 Frequently Asked Questions
What is a contract attorney?A contract attorney is the general term for a lawyer who is hired by LegalSource to work on a specific legal matter or project for a LegalSource client (a law firm or other legal organization). Technically a contract attorney is an attorney who is licensed to practice in the District of Columbia or who is licensed in another jurisdiction and has filed a timely application to the DC Bar (DC Court of Appeals Rule 49(c)(8)). The more inclusive term is reviewer, because depending on the client's needs, those who are not licensed in DC or any other jurisdiction may be eligible to perform many of the same tasks as contract attorneys. What is an electronic document review?An electronic document review is a part of the discovery phase of litigation, as well as part of many government and internal company investigations. During electronic document reviews, electronic data (e.g. emails, Word documents, spreadsheets, and other computer records) are examined and evaluated for responsiveness to document requests, as well as for relevance to the litigation or investigation, through the use of various software applications, commonly referred to as review tools. Occasionally, paper documents are also scanned and loaded into the review tool so they can be reviewed along with the electronic data. What are the responsibilities of a contract attorney during an electronic document review?During an electronic document review the client provides reviewers with directions and criteria for evaluating the data. Reviewers carefully read each document using the review tool and consider how it fits the various criteria. Next the reviewers choose from a list of subject matters and categories and check all that apply. This exercise is commonly referred to as coding. Sometimes an electronic document review also involves determining if a document contains potentially privileged information and if so, which legal privilege applies. During the latter stages of an electronic document review, some reviewers may be selected to perform a quality control check on previously reviewed documents to ensure the coding was done correctly and consistently. These reviewers might also be asked to help compile a privilege log which contains a non-privileged description of the potentially privileged documents. Where does an electronic document review take place?An electronic document review can take place at one of the law firm's local offices, at one of LegalSource's dedicated downtown review centers, or depending on the size of the project and the client's needs, almost anywhere. The LegalSource review centers are Metro-accessible and close to a number of public parking lots. Am I required to know how to use different review tools before I can work on a project?Not typically. While some clients may request reviewers with experience using a specific review tool, in most cases actual experience using a specific review tool is not necessary. Every project begins with a brief training session on the review tool being used. Additional tutorials are sometimes provided during the project if more in-depth knowledge of the review tool is required, or if the project protocol changes. What is the size, hours and duration of a typical project?While every project is different, a typical project has 15 to 20 reviewers working between 50 and 60 hours per week for six to eight weeks. How am I notified of projects?If you have not yet interviewed with a LegalSource recruiter, also referred to as registering, the first step would be to send your resume to jobs@legalsource.com. A member of our recruiting team will then contact you to discuss possible project placement. Once you are registered with LegalSource, a recruiter will call you when a project that matches your qualifications becomes available, provide you with specific details about the project, and ask you any prerequisite questions. You will then be able to accept or decline the project. Most new projects need to be filled quickly, so you must register in advance in order to be contacted about specific projects. What if I still have questions?
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