There are rarely situations in business that turn out to be an all-around win-win for both parties. Law students face the challenge of finding good opportunities to hone their skills before they enter the job market. Meanwhile, law firms find it difficult to quickly get good part-time help right when they need it. Book-It Legal, created by attorney Jack West, aims to solve the problems of both parties.
As a small business owner myself, I greatly appreciate the hard work and effort he’s put into creating a space where there is an equal exchange of value.
Part-Time Help Meets Meaningful Mentorship
Law firms use Book-It Legal to find top law students to tackle one time, or ongoing tasks, which include everything from brief writing, to research or even marketing projects like short articles. These give law students the ability to get experience long before they enter the job market, to work with multiple firms, and to zero in on a practice area or geographic location where they wish to end up after they graduate.
An Elegant Work-Share Platform
Unlike traditional task based assignment platforms, Book-It Legal is elegantly designed. The site feels like you’re reviewing candidates, assigning tasks and working with the students you select for your projects in a beautiful online office.
Book-It Legal Talent Pool
Often finding local talent isn’t always an option. But, you don’t have the time to sift through thousands of online freelancer profiles either. Book-It Legal builds a profile and online resume for every candidate, including a photo, GPA, Class Rank, work and volunteer experience, plus writing samples.
Candidates are instructed to leverage the Book-It Legal platform to gain experience and build credibility with law firms before they enter the job market, which raises the stakes for them since they are receiving ratings and reviews from attorneys and increases the quality of work for the law firm project owners on the other side.
Job Posting and Assignment
When you have a task or project you need assistance with, log in and create a “Project.” List skills required, including a request for writing samples or other supporting material you’d like to see from applicants. As students apply for the job, you can expand their profile to see ratings from completed work.
Manage Tasks with Book-It Legal
The platform includes a project ‘Message Feed’ where you can exchange notes and talk to your law student helpers documenting everything along the way. Post documents in a secure space, and review work all without cluttering up your inbox.
Choose Your Price
When posting a job, attorneys select a flat-fee they are willing to pay for the project. Attorneys pay by credit card, and the funds are held in escrow until the lawyer is satisfied and accepts the work.
Book-It Legal: Project Completion and Rating
When your Book-It Legal project is done, the student will submit their final version of the project for review. Return your feedback in the form of a quality rating to help them build their online profile and earn future project work.
Use Case: Test and Find the Perfect Intern or Summer Associate
For law firms looking for an intern or summer associate, include that information in your job postings. Highlight you are looking for talent to work with online, then move into a physical role at the office as an intern or summer associate.
Use Case: The Mentorship Icebreaker
For a student, if you are serious about your career, you need a mentor. But they aren’t exactly easy to find. Earning the trust and confidence of an experienced attorney is much more likely if you are producing work product they are impressed by. Book-It Legal projects open up the door to a mentorship conversation far easier than a random networking event while delivering actual returned value to the mentor through the form of hard work.
Use Case: Long Term Hiring Potential
Many candidates use Book-It Legal to build relationships with law firms in the geographic location they wish to end up after law school is over. Firms are far more likely to hire for an associate or entry level role based on the quality and constant performance seen from a candidate previously.
Quality Work Completed on Time and On-Budget
One of the biggest advantages for law firms all around is the quality of work they are receiving for the cost. Right now, it takes a significant amount of time to find qualified help, but with it’s large pool of students, Book-It Legal can have candidates lined up in hours. Book-It Legal has harnessed the power of accountability and career training to incentivize law students to produce their best work possible for more than reasonable rates.
An All-around Win-Win with Book-It Legal
For budget conscious solo and small law firms, the Book-It Legal platform offers a great option for delegating work without breaking the bank! All while providing endless amounts of opportunity for law students to grow and develop their careers long before they take on their first case.
