How inside counsel are shaping firms; panelists ponder whether general counsel are doing to lawyers what HMOs are doing to physicians

Article Abstract:

Attorneys feel corporate general counsel's concern with cost control and standardization of services may have eroded the independence of outside counsel. As far as other law firm changes are concerned, the increase in legal specialties works more to bind a firm together than to balkanize it as attorneys seek specialized advice from other groups. Law firms need to have the ethos of teamwork to survive. Technology saves money and has much potential but does not necessarily save work as the same legal knowledge is required as before.

Influence, Corporate counsel, Panel Discussion

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Outsourcing and temps pose novel ethics issues; law firms should follow current conflict-of-interest canons when using contract attorneys

Article Abstract:

Ethics jurisprudence lags behind developments in legal service but existing ethics rules cover most situations, and specifically say the temp attorney is subject to conflict-of-interest analysis. Research attorneys sometimes are considered exempt from conflict-of-interest rules, but this may be a dangerous claim. Two potential safeguards are creating distance between the researcher and the client, as by keeping the client's identity secret; and obtaining all parties' consent to potentially conflicted work.

Conflict of interests (Attorneys), Conflicts of interest (Lawyers), Outsourcing

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New staffing practices are under way; several trends that have emerged recently include new duties for managers and increased use of temps and paralegals

Article Abstract:

Increased use of legal assistants and contract lawyers and competition from accountants performing certain areas of legal practice are trends resulting from the emphasis on cost and competition during the 1980s. Small and mid-size firms are the ones using more contract lawyers, particularly in certain transactional matters or high-volume practice areas. Internal pressure on profit and external client demands will probably mean greater use of and opportunities for paralegals.

Legal assistants

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