Biglaw to… Rupees?
Jobs moving from the first world to the third world has been a trend for quite a few years now. Originally in manufacturing and call centers, the cheap services offered abroad are starting to get more specialized, such as tax preparation and even local journalism.
We wrote last year about how clients are putting pressure on law firms to outsource basic legal tasks to Indian lawyers with hourly rates of $20. A recent Washington Post article sounds the outsourcing alarm again for lawyers. It says the kind of legal work being sent to India is expanding rapidly:
Indian workers who once helped with legal transcription now offer services that include research, litigation support, document discovery and review, drafting of contracts and patent writing. The industry offers an attractive career path for many of the 300,000 Indians who enroll in law schools every year. India and the United States share a common-law legal system rooted in Britain’s, and both conduct proceedings in English.
If Hollywood is in on the trend, then you know there’s trouble, since all important trends start in California.
“Ninety percent of a lawyer’s work is legal research and drafting, and all this can now be offshored to India,” said Russell Smith, who worked in a Manhattan law firm called SmithDehn before moving to India to set up an outsourcing company in 2006. “A large portion of our fees in the U.S. is because of office rent. It is often a big decision to hire one attorney in the U.S. In India, we can hire 10 at a time and train them all at once.”Smith’s Indian company, SDD Global Solutions, handled much of the legal work for the film “Borat.” Other clients include the Washington-based firm Appleton & Associates and U.S. movie studios and television networks.
“My people in India can do everything from here, except sign the opinion letter and appear in an American court,” he said.
Smith’s Indian office recently researched and drafted the motion papers for the dismissal of a libel case against the producers of HBO’s “Da Ali G Show.” Smith said that if it had not been for the cheaper option of outsourcing, the producers would have settled.
On the upside, the article talks about one persisting need for American lawyers: to train Indian lawyers. Indian lawyers tend to write in “flowery, British-style English,” and need to be “retrained to write in crisp, short sentences.” Better get working on those writing skills.
U.S. Legal Work Booms in India [Washington Post]
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Comments
First to have job outsourced to India
I think this is smart, i mean the first 200-250 an hour you pay cravath goes straight to their rent. Yes, some companies don't care, but some do, and you could pick up a lot of work by having a small office in NY and a warehouse full of lawyers in an abandoned wal-mart building in oklahoma... think about it.
Guys in my high school used flowery, British-style English all the time to impress chicks. It was no big deal.
How does this work with the licensing rules? Do all these overseas researchers get admitted in some US state?
Dey tuk urr jaaawbs!
There's one thing India will never be able to provide: Top Legal Talent.
They may be good for doc review, but I'd like to see them take a crack at a sophisticated, cross-border transaction or a piece of complex, bet-the-company litigation.
If these Indian lawyers are not admitted to a US state's bar, how are they allowed to do legal work on US cases from India?
Is it because:
1) They are not practicing law if they don't sign opinion letters or appear in court? That would mean that writing legal memoranda is not practicing law?
2) They are allowed to work in India because they are not physically located in the US? Does that mean that a paralegal in the US can go to India and do everything that Indian lawyers do over there except for signing opinion letters and appearing in court?
I’m not that concerned about this having an impact on top firms. Every client already has the option of paying 40 to 50% less to have all or a portion of their legal work done by medium or even large firms in Richmond, Columbus, Tampa, Raleigh, St. Louis, Indianapolis, etc. They’re not opting to pay Manhattan billing rates because these other markets aren’t cheap enough. Clients pay Manhattan billing rates because (rightly or wrongly) they think you get what you pay for with lawyers, and they’ve made a decision that it’s a bad idea to pick your lawyer based on which firm is cheapest. Good lawyers are expensive because the demand for good lawyers is a lot higher than the supply of good lawyers. There’s also the old adage that no one ever got fired for hiring Cravath.
12:41,
Presumably for the same reasons that summer associates are allowed to write legal memoranda.
2) They are allowed to work in India because they are not physically located in the US? Does that mean that a paralegal in the US can go to India and do everything that Indian lawyers do over there except for signing opinion letters and appearing in court?
