LIVING AN LPO LIFE IN BANGALORE

The word “Legal outsourcing” itself gives us the picture of India. By outsourcing the work to India, UK/US law firms have cut costs for litigation and non-litigation matters. Growth of LPO has brought Indian lawyers to opt for LPOs than practicing law. The reason could be many. The attractive remuneration an LPO provides, better working conditions, learning US/UK legal systems or dreaming a career in foreign courts. LPOs hire lawyers who are competent to work in different fields of outsourcing like e-discovery, document review, contract review, research etc.
With my LPO experiences, I think below requirements are vital to flourish in an LPO:
For legal transcription:
US/UK Accent:
The first and foremost thing one should know when one applies for US/UK Company is their Accent. To work as legal transcriptionist you should be familiar with their accent. Though USA and UK accents are quite different from each other, it is not difficult to learn. Though Indians are familiar with English, they face problems when it comes to speaking English with a foreign accent, as they have mother-tongue influence in it. Working for any foreign company, you need to understand their accent first, to do transcription work or to transact with the clients directly.
Typing speed:
Typing is a MUST to transcribe any legal document, without which you cannot work as a legal transcriptionist. If you have English typing experience then your work becomes effortless. Any LPO which is into transcription field would prefer candidate with typing speed.
Good hearing skills:
It helps a transcriber to transcribe a document without hassle. If one cannot understand what a speaker is saying he cannot transcribe. So, good hearing/listening skills help a lot in transcription work.
For Conveyance/Research work:
Analytical & English writing skills:
Analytical skill is a thinking power to understand a situation. How one analyzes a given situation differs from individual to individual. One has to develop the capacity to think, to solve problems, analyze data, and use information. To do document review work good analytical skills are needed. Writing in English is not an easy task, and that too, as a lawyer, one should know how to play with words. Although Indians know English, the US/UK writing level is quite different and LPOs prefer US/UK standard of writing. Research involves a lot of writing and so lawyers must possess this skill.
Learning US/UK laws beforehand:
This is not a MUST; rather it is an added advantage if any lawyer knows about US/UK laws before joining an LPO. It will help the lawyers to understand the court procedures. Nowadays, many LPOs provide training to law graduates in this matter.
Computers and Internet:
Most of the LPOs work on computers and Internet, so, its basic knowledge on MS Office, is important. Conveyancing work is done using computers and not much paperwork involved. It is quite fast and time saving. Many Indian Lawyers lack internet knowledge and so that is a hindrance to them. To do research work internet knowledge is very much needed. My personal thought on this is that every lawyer who dreams of an LPO life should possess these qualities, which helps him to survive in this field.
If you are planning to enter LPO field it is better to be acquainted with these skills. Although LPO industry is in demand, practicing in courts is respected more than working for an LPO by many people in India. Lot of you may disagree with this point, but it is my personal experience that I had with people. Let us wait and watch how far this industry grows in India!