LAWCLERK was built by attorneys that understand that the practice of law is changing and that there are many skilled lawyers looking to put their experience to work outside of the traditional law firm model.
LAWCLERK connects attorneys looking to freelance with our extensive network of lawyers that need help with the written work – everything from drafting pleadings to completing complex discovery.
LAWCLERK gives you the systems and tools you need to be a successful freelance lawyer. We handle the vetting of the hiring attorneys, tax reporting, and payment, so you never have to worry about getting paid for your services. LAWCLERK additionally provides a two-tier conflicts check process, a secure and encrypted chat and document library to allow you to safely and securely share documents, and has a teams feature to allow you to work with your favorite attorneys on repeat.
There are no minimum hours or projects. Instead, with LAWCLERK you have total control over your workload, the number of projects you take, the attorneys you work with, and the type of projects you work on.
Hear what our freelance attorneys have to say about LAWCLERK:
The traditional legal career is leaving many dissatisfied with its long hours and limited opportunities. LAWCLERK provides you the personal freedom to work when and where you want, on the projects you chose. Whether you are trying to earn more, spend more time with your family, or chart your own freelance career, LAWCLERK will get you there.
With LAWCLERK, you can:
Only attorneys may use LAWCLERK. We use the term “Hiring Attorney” to refer to the attorney that is posting the work and we use the term “Lawclerk” to refer to the attorney that is completing the work. The reason we use the term “Lawclerk” is because the freelance attorneys are providing their services in a paraprofessional capacity, subject to the following rules, which allows them to provide services to attorneys outside of their state without violating the prohibition on the unauthorized practice of law.
These rules are the secret sauce that allows LAWCLERK to be 50-state ethically compliant:
Of course! You’re more than welcome to sign-up as both a hiring attorney and a Lawclerk.
LAWCLERK was designed by attorneys who understand the ebbs and flows of private practice. Sign-up as a posting attorney when you need an extra set of hands and as a Lawclerk when you need a little extra income.
While unusual, there are situations where disputes arise regarding projects. To initiate a dispute, click the button below. Note that if you are not logged-in to your LAWCLERK account, you will need to log-in before you can initiate the dispute.
Our proprietary technology was developed to protect client confidentiality, comply with all 50 state’s ethical rules, and protect your privacy.
LAWCLERK uses Amazon Web Services Server Side Encryption for the encryption of files and communications transmitted over our platform. We use Amazon web service because of their unparalleled cutting edge technology, which is the home of the data of international banks, stock markets, hospitals, and universities. The encryption protocol uses AES-256 encryption, which is categorized by the National Security Agency as Suite B Cryptography, which is more fully described at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NSA_Suite_B_Cryptography. All communications within each project’s communication hub are encrypted when the data is at rest (database encryption).
Our marketplace is so secure that the site administrators and developers can’t even see the confidential information shared between posting attorneys and Lawclerks.
For more information on LAWCLERK’S security, review LAWCLERK’S Terms of Use.
We built our proprietary technology to comply with each state’s ethical rules.
Here’s how it works:
Our marketplace is so secure that the site administrators and developers can’t even see the confidential information shared between posting attorneys and Lawclerks.
Yes. All freelancers should have their own access to Westlaw, Lexis Nexis or other legal research databases. Although some hiring attorneys may give you access, you cannot expect that to happen all the time. Many state bars provide free Fastcase access to their members so that is an option you can look into if you don’t have your own access.
WELCOME TO LAWCLERK!
We are so pleased you have joined!
Please take a few minutes to watch our introductory video below.
Once your account has been approved, you can search and apply for projects that interest you. Below is an example of what a project will look like on the marketplace:
Key elements to look at when applying
Application Period:
The period in which you can apply.
Project Deadline:
Project is due on the listed date.
Initial Draft Deadline:
Deadline of when initial draft must be submitted.
Project Price:
The net amount you will receive upon completion of project.
When considering whether to apply for a project, it is important to closely review all of the details and make sure it is something you want to, and can do, by the deadlines and for the project price. Please note that all projects are on a flat-fee basis. Thus, the project price is the compensation you will receive when the work is completed.
When you apply for a project, you are able to leave a brief statement indicating why you should be selected for the project. We encourage you to take advantage of this option as it can be the deciding factor in being selected for the project.
When you apply for a project (and only when you apply), the Hiring Attorney will be able to review your profile, which includes your bio, resume, writing sample, and reviews on past projects. This is the information that the Hiring Attorney will use (together with the optional project specific statement mentioned above) to determine which applicant to select for the project.