I believe US State Bar rules would not apply to Indian lawyers because the State Bars don't have jurisdiction over Indian lawyers. And I don't think a US paralegal could go to India and practice law because that would violate Indian bar admission regulations.
Hilarious!!! This article, while attempting to tout this opportunity, proves how stupid the idea is. Borat has only been sued, I don't know, maybe a thousand times. Nice work!
12:48, that's true, but isn't that because the summer is being supervised (to whatever extent) by an admitted attorney? The way they present it in this article (which could easily be wrong), these Indian attorneys are simply sending finished legal product to a US attorney to read over and sign. That seems a bit removed from the supervision that is required.
It would seem the costs of research would then asymptotically approach the cost of westlaw searches....
Outsourcing contract work to India - ABSURD!!!! There is no way the people in India could ever figure out to cut and paste like American lawyers - U-S-A!! U-S-A!! U-S-A!!!
shit
12:38: Don't underestimate the Indian education system. Although it's a third-world country, I wouldn't be surprised if it produces legal minds comparable to some of the best US schools. The country made a conscious decision to throw all kinds of money on education over the last five decades, so their schools are top notch even if their roads, water, electricity, etc. isn't.
12:52-
but have any of the suits against Borat actually won anything? my sources say no
90% of what I do is talk on the phone. Of course Smith thinks this a wonderful idea, he needs it to be or he will go out of business.
So they train laywers ten at a time, likely in a few weeks. If any client prefers to save some money for this kind of work, please go. They might as well hire high school children in America at minimum wage to provide legal services.
12:52,
My assumption would be that the onus is on the lawyer signing the papers to satisfy himself that he's not committing malpractice. I wouldn't think there is any required level of supervision.
Dearest readers of www.abovethelaw.com.
I am the Roger Lou of much attention and fame on your website. I am writing to requesting that you sign my electric petition so that my jobs no more get outsourced to American Indians.
I come to this great nation from the Asia to attend HLS -- best in Asia. I instead decided to attend America's University, Washington College of Law -- best in America. I then met on the www.abovethelaw.com the love of my life to have a bonafide marriage with, her name is Ms. Oh (of Paul Hastings noteriety). This website has gotten me into the law school and helped me attained my American citizenship by introducing me to Shinyung Oh (now, Shinyung Lou).
Now please stand tall with your rights in this great country -- the U.S. of A. and help the Roger Lou no to get his Asia-American job outsourced to America's Indians.
With respect,
诶比西
The malpractice insurance for that signing lawyer would be through the roof.
12:55 -
Stay tuned...
I don't think you have any sources. They are all located in some warehouse in India, remember?
Also, I don't think the following language those morons drafted will hold up: "I hereby waive all rights I may have against Mr. Borat in exchange for Slushy Slushy and Cookie Cookie."
ROGER LOU to 190 RUPEE !!!
Oh, fucking great.
Has anyone yet asked where Americans are going to work when everything's been outsourced?
Guys at my high school allowed America to become a third world country all the time, it's no big deal.
12:51, the fact that the motion is being filed in their state court should be plenty to give them jurisdiction.
I can't move to india to practice law, I hear they wipe their asses with their hand over there. Plus, I bet they have an extradition treaty, and I sure as hell am not going to be able to repay my student loans on what they pay in India.
good point 12:52. Borat should sue for malpractice.
Have you ever seen the Indian women? One word, hairy. Another word, smelly.
118, i'm sure the indian men are hairless and fresh smelling. you're GAY.
Who cares about India, let's vote on some horse names.
Flowery British-style English? Sounds like typical liberal arts 1L's.
Nothing that can't be solved with C's and verbal abuse.
WHO IS THIS "ROGER LOU" CHARACTER?
IIf my job was outsourced I could spend the entire day posting on ATL...
This is a serious issue.
