Sunday, July 19, 2009

Lawyers and the Outsourcing Industry

Lawyers are often seen inside the courts and halls of justice. Lawyers are also inside the posh offices of Makati Central Business District staring at computer monitors and clicking the mouse. They work as knowledge workers for Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) or Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO) companies for a salary higher than the take-home pay of an average associate in a medium-sized law firm. The outsourcing industry is the milking cow of lawyers. They say the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. Even lawyers from top-notch law offices in the Philippines are being lured to join the bandwagon. It is like the residents of surgery transfering to dermatology. After the blood bath, lawyers are hoping to be shiny and glossy people. The money is good, the job is flexible and the working environment is not that rigid. This is heaven for lawyers who got tired of law practice and want to enjoy the life they bargained for a lucrative practice. It is a misconception that this industry is just a venue for losers. If it is, then what is the explanation behind the voluminous job applications whenever there is a job posting from a multi-national KPO or LPO? Why? Maybe, lawyers are also affected by the global recession. Maybe, private practice is not that promising nowadays, clients would not pay. Lawyers cannot simply waive their fees just because of the economic slump. Or maybe, lawyers are just tired. Maybe there is a surplusage of law practitioners. We can only speculate. The other side of the world of the legal profession is the road less travelled. This is the comfort zone for some of the veterans in the industry. This is where you could find beautiful and gorgeous lawyers. This is the place where there is no room for egotistic professionals. This is an alternative career.