Give Protectionism a Chance... Please!

Why did I take the bar if I could have gone to India and been a lawyer without suffering for those 2 to 3 months? As many of my readers surely know, in August of 2008, the ABA blessed legal outsourcing to countries such as India. I find it ironic that the ABA would make a move that would be so detrimental to American lawyers and compromise the integrity of the American legal system. No, that's wrong. I expect it of the ABA at this point. The ABA is my enemy, actually.

In my view, international outsourcing leaves so much room for debasing our "high ethical standards." If American legal work can be outsourced to companies located in India, how can we control the standards by which one becomes a lawyer in India? For example, a person graduating from an unaccredited school in California would not qualify to sit for the bar in most (49 of 50) states... yet they can likely go to India and work as an attorney. Whose stopping them? What is the justification behind having to pass a bar to practice in this Country, if you can by-pass that requirement by moving across the seas. So, is this about "ethics" and "professionalism" or is it about the almighty dollar? The onus of whether or not the standards of the subjection country's legal profession is up to snuff is on the "supervising attorney." Look at your boss for a second and tell me what the hell he knows about foreign lawyers and the rigor of their respective legal education and licensing requirements.

I actually ran across an advertisement for a job at one of these outsourcing companies:

U.S. Litigator/Document Review Manager-Pangea3

Location: New York City (Greater New York City Area)

URL: http://www.pangea3.com

Type:

Full-time

Experience:

Director

Functions:

Legal

Industries:

Outsourcing/Offshoring, Legal Services

Posted:

November 20, 2009 by David Perla

Compensation:

$70,000 - $100,000 Per Year

Base Salary + Benefits + Equity

Referral Bonus:

• Bonus based on merit and contribution

LinkedIn Exclusive — this job is available only on LinkedIn

Job Description

Dynamic US Litigator Sought for India-based Leadership Opportunity
Looking for an outgoing, organized, self-starting, and highly-motivated, midlevel or senior U.S. litigator or document review manager looking to change career paths and leverage his or her legal education.

Pangea3 is the global leader of legal outsourcing solutions to corporations and law firms.

We are a high-growth, fast paced, energized group of lawyers, engineers, and business professionals working together to achieve excellence in the newest frontier of global legal services. We are revolutionizing the way lawyers around the world practice law, and we are having a tremendously fun time doing it. Today, Pangea3 seeks a dynamic, proactive, and highly motivated U.S. lawyer to join our team of US and Indian lawyers in Mumbai, India to help manage our litigation division primarily focused on electronic discovery.


Job Description:

Mid-level to senior litigator with at least five years experience at a large law firm or managing document reviews in a staffing or corporate environment.

The ideal candidate will assume a leadership role in assisting in the management of Pangea3’s India-based Litigation teams on some of the highest profile cases facing US based Fortune 500 companies and financial services firms. Knowledge of Internet delivery of services, working across continents and time zones, and expertise in servicing global clients in private law firms or within the scope of a legal department of a large corporate entity is required.

Specifically, you will:

• Supervise and manage within our Mumbai facilities electronic document reviews (including responsiveness and privilege review, issue code strategy, relevance search strategy on multiple e-discovery platforms, as well as other pre-trial preparation engagements such as witness notebook preparation.

• Supervise and manage within our Mumbai facilities contract summarizations/abstractions and/or contract drafting projects.

• Teach India-based members of the litigation and/or corporate teams on industry specific terms of art, business practices, and domain specific areas of US law.

• Ensure that all work product generated is client ready and will meet highest U.S. and international standards.

• Manage multiple projects simultaneously while meeting stringent restrictions on time and billable hour considerations.

• Coordinate efforts of clients working with our organization including maintaining relationships and high-level touch with in-house counsel attorneys and third party law firm attorneys.

• Support business development activities, including participating in client phone calls and meetings as and when needed.

• Act as a liaison with corporate partners on work-related matters.

• Participate in the budgeting and review processes to evaluate team members.

A highly effective communicator, you have:

• A JD and admission to at least one state bar.

• Solid experience and a demonstrable acumen to communicate with and successfully manage teams.

• A minimum of five years' litigation-related and/or document review experience.

• A desire to live in Mumbai, India. The ideal candidate will live in Mumbai, India for at least the first two years of employment with Pangea3.

Additional Required Skills:

• Excellent verbal and writing skills.

• Strong Inter-Personal Skills/Outgoing.

• Proficient Internet and PC skills, including PowerPoint, Word and Excel.

• Highly proficient with the most popular web based document review platforms.

• Comfort with, and ability to, communicate with C-Level executives and law firm partners.

• Capable of Working under Pressure.

• Ability to prioritize, handle multiple tasks simultaneously, and maintain high levels of confidentiality.

• Attention to detail and strong follow-up skills.

• Good judgment and initiative in selecting the most effective marketing and sales methods.

• Team management experience preferred.

We offer a challenging, enriching and entrepreneurial work environment. Compensation includes equity, competitive benefits and bonus.

Qualified candidates should send resumes to uscareers@pangea3.com with the subject line "US Litigator"

Company Description

Pangea3 is the global leader of legal outsourcing solutions to corporations and law firms.

We are a high-growth, fast paced, energized group of lawyers, engineers, and business professionals working together to achieve excellence in the newest frontier of global legal services. We are revolutionizing the way lawyers around the world practice law, and we are having a tremendously fun time doing it. Today, Pangea3 seeks a dynamic, proactive, and highly motivated U.S. lawyer to join our team of US and Indian lawyers in Mumbai, India to help manage our litigation division primarily focused on electronic discovery.

Additional Information

• Referrals through network preferred.

Job ID: 789202

So, this company is probably in search of one American Lawyer who is licensed to practice law in the States to supervise the work of 500 Indian Document Reviewers. Well, at least they are keeping it honest. I am just so upset that the ABA has done their share to ship American Jobs abroad.. and this time, it's involving a fundamental part of American Life... the Justice System. Excellent job, ABA!