Experts & Views
Legal process outsourcing (LPO) companies are giving stiff competition to law firms in the talent hunting stakes, writes the Eco Times today.
The article quotes several people working at LPOs, who claim that compared to law firms the companies offer:
- better growth opportunities,
- decent working hours and less work pressure, and
- good salaries.
In the article I briefly argue that LPOs still have an image problem and remain second choice for the top law graduates, despite the recent inroads LPOs have made.
Do you agree/disagree?
Would you ever work for an LPO or is it still not a popular choice for most 'real' lawyers / 'dignified clerks'?
Or do you work at an LPO and can tell the story how it really is?
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legal process outsourcing (LPO)
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- LPOs pay better salary than some "small law firms” (but none of those “small law firms” recruit on-campus from national law universities).
- Mid-sized and big law firms don’t pay in 3-7 lakh range at top law schools but rather in 6-14 lakh range. LPO salaries are usually less than 4 lacs.
- Whatever one may learn at an LPO, an LPO guy would rarely get a chance of making it to a law firm or a company while a law firm chap can move to almost any organization.
- Many law students prefer to join a small law firm / a senior advocate than going to an LPO because the perception is that “you are doomed” to a career that can be actually called a “glorified clerk job”.
- In a law firm, one can always move on to firms with better policies or make partner by commanding that respect, but that hardly compares with a “managerial position” in an LPO.
- LPOs are a cost cutting method and do low end work. So, even as a manager in an LPO, you wouldn’t be doing anything big but just do small stuff.
Please bear in mind that your career isn't about an 8 hour shift. Its about what you learn and where you can be in 2-3 years' time.
So, wherever one works ultimately it is the money and other comfort that plays a vital part. Given a chance of excessive work and lesser compensation in Law Firm vis-a-vis comparatively less work and attractive compensation in KPO, no matter what one professes, one will surely head towards KPO.
Further even within the Law Firm those appear before Forums/Courts consider themselves to be superior to those who only do desk work. All do not get a chance to appear before Courts. Just like a client prefers a particular law firm, the Law Firm also assigns stereotype works to particular lawyers only.
All must realise that it is not that any one becomes big overnight. Except those with family background and backing like sons/daughters of Judges/ and already famour Senior Lawyers etc., it takes about 10-15 years of hard work to see good money and fame. Whether one is able to withstand that long is the test!
Seriously? Short term (3-4 years) in a law firm, one can target to be a senior associate with decent level of client interaction and independence .... one can even move to a small firm as a salaried partner in 5-6 years. I doubt LPOs offer better growth opportunities.
Would love to see some posts that detail how LPOs offer "better" growth than law firms in a 3-5 year period.
2. decent working hours and less work pressure
Agreed. But significantly lesser pay and lesser CV development also. And lesser prestige too!
3. good salaries
Hmmm .... ummm ... well, avg. salaries are less than 4 lacs / year I believe. Best I've heard is 5 lacs. Good maybe, in these times, but hardly comparable to law firms.
The issue is - what are the pros and cons of LPO life and how does it compare with other options.
To an extent, I agree that you do not advise the client what should be in the agreement but, the glory of working for fortune 1000 companies, understanding their requirements, working with their GCs office is a good learning experience. As far as career path is concerned, LPOs offer great career path. I know lawyers with 5-7 years of experience managinf 20 clients and a team of even 50-60 lawyers. How many law firms in India can offer this career path?
Ultimately, each line has its flip side. It is for the individual to decide what he wants. Lastly, LPO offers job for a lawyers i.e. Brilliant, Very Good and Good Lawyers. Brilliant can do high-end contracts, IP work, Very Good can do legal research, drafting and Good lawyers can do document review. I think in Litigation & Corporate, you have to be super brilliant to survive in the market, however, LPOs accomodates everyone!
I am a law student in my final year - top of my class and non-NLS. I am exploring options and wish to learn whether i should join a law firm or LPO (like Panage3, Quislex etc.) Also, what is the future of the LPO workers. After 3 or 4 years what growth or position can they expect?