I graduated from a top law school in DC, went to work as a staff attorney in NYC for a V10 firm, and my colleagues and I are really starting to worry about our jobs being outsourced to the Punjabi region of India where they can do our same work (though not as high quality) for substantially less money. This is very important and, thank you Lat, for focusing the readers' attention on it !
V10 Attorney (worried)
1:32 -- what law school?
This is exactly why unmitigated free trade and globalization always were a bad idea. The selling line used to be that it was okay if manufacturing jobs left because those jobs would be replaced with service jobs. But what reason was there ever to believe that people in other countries wouldn't eventually also develop the capacity to provide services?
American workforce to night clerk at the Ramada!
1:34. Its 1:32. I graduated American in 2005.
1:32 / 1:35.
I figured. Law firms only outsource the jobs from "attorneys" who attended TTT schools, like American.
Sincerely,
GULC 2009
Will someone (other than Roger Luo) please explain this Roger Luo joke to me?
1:37. You sound like a prick.
1:32. You have nothing to be worried about whatsoever. Outside counsel hire NYC top firms (like your V10 firm) because they have the deep pockets to pay your fee / associate fee / partner fee. No company that would hire any V10 would allow its work to be outsourced from accountable staff attys/associates to unaccountable attorneys overseas.
Partner (AU grad).
GC, as he exits building:
"All I did was hire a bunch of $20 per hour attorneys that I have never met from a third-world country to do our legal work. How was I supposed to know something could go wrong, or that our data wasn't safe? Well, it was clearly their fault - we can just sue them for . . . "
"Will someone (other than Roger Luo) please explain this Roger Luo joke to me?"
Dearest friend in 1:41 PM,
I am the Roger Lou (spelled "Lou," not "Luo") and since you asked for the misspelling to clarify your question, I will.
I am not a joke. Me coming to the great country of the world -- the U.S. of A. -- to study your jurisprudential system of equality, justice, and law. I know no why people care so much for who the Roger Lou is -- I AM ME. And so I can explain to you with certainty that it is my dogged persistance and writing with a fine-tooth comb that gets me to the great places I am today, like to the America's University, Washington College of Law.
I come here because I not wanting my job to be outsourced to anyone else, American Indians included. I love this great country -- the U.S. of A. -- and baseball, and porno and books about Dr. Seuss. I no liking the TTT schools like UDC, Thomas Cooley, all schools in India, Asia Law Society, or GULC. I love the American University and all of its accolades!
God save the U.S. of A. and please engage in the protectionist policies of Jon Mccain to saving my jobs form overseas immigrants.
With respect,
诶比西
S&C wants to open a branch office in Mumbai.
Asian people don't say U.S. of A. You're thinking of former Soviet block immigrants. Asians mispronounce "l" as an "r" sound. If you're going to mock, do it right.
And the state bars and the ABA turn a blind eye. WTF are we paying all these bar dues for anyway? It's a scam that we are all hamstrung here while all the work leaves the country. It's not just call centers and doc reviews folks. It's just getting worse and every day a new "law school" is allowed to spring up. Legal work is being exported by everyone from American Express to Kaye Scholer (as set forth in numerous articles naming clients of companies like Pangea). SCARY STUFF FOLKS!
there are a lot of frightened lawyers on this blog rationalizing why their job could never be outsourced. I'm sure all the tech guys used to do that too before they started selling whitewalls at sears.
Roger Lou-- thx for the clarification, and congrats on your admission to AU.
The real effect is going to be on the 2nd and 3rd tier law schools and people who didn't do well in law school.
When all you need to run a successful firm is a rainmaker, 2 or 3 smart associates, and a whole slew of Indian back-office workers, the need for American doc-monkeys and second rate brief-writing associates diminishes substantially.
Learn how to make it rain kids, because if you're not a top-notch lawyer, you'd better figure out how to bring in business or figure out what else you can do to pay off your loans.
Guess my legal career is over. I will sit and pray for some huge company or firm to get nailed to the cross b/c of some major f-up by foreign lawyers.
Think either Presidential candidate can/will do anything about all these a-holes outsourcing American jobs? Bad enough we don't make a darned thing here anymore. Now we don't have nearly as many white-collar jobs either.
