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83 Women Law. J. 24 (1997)
Book Reviews

handle is hein.journals/wolj83 and id is 24 raw text is: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CONTRACT LAWYERING,What Every Lawyer and Law Firm Needs to Know About Temporary Legal Services by Deborah Aron and Deborah Guyol 317 pages, softbound includes in-depth appendix covering ethical considerations, office equipment, legal personnel agencies and supplemental resources Niche Press, 1995 ISBN: 0-940675-45-5 For information, call 800/468-1994 Reviewed by Kacy C. Eaves Everybody's talkin' 'bout it.. .from CLE meetings to cor- porate counsel meetings. The latest hiring trend in the le- gal profession is contract lawyers. Many of us started our careers believing we would be hired by big firms, settle into partnership tracks and be crowned partners seven years later. Economic changes have shattered this career pattern for many. Attorneys are now contracting out on projects. The le- gal profession faces the latest craze of contingent work- ers, previously endured by lower-skilled employees. Vari- ous reports imply contingent lawyers are a new phenomena; in fact, contract lawyering is a mere modifica- tion of the classic solo practitioner. Our images of the large practice are a fallacy. As late as the mid-1950s, only 2 per- cent of all lawyers were in firms of over ten attorneys. Since law began in America, attorneys have been performing work exclusively for other attorneys, which is the defining element of a contract lawyer. There are few distinctions between a solo practitioner working directly for a client and a contract attorney working for another lawyer. The solo practice is slightly altered since the contract attorney per- forms work solely for another attorney or in addition to an independent client practice. This book shows us that temp attorneys are not new but re-invented for the '90s. The legal profession is undergoing radical changes in hiring patterns. In 1988 there were an estimated 1,300 at- torneys temping; by 1994 over 10,000 attorneys contracted their services and the numbers continue to climb. Cata- clysmic economic changes are forcing attorneys and those who hire attorneys to change their approach to work. Pres- sures in the form of record numbers of law graduates, the purported attorney glut-along with numerous downsized mid-career attorneys-have plunged the le- gal community into this form of work. The Complete Guide To Contract Lawyering details the benefits and risks in contract relationships. Written in a tightly organized style, it is organized by topic and interest area.You can focus on contracting as a process, as a con- tractor or as a firm. The well-organized chapters are topi- cally focused. This structure permits you to skip around the book, allowing you to find answers you are looking for quickly. You can get the information you want by simply scanning the table of contents and reading the chapters that apply. Besides contracting advice, the book offers tips for new office setups, providing good information on equip- ment and management of your own contract office. For those considering contracting out their services, you will learn many lawyers have found temping as an ef- fective way for them to control their work hours; a way to bring quality of life back into their lives. Others have found that it provides them opportunities to be their own boss without the risks of a solo practice. Some find contracting out can nurture and insulate a young solo practice, provid- ing needed income. Still others find contract lawyering meets their immediate economic needs while seeking more traditional employment arrangements. Many have found it to be an effective time out where they can evaluate their feelings of burnout and decide their future. This book is a must for any attorney-novice or seasoned veteran-who is considering contracting. The Guide also shows how hiring attorneys, firms and small partnerships may benefit professionally and economi- cally by using short-term employment relationships. Firms can try out potential hires with no long-term commitments and with immunity from Title VII ramifications. in-house counsels are able to protect their associates by filling in large projects with temporary contract attorneys. Others find contracting tedious tasks can enhance their law prac-

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