Update on Outsourcing Legal Research
Neat piece from an Illinois paper today.
A few quotes:
Chicago-based Mindcrest Inc. has an outsourcing facility in Mumbai, with 200 lawyers working for it. Mindcrest and other legal outsourcing firms are experiencing explosive growth. Mindcrest is 10 times the size it was two years ago. According to George Hefferan, vice president and general counsel, Mindcrest plans to add 200 more employees by the end of 2007.
“During my association with an Indian law firm at the start of my career, I realized that I was more interested in doing work relating to legal research and drafting than practicing law,” said Prasad, 28, who has never been to the United States. “I visualize a bright and promising future for those associated with legal process outsourcing services” .
Paul Bernstein, president of the Chicago Bar Association’s law office technology committee, commented: “The research work done by lawyers in other countries is excellent. It is a fraction of the cost (of legal services here), and the turnaround time is faster, too.”
This year the UVic law library acquired access to a database of the law of India. It seemed a natural to me, given the historic ties between BC and the Asia Pacific, and the expanding economy of India. Most librarian people I talked to thought I was crazy, but this excerpt does show how seriously we need to take India.
Doing by Christma shopping in my local LCB outlet, I discovered some Indian wine. It seems they have quite and industry
http://indianwine.com/cs/default.aspx
Kudos should also be given to the International Association of Law Libraries. The annual conference next year will be held in Mumbaihttp://www.iall.org/iall2007/
Indian wine started in the last decade as a result of NRI investment. The white wine isn’t bad, although in India thanks to luxury taxes, it’s outrageously expensive – better to have wonderful Indian beer.
We’ve bought acceptable Sauvignon Blanc here, and there’s a Syrah (Shiraz) too, which I can’t find now.
Kudos to you for doing the Laws of India in the library
The outsourcing of patent services is already growing in India. Most of the companies have hired engineers who are trained in patent searching and technical drafting of patent applications.
The main advantage is good quality at a fraction of cost. However, there are certain apprehensions on outsourcing of drafting of patent applications (Export regulatuions, Confidentiality etc). In case of patent searching, the scope is more bright.
Thanks Chakshukalra. That comment comes from Techpackers a consulting firm in one of the new business parks that ring Delhi.
As a lawyer-to-be, this outsourcing trend kind-of scares me. Basic legal research and drafting are typically done by the young lawyers in the firm. If that is outsourced somewhere, what will the baby lawyers do? There’s no way they’ll be in court on the important cases, so what is left?
Fortunately, I am much removed from this, since I’m going to a non-profit. But still, it’s an interesting question.
And surely, apart from outsourcing patent services which comes under high end works, some of the paralegal work is also at its verge now a days. This may be a boom in India as far as Indian Outsourcing Industry is concerned. Even compliance related works gets through it.