Common Misconceptions about Legal Research Outsourcing
Conducting legal research can be a time-consuming exercise for many attorneys and law firms, especially for firms and corporations with a backlog of work, or organizations dealing with an influx of projects or cases. Legal research outsourcing can free up tasks for attorneys to focus on high-value work.
For organizations considering using an LPO, here are some common misconceptions about legal research outsourcing:
Misconception #1: Outsourcing research violates attorney/client confidentiality.
Some attorneys are hesitant to outsource research tasks because they are concerned that doing so could jeopardize their clients’ information. While the degree to which outsourced research service providers implement security and privacy measures can vary, some countries (such as the Philippines) have standards for attorney-client privilege and client confidentiality that mirror those in the U.S. By vetting an LPO, you can confirm how diligent they are about securing information and adhering to U.S. standards for privilege and client confidentiality.
Misconception #2: The firm won’t be able to rely on research results provided by an outsourced provider.
Because LPO attorneys are specifically trained to conduct legal research and other tasks using U.S. and international law, they are able to conduct thorough, relevant research for clients. With access to a variety of databases and research tools, outsourced providers can provide in-depth and up-to-date legal research and analysis that clients can rely on.
Misconception #3: Time is of the essence; outsourcing will take too long.
Attorneys facing tight deadlines sometimes assume that there’s no time to outsource their legal research tasks, so they – or their paralegals or legal assistants – spend hours they don’t have to research legal matters. Outsourcing research tasks to an LPO can be much more efficient, from both a time and cost perspective. LPOs providing legal research services understand that the attorneys they serve have tight turnaround times. Because LPOs have a team of detail-oriented attorneys ready to research a variety of legal matters, legal research outsourcing can be faster than completing legal research in-house.
Baer Reed provides timely, cost-effective, and comprehensive legal research review and analysis to law firms and legal teams around the world. To learn more about legal research outsourcing, contact us today.
- On September 19, 2018
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