Can they expect a chance to shift base to another country in an LPO or firm after a few eyars and what is their average salary?
Would be great if someone could offer assistance and help build my career!!!
I would like to know if I want to switch over from this career what all options I will have, if I am ready to adjust with my salary amount.
Is Legal thing involved when you work in these matters? Document review is no way any legal work. Contracts, you dont draft but red lining only i think. And research, I dont think its a legal work when you are a senior lawyer already and being a young lawyer its better to work in a law firm and research rather than LPO. Money will follow at right time only.
what are the working hours ?
Where can one expect to reach in 4 yrs at a LPO ?
corporateratgurgaon.blogspot.com
Its just a thought, even im practicing as a Junior Advocate with a Counsel in Delhi Courts. But my counsel does not provide me any salary fixed and even if he gives will never be on time.
And I personally feel a person should not join litigation until and unless he/she is sure of getting cases in future.
OR else he will be a JUNIOR throughout his life.
Law Firms in question...People working with Great Law Firms would never help anyone with interview questions ..Commenting like this which iam doing is really easy..!
BUT my learned frnds..! I know we all have some experience or other..and we are mature...!
Lets not decide what is BAD and what is GOOD..!
I have different priorities and someone might have other..!
NOT EVERY STUDENT IS PASSED FROM ILS, NLS or NALSAR..!
But that does not mean..they are fools, if given guidance they might prove the excellent heads to Pot Holes..!
WE SHOULD WRITE AND INVITE NEW LAW GRADUATES BY WRITING IN BLOGS TO GO THROUGH THE BLOGS (PROVIDE LINKS AND TUTORIALS ) and WEBSITES WHICH CAN HELP THEM LEARN HOW TO CRACK A GOOD LAW FIRM INTERVIEWS, So that they can also ensure there career can go from UPTO 4 lacs to 14 lacs
WAT SAY FRIENDS..!
LPO sounds cool..........and i really think that initially whatever be the pay..there is great scope for growth!you've just got to deliver your best at EVERYTHING you do...........
Everyone are giving their own views about the LPO V/s Law Firm. some says law firm are better than LPO and some other says that LPO is better than Law Firm. but I have my own experience about these Two organization. when I completed my Law than I immediately join a senior lawyer in a law firm and I work there for almost 3 years . but that senior lawyer and law firm had not give me single penny in this time period and I know how can i live my that life time..... but recently I joint one of LPO. they offer me starting as 25k per month ......
now all you can tell me now what is the better option for young lawyer.... To being a junior lawyer in this Law Firm or senior lawyers ......or to doing job in this LPO's.......... LPO is COOL AND ROCKing
I'm a law graduate and want to work in lpo rather than a law firm.
Infact i'm a pure lpo guy, preferring to work in Mumbai.
Can u please guide how to crack the lpo interview. Currently working in a university with marketing & sales profile[legal] and had practiced in court for one year in crime.
PLEASE GUIDE.
I have sent 50-60 email to all type of law firms but no one entertains in such case I don't think there is any other option than to join an LPO its because of law firms only that fresh law graduates have no option other than to join LPO.
n if u run for ur career then money will definitely run after u..
Anyone of the above folks who is supporting either, please answer the above questions! We all will meet up the point why new graduates are opting LPO..!
itz been almost 1 and half yr i am working with small firm, what i have noticed being in litigation is, small firms do not pay may that much, in big firms you do get paid say around 20k at my stage but as a lawyer you do not grow because big firms have their own counsel's....so you as an advocate for them are as back ups to take dates to brief counsel's etc etc....so what happens to growth again???
i agree if we run behind money career will run away but till what extent are we suppose to wait if we do not have any back up in this field??? i am looking forward to join lpo industry but i would like to know till what age i can work in this field, what is my initial salary going to be and what after 5-6 years,what is the growth like and what if i dont want to work in lpo later which path i can choose then?? because back to litigation after 5-6 years is practically impossible.
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