Roger Lou: How could you turn your back on your family back in China like that? While you are partying here in America your wife and children are still inhaling the black smoke of penury.
That is why you specialize, and become damn good at what you do.
Why do so many ATL readers hate against the orientals / make fun of Roger Lou?
"Has anyone yet asked where Americans are going to work when everything's been outsourced?"
You, sir, are a poopyhead.
Dearest Mr. 2:12(2) PM (and if you have a uterus, then you are a Ms.):
I am the Roger Lou and I am compelled to write back to dispute your claim that I am making the black smoke for my familys to inhale and tarnish there lungs. I will writing like I learned in the America's University, (#1 in America) Washington College of Laws. It is called IRAC.
ISSUE: Does the Roger Lou turning his back on his familys in China and " partying here in America your wife and children are still inhaling the black smoke of penury"?
RULE: In People's Republic of China v. Zee, 豆贝 245 尔维 (Year of Rat), Chairman Mao held that it no is a crime to study laws of China in America's economy. The good Chairman reasoned that Mr. Zee no do nothing that is in detriment of the China race and commuted his sentence from life in prison to chop off of a hand. Mr. Zee live happily with one arm and hand and no longer in prison.
APPLICATION: This case is like People's Republic of China v. Zee, 豆贝 245 尔维 (Year of Rat), because Roger no committing treason but study the laws of the U.S. of A. so that he can meet woman to get citizenship and make money and drive Asia-made cars like Hyndai (cars that make sense) or Honda or Izuzu.
CONCLUSION: Roger loves the Mother Land of Asia, but also loves the greatest country in the world -- the U.S. of A.
With respect,
诶比西
Damn you colonial Britain for spreading your language and your common law to India! Damn you to hell!!!!
Just to show that not all Indian lawyers are mindless doc review stooges:
Angry Lawyers in India Torch Bus in Protest of Colleague's Death in Custody
http://www.nylawyer.com/display.php/file=/news/08/05/051308x
Well written, 2:22(1).
Roger Lou to Order of the Coif !!!
Orientals like Roger Lou create earth quakes in China and cyclones in Myanmar.
2:14 - You're exactly right. That's why I've learned to become the best brake assembler in the plant. Surely, I'm indispensable, and my job will go nowhere.
222, go wash the shit off your hand.
with respect, 诶比西, with respect!
Roger should be invited to write on ATL as a guest columnist. Bet he isn't as hot as Kash, though.
2:22 PM -
Where did you learn to write? I didn't know that they taught "IRAC" or legal reasoning at AU.
Racist comments are uncool
Orientals look like they are always sleepy
Oriental is correct when referring to food, furniture or rugs, not when referring to people.
Retards.
Can a sleepy oriental lay on a rug?
Big law firms can't open Indian branch offices:
http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11090513
That's not to say they can't employ Indian firms, but it's not as simple as ordinary outsourcing.
"Oriental is correct when referring to food, furniture or rugs, not when referring to people."
Why? Because you said so?
Roger Lou no knows what all the "Asian v. Oriental" fuss is about.
With respect,
诶比西
Roger Lou no knows what all the "Asian v. Oriental" fuss is about.
With respect,
诶比西
the chinaman pee'd on my rug
the chinaman pee'd on my rug
Me rikey you verry much. Me reary want to go to New York Shitty and be verry good rawyer.
Dearest 3:00 in the afternoon.
Me name is Roger Lou and am the man of much fame on the www.abovethelaw.com. You comment to people was disparaging to good people of Chinese dissent and countrymen and me know liking it. Please keep your kindread spirit to yourself and stop speaking badly of our great country -- the U.S. of A.
God save Americas and please no sending my jobs to America's indian lawyers.
With respect,
诶比西
Now this is one troll too many.
Isn't the Orient a real area? So why can't we refer to people from that area as Oriental? I'm from America. We're called Americans. If I can't refer to people from the Orient as Orientals I demand to be called a United Stater . . . American refers to poorly made automobiles and rock music.
