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Have you scheduled an initial call with a potential lawyer client? That’s great, but you still have a long way to go before the work can begin.
As a freelancer, it is normal to book several initial calls or interviews with busy lawyers or law firms but only see a few of them translate into actual paying clients. Likely, you are one of many candidates the hiring lawyer is interviewing. Or they are not yet convinced that a freelance lawyer is right for their firm. While this can be frustrating, and you may never book %100 of the potential freelance gigs, there are things you can control to improve your conversion rate. Keep reading to learn how you can convey to other lawyers the advantage of a freelance lawyer and why you are the best person for the job.
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Are you thinking of hiring a freelance lawyer to assist with your overflow legal work? Not sure if the rate they have quoted is reasonable?
Here are three important considerations to keep in mind when reviewing a freelance lawyer’s hourly rate:
 Flex Legal's Founder & CEO, Erin Cowling, was recently interviewed by Immigration Lawyer, Evelyn Ackah, for Evelyn's podcast "Ask". Erin and Evelyn discuss the story of Flex Legal, the opportunities and obstacles of entrepreneurship, and what is next for Erin and the Flex Legal Network.
Find the episode HERE Access more episodes of the "Ask Canadian Immigration Lawyer Evelyn Ackah" podcast HERE Why Hiring A Freelance Lawyer is a Stress-Free & Affordable Way for Lawyers to Get More Done4/1/2021
Looking for "As-Needed" Law Student Help? Flex Legal Supports Law School's Freelance Initiative6/17/2020 Are you looking for some law student help with your busy law firm but not necessarily a full-time law student? We have a solution for you. While Flex Legal provides advanced freelance legal services (our freelance lawyers have between 5-20 years of post-call experience) we wanted to introduce you to a new freelance service by law students at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law (Common Law). With the global pandemic many students lost their summer jobs or had their hours reduced significantly. To assist these students, the University has created a program to connect law firms and students through freelance opportunities. According to the University: “This initiative pairs employers in need of short-term support with students eager to build on their practical experiences. The Career and Professional Development Centre will post freelance or short-term contract opportunities for law students. These contracts could, for example, be for a single piece of research, remunerated on an hourly basis, with a set number of hours allocated to the work.” A student can also assist a lawyer or law firm with: social medial marketing, blog post drafting, website updates, client outreach, customer satisfaction surveys, etc. We thought this would be a great opportunity to introduce our clients to this initiative and encourage you to take advantage of it if you have student level work to outsource. You can find more information on the initiative here. If you would like to post a short-term opportunity for students, you can fill out the form at the following link. The University then makes the information available to their students. The University will not post unpaid positions. For any questions, please feel free to contact Chantal Riendeau (criendeau@uottawa.ca) at the Career and Professional Development Centre. This service is provided directly through the University of Ottawa. Flex Legal is not profiting from this initiative. We are happy to do our part, give back to the community, and support these students who need our help. Flex's founder, Erin Cowling, is also the Regional Alumni Advisor (Toronto) for the University of Ottawa (Faculty of Law). 
Check out Erin's interview with Vivene Salmon, President of the CBA and fellow law-preneur, Kim Gale for The Everyday Lawyer Podcast.
Erin, Kim and Vivene talk about going solo and the challenges and rewards of starting your own practice:  In the “old” days, pre-pandemic, we used to publish “Lawyers Looking for Leads” blog posts with curated lists of networking events for lawyers in Ontario. We focused on events with a social component, where lawyers could make new contacts and find potential referral sources for work. Well, in-person networking has ground to a halt. What are lawyers to do now?
Here are our top 3 tips to continue your networking plan but in a virtual way: 1. Join Social Media: If you have been hesitant to join in the past, now is the time! Social media is one big networking event you can attend in your pajamas and with unwashed hair. Connect with other lawyers on Twitter (follow #lawtwitter), LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram (#lawyersofinstagram), etc. Interact with them by liking their posts, posting interesting articles or writing articles of your own and sharing them. You can build your profile and make new contacts all from the safety of your couch. 2. Virtual Coffee Dates: Before this crisis hit, you may have had a calendar full of coffees or networking lunches or after work drinks. Don’t cancel them. Move them online. Make a coffee or drink at home and have that face-to-face meeting still. 3. Pick Up the Phone or Send that Email: Now is the time to reach out and connect with other lawyers. Renew relationships. Check in with former colleagues or old law school friends. What are they doing? How are they coping? Let them know also what you are doing and what legal services you are still offering. How are you making new connections and building your network while maintaining social distancing? As freelance lawyers, who work remotely, it's business as usual for us! Looking for a cost-effective way to get your legal work done and find time to focus on building your practice? Contact us and find out how we can help you. To assist it's member, the OBA asked us to write an article on our remote working and work-from-home tips. A quick preview of our five top tips:
You can read the full article and details on each tip here. It was a pleasure to share our experience with other lawyers. As we work remotely 100% of the time, it's business as usual around here - please reach out if you are a lawyer looking for help with your overflow legal work. Our experienced freelance lawyers are available to assist. We offer a wide variety of services at competitive prices.  |
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Flex Legal Network Inc.
We are freelance lawyers and paralegals helping lawyers with their overflow legal work. ContactEmail: info@flexlegalnetwork.com
Main Phone: 647.250.9292 |
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Disclaimer: Flex Legal Network Inc. ("Flex Legal") is not a law firm and does not perform legal services. The information provided in this website should not be construed as legal advice. Transmission of information from this website is not intended to create, and its receipt does not constitute a solicitor-client relationship with Flex Legal or any of its individual network lawyers or personnel. Use of Flex Legal services does not establish a solicitor-client relationship. If you use our website or services you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.
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(C) 2015-2022 Flex Legal Network Inc. All rights reserved. "Flex Legal Network", "Flex Legal", & "Flex" are all registered trademarks of Flex Legal Network Inc.