There are no limits on how many projects you can apply for nor a minimum number. You can pick-up one project a year or one per day. With LAWCLERK, you have complete control!
You are remarkably talented and have experience that other attorneys are searching for. Putting your awesomeness on full display can make all the difference in how often you are selected for projects. Here are some tips to help you stand out from the crowd:
For each project, you are provided a secure and encrypted communication hub that only you and the Hiring Attorney for the project can access. Not only does this preserve confidentiality, but you have all of the communications about the project at your fingertips instead of searching through emails and texts.
Watch the video below to see how easy it is to discuss a project through our communication hub.
You can video conference or start an audio call right through the LAWCLERK platform. Within any open project, click on the Start Meeting Icon, and an invite will be sent to the Hiring Attorney on that specific project. If they are logged into their account, they will see the call request come through. If they are not logged in, they will receive a missed call notification. You are still able to use the chat function and can send messages while on a video or audio call. It’s a very simple process and a great way to easily communicate about your project in order to get it completed quicker.
Watch the video below to see how the video conferencing function works from your open project.
In addition to the communications hub that allows you to chat with the Hiring Attorney, you can also email or call them. The Hiring Attorney’s name and picture is provided in the upper right hand corner of your dashboard. Simply click on the Hiring Attorney’s picture to get their email and phone number.
Managing Notifications
You currently receive a digest email once an hour identifying projects and teams that may interest you, with other notifications coming at different intervals. To change the frequency with which you are notified about teams or projects (or modify the frequency of other notifications):
If you would no longer like to receive email notifications:
Once you’ve completed your first project, the next question we usually get is: “How do I get paid?”
Before you trigger payment, please make sure revisions are not needed and the posting attorney has given you a thumbs up on the work.
In order to trigger the payment process, you will need to do the following:
Once you upload your final submission and time card, the posting attorney will have an initial period of 96 hours to review the submission and either request changes or approve it. Note that this 96-hour period can be extended one time for an additional 96 hours. As it takes our payment processor 1-2 days to complete the payment process, you can expect to receive payment in your account within 8 days of when you submit your final project.
We use a third-party payment processing company called Braintree Payments, which is a subsidiary of PayPal, for all payment transactions.
The first time you apply to a project or a team, you will be prompted to enter your bank account information. This is strictly to streamline payment directly into your account upon project completion. No funds are ever taken out of your account.
Please note your bank account information is securely stored by Braintree. LAWCLERK cannot view or access your bank account information.
When you accept a project, Braintree charges the posting attorney and holds their funds pending successful completion of the project. Upon completion of the project, your payment is deposited into your bank account by Braintree. This ensures you get paid for the work complete!
LAWCLERK handles all tax reporting by issuing IRS Form 1099s on or before January 31 of each year to all Lawclerks that have complete projects in the preceding calendar year. Form 1099s are sent both via email and USPS. We recommend keeping your physical address up to date and we endeavor to send out reminder emails to update your address before the Form 1099s are sent out.
Please note that in accordance with IRS regulations, you will only receive a Form 1099 if you receive $600 or more in payments through LAWCLERK in the preceding calendar year.
All transactions on LAWCLERK are processed by Braintree Payments, who is owned and operated by PayPal. Braintree Payments also securely stores all payment and bank account information.
As part of its security and compliance with federal law, Braintree Payments requires every Lawclerk to go through a handful of “Know Your Customer” checks (KYC, OFAC, and MATCH) because Braintree Payments will be releasing funds to them upon the successful completion of projects. This is a fairly common and best practice used by online payment processors in order to guarantee the identity of the users on their platform. Because of this process, Braintree Payments sometimes asks Lawclerks to submit one or more additional forms of identification before being approved.
In particular, in the U.S., the Patriot Act (this Act came into effect after 9/11 with the goal of reducing fraud and money-laundering) prohibits Braintree Payments from sending funds to individuals without providing documentation that they are sending money to the correct individual. If you are logged out after entering your payment information, one of these three checks previously listed was likely flagged.
While we appreciate that this can be frustrating, we hope you understand that Braintree Payments is ensuring its compliance with federal law and taking the steps necessary to ensure that all transactions are legitimate and legal.
Our LAWCLERK Care Team will be reaching out to you to seek the additional information needed by Braintree Payments in order to activate your account.
Once approved by Braintree Payments, our LAWCLERK Care Team can go ahead and approve your registration again on our platform.
Did we miss your question?
Contact our Care Team at:
(888) 479-5728 OR SUPPORT@LAWCLERK.LEGAL
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