Roger Lou: Have you given any thought to working in Wachtell's Beijing office?
For those of you posting racist comments, you should know that your IP addresses are stored, and might someday be revealed, just like AK47.
How is refering to someone from the Orient as Oriental racist?
Great, just what I needed, another reason to detest Indians (joking, sort of).
Incidentally, it's Roger Luo NOT Roger Lou. Idiots.
who is AK47 and whats the story there? did he/she say something so egregious as to have his IP exposed?
Someone with an AK47 wants my IP address? Huh?
3:21: Your comments about Russians are racist.
Are Russians Oriental?
1:37- it is extremely ironic for someone who went to or goes to GULC (aka the school for people who can't get into a top 10) to call American TTT. It's the best laugh I had all day.
--Top 10 law school grad.
4:07 must be new.
4:13- No question. The GULC kids are the most insecure bunch around, oustide of the Penn grads.
Do Orientals go to GULC?
this isnt just happening in India. There are many firm especially IP firms that outsource to Chile. I was down there recently, and I toured some of their offices. The partners from US offices come down for couple of months train these guys on how to do patent application and stuff, then all the partners have to do is send them to work and sign the thing when they get it back. These guys are making peanuts. As an incoming first year associate I am seriously concerned. Tier 2 and 3 law students should worry about even having a job, but tier 1 should worry about wages falling. honestly when you have a guy in South America who is just as competent, willing to work for $40k it becomes really hard to justify 160k.
NYC to 40K!
4:24, you don't seemed to have thought your argument through. Salary may not budge in future years, but I can't see top firms publicly saying "oops, our bad" and lowering associate salaries (think they will be more creative and less transparent). And do you think mid-levels spring from a partner's forehead (a la Athena from Zeus)? Or do you think that the jr associates from Chile will later re-locate to the US? Please...
A lot of the value that big firms have to offer is in their institutional knowledge of market practices and their ability to pull in experts from all corners. This is why high-end deals require high-end firms. I don't see that being outsourced to India. India can continue doing the grunt work. Of course, India does pose some risk to the more junior associates---but all senior lawyers must have started from somewhere. Training is essential. And, junior lawyers must be compensated for opportunity costs and their initial investment (read: law school loans) to be persuaded to enter this path.
4:13 I think you mean UPenn St grads.
I haven't seen convincing reasons why new BigLaw associates shouldn't be concerned. The training argument falls flat on its face when you consider that only a few months training is sufficient to train workers abroad to do the tasks mentioned in the post. Given the state of the American economy, most young associates and those soon to be associates have no reason to believe they're immune to outsourcing, including myself.
457: Penn and Penn State are two different schools. One is located in Philly, the other in western PA. Clown.
5:10, UPenn State is a running joke on this board. Welcome to ATL.
5:10pm - you must be an ATL newbie. FYI, the whole Penn/Penn State thing is just bs trolling - and lame one at that.
510, I completely disagree. UPenn St. has two campuses. That's where you are wrong. UPenn State (Philly Campus) has the school for wardens while UPenn State (Happy Valley) is where they play football. UPenn State is in the Ivy League and is ranked number 77 in US News.
515 and 516 are TTT
5:10 is right and 3:26 and 4:57 are idiots
诶比西 says UPenn State is not number ones law school on planet. Harvard is best in Asia and choice of Roger, but Roger perseverance did not achieve penetration into Harvard bosom. Roger Lou now attend America's University.
With Respect.
5:20= TTT Undergrad
诶比西 want to add that i will transfer into harvard as 3 year this fall. Go crimson tide!
4:57(2),
Just concentrate on securing an offer and passing bar exam. Did you note that most tasks mentioned in post relate to lit? Also, do you not understand that if you do go into lit, you might benefit from certain mundane tasks being outsourced so that unlike previous juniors, you may get to work on more substantive assignments earlier in your career?
at my old job (prior to making the disastrous mistake of coming to law skool) we used to call being beaten by Indians "getting Patel-ed"
5:30- your comments are completely non sequitur
531- I'd get used to calling getting beaten "standard".
