How to Become a Contract Attorney

If the usual world of the legal firm seems stifling to you, and if you are particularly drawn to legal cases involving the business world or medical practice, you may be able to make a career as a contract lawyer. Contract lawyers are like freelance lawyers; they aren't on retainer through a firm and they take cases on an individual contract basis. They work to fulfill a contract and don't worry about billable hours, as is the usual business practice with a law firm's lawyers.
 

Obviously, this profession can be a double-edged sword. You trade some uncertainty about the future for more freedom. You are also distinct from an associate attorney; you likely won't be given the nicest office or be able to take advantage of the other perks of being a fully vested part of a legal firm. You have to take on this kind of law practice and business for the same reason that a freelance writer doesn't try to be a staff writer somewhere—you have to love your freedom as well as the practice of law. You will have to be a very responsible individual, too. Ultimately, you are your own boss, so you need to treat your contract lawyer practice like you're running your own business, which in a certain way you are.

Needless to say, you won't be doing any of this if you don't first have a law degree. Some law firms might pay you some money to do legal document reviews while you're just a law student, but you're not really going to get any outsourcing contracts unless you have at least your J.D. In the end, you'll need to pass the bar exam for you to be able to get your business thriving.

Once you are legally licensed to practice law, you can start looking for contract lawyer work through temp agencies. Look for the temp agencies on the Internet or in your local yellow pages. There are some temp agencies that are specialists in assisting attorneys looking for work, and many more specialize in helping professionals find temporary contract jobs. Many times legal firms like to outsource medical malpractice cases, and you could find these being advertised through temp agencies. Medical cases are often outsourced because they can become very entangling, as doctors carry medical malpractice insurance so that they can retain good lawyers who know medical terminology and take up so much manpower time of the permanent staff that law firms often just want to get them over with and get paid something instead of having accrued large expenses to lose the case. Many medical malpractice lawsuits are also frivolous, another reason why firms are happy to outsource them, since they want their hourly retained lawyers working on more serious cases that are better for business. So if you have a particular interest in these medical cases, you could increase your odds of finding contract lawyer work.

Of course, you could also just start making yourself known directly to law firms in your area. If you land some contracts this way you'll make more money, as the temp agencies can't charge you any fees or take a cut of your pay as their compensation. It's important that you show off your communication and research prowess along with your résumé when you take this approach, so have a quality writing sample of yours to include.
 

• See The Challenges and risks involved in Moonlighting for more information.

You can also find opportunities for contracted positions by the tried and true methods of networking. Go to bar association meetings and other bar events and make friends with other attorneys. You'll find out where there are firms that are looking to give some business to people like you. All successful non-salaried businessmen use networking to increase their sales. You should use this same technique, since you are in business for yourself.

So, once again, if you want to be a lawyer but you have that freelance writer spirit in you, why not try your hand at being a contract lawyer? Once you've fulfilled your contract you're free again. Just remember that you don't have the perks or guarantees of those billable-hour attorneys. You have to have an instinct for business as well as an understanding of the law.

See the following articles for more information:
 

• Should I Become a Contract Attorney?
• Should I Accept a Contract Attorney Position?
• Is Contract Work the New Normal for Litigators?
• Contract Attorneys Job Profile
• Does Contract Work Doom Your Career?
• To Temp or Not to Temp
• Will contract work hurt chances of landing a full-time job?
• Law Job Opportunities in Contracts
• What's Hot? Today's Legal Specialties

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