“Lawyers are the most enlightened members of society!” We have all heard this proud statement one too many times. More often than not, lawyers are expected to be the most enlightened group of people in a room who can do practically anything. The main reason for this is usually because a Law degree is one of the most sought-after and respected degrees in any university because the curriculum is very rigorous and simulating.
Careers in Law
Upon completion of this degree, the graduates are usually free to join the legal practice after being admitted to the bar. The tools acquired from studying this degree are also usually very important and relevant to other career fields. Some of the careers in law that graduates pursue include: being a lawyer, paralegal or legal secretary.
Lawyers, also known as advocates, solicitors, barristers or counsellors are individuals who advocate for the rights of their clients through a law suit or litigation.
Paralegals are individuals who work with the lawyers to perform certain tasks so as to free up the time of the lawyers so that they can perform other tasks which only they can perform.
Legal secretaries are administrative assistants who offer secretarial duties to the lawyers.
Freelancing in the Legal Industry
With the dawn and rapid spread of the technology sector globally, the legal practice has turned to technology to provide services to the budget-friendly clients and to increase the reach of the legal services without being desk-bound or under a lot of pressure. This has been achieved through the use of legal freelancers.
Legal freelancers are legal entrepreneurs who work independently from a virtual office. Companies like Passion for Law enable you do this easily. They serve a wide number of clients from across the globe by offering consultancy services, research work and drawing up different documents such as divorce papers, legal contracts or law suits and petitions. Passion for Law is one of these law firms that hire freelance lawyers to work from their virtual offices.
Benefits of Legal Freelancing
Legal freelancing is especially beneficial because it combines the advantages of freelancing with the advantages of working under a law firm. The sole practitioner usually has the freedom to work from home or any other place, hence avoiding the stress that comes with a desk job. As a result, the firm saves on money that could have been used to create office space.
In addition, freelancing in the legal practice increases accessibility to a wide range of prospective clients. Hence, legal freelancers get to be hired by men and women from different locations.
Although a legal freelancer is a sole practitioner, he still enjoys the benefits of being part of a law firm. Freelance lawyers rely on the goodwill associated with the name of the firm to handle big clients with complex cases. Such a lawyer is allowed to specialise in a particular field of law of their choice and even given mentors to help him better his skills.
Believe it or not, the future of the legal practice actually lies in freelance practice!