Lat, when are you going to publish more layoff news?
5:31,
Really? How so? What are chances of non-lit work (i.e., tax, corp, banking) being outsourced? What are chances that large firms who outsource certain tasks will then cease to hire 1st yrs? How about fact that in most instances, clients need to approve outsourcing of work?
Lou Dobbs is a visionary and an American hero. I mean this.
Lou Dobbs is a bitch
Lou Dobbs is an Independent bordering on nationalist, bordering on bigot. One of his few merits is that he is one of the first mainstream media personalities to cover topics that actually turned out to be important: outsourcing.
ATTENTION: I write to 5:24 and 5:28 to explain my discontent.
I am the Roger Lou. 5:24 and 5:28 are both the impersonation and tells to the Roger Lou to 5:24/5:28 "go eat the dog shit." That being said, and the good name of Roger being cleared, a few things need the Roger's attention.
First. Roger no more like the Harvard Law School or the crimson color of ve re tas and rescinds his decision to go there as a transfer. I applies in the application for that school two years ago and then one year ago again. The school sends Roger the "we are sorry" letter "but there is no room in the class for the Roger Lou." Two times! Bad things happen and the Roger got discriminated against and get revenge by attending America's University, Washington College of Law (best in America)! Take that, HLS!
Second. The Roger no caring if people call him from "China" from "Asia" or from "Oriental." Roger is a people and, on www.abovethelaw.com, we are all people. Some political correctness in my class at America's University calling Roger "Asian American" and "Chinaman" -- both acceptible and ok with Roger.
Third. To all the womens on www.abovethelaw.com who solicit Roger for there love he says that he is off the market and is getting a bonafide marriage to a former associated attorney in San Fransisco and so Roger becomes a citizen of the U.S. of A.
Fourth. Roger is not have a dog in the fight of "UPenn" v. "UPenn State" but only likes the school that is best in Americas -- America's University, Washington College of Law. The Roger conceding that HLS still best in Asia.
Fifth and finally. Roger no liking that his job from Americas gets outsourced to low paying American Indians in other countrys.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
With respect,
诶比西
Thanks you, 诶比西, for clarifying this.
Any of the work that large firms currently outsource to temps can probably be done cheaper and better in India. But I think associates are safe. Half the reason associates have such shitty lives is that partners and clients demand immediate attention for just about everything. And at least for corporate, the “mindless” tasks like due diligence actually require good issue spotting skills. Same for the more substantive documents review (beyond privilege and relevancy).
Hi Roger,
I am a 2L at UPenn. There is no UPenn State, FYI. Just thought you should know.
703 Roger-- 诶比西诶比西诶比西诶比西诶比西诶比西诶比西诶比西诶比西诶比西! 诶比西诶比西诶比西诶比西诶比西诶比西.
With Respects.
Real Roger Luo
Hey 7:37,
I'm assuming you are new. I've read this blog for awhile. People are always trying to convince Roger of various things. I wouldn't bother. He just likes to post whatever he wants without regard for the facts. He's a real muckety-muck.
I'm sure work will get outsourced to India, but people always exagerrate the effect of it. Lots of technical work that has been outsourced and has been in-sourced again because the work quality over there is so shitty.
Think about it: English is a VERY DIFFICULT language and while we like to think of Indians are super-humans, it is VERY DIFFICULT for them to learn unless they start speaking it at an early age or they have regular practice. That's on top of the weird meanings, Frenchisms, Latinisms, and stpuid jokes that exist in American legal writing. That's why most foreign-born Indians are engineers in America; because learning English is that difficult. Answering tech support lines and writing legal documents are two different things.
On top of that, do you guys really think there are schools in India teaching American law? I highly highly doubt that you will be able to get competent legal work done in India; at least legal work that requires thinking.
8:22= ignorant AND foolish. Two-for-one.
8:22. Many Indians speak English primarily and learn it from birth or when they are quite young. While they may speak with an accent, many know the language more than well enough to do quality legal work with little training.
