegated between internal and external legal personnel.
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