Virtual law firm
Encyclopedia
A virtual law firm is a group of lawyers with diverse expertise that are banded together through technological means to provide a suite of services to its clients.
, Virtual Law Offices and cloud computing
have made it far easier for companies to save and manage data across geographic locations securely and efficiently.
The Virtual Law Firm has also come to be associated with lower prices, as they generally operate with lower overheads than traditional law firms.
There are also environmental benefits to virtual law firms, many which operate as paperless office
s in contrast to the traditional law firm with its rooms full of filing cabinets.
The eLawyering Task Force of the Law Practice Management Section of the American Bar Association has released a statement on minimum requirements for law firms delivering legal service online. The guidelines equate the concept of "eLawyering" with the virtual practice of law and the concept of the virtual law firm. According to the American Bar Association guidelines, eLawyering or virtual law practice refers specifically to the delivery of legal services online through a section of a law firm's web site that is a known as a secure "client portal."
The purpose of the eLawyering Task Force minimum requirements is to provide guidance to attorneys who wish to deliver legal services online on how to comply with the professional rules of conduct that govern law practice in each state.
Under this definition, a "virtual law firm" is not simply a lawyer who does not have a physical office and communicates with their clients by email. Instead, the law firm must have as part of its web site a secure section where a client can log-in with a unique user name and password.
Conducting business through the log-in portal is different from conducting business over email, as the log-in portal is secure and must adhere to strict regulations and standards. A completely virtual law office will conduct all business online, while some small practices choose to integrate a VLO log-in portal to provide more options to their clients.
A VLO allows clients and their attorneys to message and communicate securely, schedule appointments online, and upload and download documents. Attorneys running a VLO can also sync their firm’s calendars, sell documents online, and use a “virtual receptionist” service to handle administrative tasks . Attorneys also save on paper and printing costs by providing documents online, and both parties can access the VLO portal at any time of the day.
of a VLO can also save clients a considerable amount of money by allowing them to handle much of the work surrounding their legal consultation themselves with an attorney guiding them and drafting paperwork (known as “unbundling”) . In turn, an attorney running a VLO will have more flexible work hours and be able to serve a much larger client base over the internet. They will also save significant overhead related to running a practice (such as office rent, paper, and assisting staff). With the rapid expansion of technology and internet use, lawyers who are able to bend their practice to serve this client base may find themselves more successful.
History
The first recorded virtual law firm was "Woolley & Co" set up in 1996 in England by Andrew Woolley. The term became more clearly defined in 2004 in an article written by Joe Kashi defining exactly what it meant to be a Virtual law firm . Virtual law firms are also often referred to as "Law Firm 2.0". The concept has since spread globally and is finding favour with clients seeking higher quality service, value, and mobility.Features
According to earlier sources, a virtual law firm shares the following characteristics:- Has a stable core group of attorneys;
- Has established collaborative relationships with other, specialized law firms that possess expertise that’s occasionally needed;
- Is glued together with appropriate computer and telecommunications technology such as project management softwareProject management softwareProject management software is a term covering many types of software, including estimation and planning, scheduling, cost control and budget management, resource allocation, collaboration software, communication, quality management and documentation or administration systems, which are used to...
or a Virtual Law Office (VLO) - Expands and reduces personnel as needed.
Benefits
The advent of technology used in Virtual Law Firms such as project management softwareProject management software
Project management software is a term covering many types of software, including estimation and planning, scheduling, cost control and budget management, resource allocation, collaboration software, communication, quality management and documentation or administration systems, which are used to...
, Virtual Law Offices and cloud computing
Cloud computing
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility over a network ....
have made it far easier for companies to save and manage data across geographic locations securely and efficiently.
The Virtual Law Firm has also come to be associated with lower prices, as they generally operate with lower overheads than traditional law firms.
There are also environmental benefits to virtual law firms, many which operate as paperless office
Paperless office
A paperless office is a work environment in which the use of paper is eliminated or greatly reduced. This is done by converting documents and other papers into digital form. Proponents claim that "going paperless" can save money, boost productivity, save space, make documentation and information...
s in contrast to the traditional law firm with its rooms full of filing cabinets.
eLawyering
More recently, the concept of the virtual law firm has been associated with the term, "eLawyering" and means a law firm that delivers legal services online.The eLawyering Task Force of the Law Practice Management Section of the American Bar Association has released a statement on minimum requirements for law firms delivering legal service online. The guidelines equate the concept of "eLawyering" with the virtual practice of law and the concept of the virtual law firm. According to the American Bar Association guidelines, eLawyering or virtual law practice refers specifically to the delivery of legal services online through a section of a law firm's web site that is a known as a secure "client portal."
The purpose of the eLawyering Task Force minimum requirements is to provide guidance to attorneys who wish to deliver legal services online on how to comply with the professional rules of conduct that govern law practice in each state.
Under this definition, a "virtual law firm" is not simply a lawyer who does not have a physical office and communicates with their clients by email. Instead, the law firm must have as part of its web site a secure section where a client can log-in with a unique user name and password.
Virtual Law Office
A Virtual Law Office, or VLO, is an online law practice that exists through a secure log-in portal and can be accessed by both client and attorney anywhere an internet connection is available. In contrast to a traditional law practice, a VLO allows attorneys and clients to communicate securely over the internet, download or upload documents, and conduct other business normally conducted face-to-face over the internet.Conducting business through the log-in portal is different from conducting business over email, as the log-in portal is secure and must adhere to strict regulations and standards. A completely virtual law office will conduct all business online, while some small practices choose to integrate a VLO log-in portal to provide more options to their clients.
Features
The features offered by a virtual law office depend on the particular vendor, but basic features center around a securely hosted, web-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) application that stores documents as part of a cloud computing system. By storing documents and information on an external server – and allowing log-in through a secure, encrypted portal – documents can be accessed and shared by both client and attorney .A VLO allows clients and their attorneys to message and communicate securely, schedule appointments online, and upload and download documents. Attorneys running a VLO can also sync their firm’s calendars, sell documents online, and use a “virtual receptionist” service to handle administrative tasks . Attorneys also save on paper and printing costs by providing documents online, and both parties can access the VLO portal at any time of the day.
Benefits of a VLO
The main benefit of a virtual law office to the client is convenience and accessibility to their attorney. The unbundled legal servicesUnbundled legal services
Unbundled legal services is a method of legal representation in the United States in which an attorney and client agree to limit the scope of the attorney’s involvement in a lawsuit or other legal action, leaving responsibility for those other aspects of the case to the client...
of a VLO can also save clients a considerable amount of money by allowing them to handle much of the work surrounding their legal consultation themselves with an attorney guiding them and drafting paperwork (known as “unbundling”) . In turn, an attorney running a VLO will have more flexible work hours and be able to serve a much larger client base over the internet. They will also save significant overhead related to running a practice (such as office rent, paper, and assisting staff). With the rapid expansion of technology and internet use, lawyers who are able to bend their practice to serve this client base may find themselves more successful.