How am I ignorant and foolish? Legal reading/writing is extremely hard and requires a lot of nuance; a lot of native born English speakers can't do it properly. There is a world of difference between a person who is "fluent" in a language and can do difficult legal work in it. Even LLMs in American law schools ahve lots of trouble. I think many of you haven't tried mastering a foreign language; its just not possible unless you deal with it on a daily basis.
And 8:32; knowing English is not enough to allow you to do legal work with "little training". We have something in America called "law school" that lasts 3 years - that's not a "little training." You can think law school is worthless, but you need more than a "little training" to do legal work that means anything in the United States.
Good evening men and ladies.
I am the Roger Lou and am of much fame and noteworthiness on www.abovethelaw.com. I must clarify a few more things for my friends of you
* First, to poster at 7:41 PM claiming to be "Real Roger Luo" I say -- ok, happy you are "Real Roger Luo" but I am me. Real Roger LOU. Luo sounding like a low-class family name from FuZhen region and Lou is decended from the great-great-great-great-great-great grandson's sperm in the Ming Dynasty. Luo family name is no a good thing -- you should change to Lou and nobody knows but me and you, Luo!
* Second, I say to poster at 7:37 PM that I know no of any UPenn or UPenn State or campus at Philly. I know of two schools only -- HLS (best in Asia) and America's University, Washington College of Law (best in Americas). Because the Roger goes to the best in Americas, he no has no dog in the UPenn State University College of Law debate and neither are school you go to if you want t be best in Asia or best in Americas.
* Third, with regarding to 8:22 to 10:09, I say both of you is ignorant and foolish to the Roger. I am not what you call an "indiginous American" -- I am what you call a "Asian American" but I know that what I read on the www.abovethelaw.com is always true: The American Indians are taking the document review jobs to their tribes in the various parts of the U.S. of A. and doing the litigation assistance at their reservations and in the TeePees. Roger no wanting a man with feathers and bow and arrow named Crazy Snake can take away his ability to do the billable hours.
Thank you and go Yankees to Red Sox and Pamela Anderson!
With respect,
诶比西
Haha, 10:09, if you really think law school provides any "training" for legal practice, you should wait until you start working at a real law firm before mouthing off. Paralegals can do all of the work that beginning associates do.
I'm also surprised that the anti-outsourcers here haven't complained about U.K. firms opening offices in the US and thus "outsourcing" their UK jobs to the US. Oh wait, that's obviously different because only US firms investing in India is a zero-sum game.
Dearest Mr. or Mrs. 11:20 PM
Huh?
With respect,
诶比西
Is this Roger guy for real?
11:16 -- I think you are confusing Indians from INDIA (country) with Indians from America. This post is about outsourcing to India.
10:09 -- You are an idiot. India has law schools, my friend. They teach the common law and they do so in English.
This guy Roger is hilarious! LOL
R0GER L0U is the best thing to happen to this board since Frat Stud.
Aww, come on, guys. Don't feed the trolls!
why? they are so funny -- I like the highschool guy... "in my highschool people ___ all the time. It was no big deal."
For those who don't know - Indian lawyers are trained in English, and in fact study British case law for subjects such as Torts and Contracts. Indian courts have proceedings conducted in English only, and in all likelihood, Indian lawyers know more 'latinisms' and 'frenchisms' than their American counterparts. I have a couple of Indian lawyers as coworkers, and their English is better than that of most of us. Don't disrespect them - these guys will be running multi million dollar law firms one day.
OOOOOOOh British case law!!! Awesome!!! Too bad the United States has been independent of Great Britain for 230 years!!!
Indians are real smart, but these outsourcers are just chicken littles always trying to act like the sky is falling. Outsourcing is a smaller phenomenon than most people think. Further, the idea that people in India who haven't been to an american law school can do serious American legal work is foolish. I'm sre they can do mindless doc review or somesuch, but nobody in America wants to do that crap anyway. But keep freaking out - its good for your immune system.