Temps-At-Law: An Attractive Alternative -- Contract Attorneys Enjoy Flexibility, Job Opportunities

Life as an associate in a large law firm has its advantages - high pay, interesting work - but it also has its drawbacks - very long hours, lack of job security and little time for life outside work.

For more and more lawyers, practicing law has remained attractive, but practicing it in a law-firm environment has not - so they have chosen to work as contract lawyers.

Contract lawyers are essentially lawyer temporaries. They may go to work on one case for a law firm or several cases during a specific period. They can be used during especially busy periods, when a lawyer is ill, or when a law firm is dealing with a type of case it doesn't usually handle.

"Contract attorneys can fill just about any need," said Steven Lynn, owner of Associated Provisional Attorneys, a Tacoma-based company that places contract lawyers with law firms. "For the firms, using a contract attorney can be much more economical than having a full-time associate on staff waiting for the workload to increase."

For corporate legal departments and law firms, contract lawyers offer a solution to heavy caseloads.

"Firms are even deciding to hire young attorneys on a contract basis first," said Deborah Aaron, a lawyer who is now a career consultant for other lawyers.

Young, recent law-school graduates, however, aren't the only ones becoming contract lawyers.

"Our attorneys come from all walks of life and all experience levels," Lynn said. "They can be semi-retired or just out of law school. They may want more time to teach or write a book - the reasons are as varied as the work they do."

Elizabeth Bottman chose to work as a contract lawyer after being let go by a Seattle firm.

"For me, it was very demoralizing," she said. "The experience was so painful, so I sat down and thought, `What would I enjoy?' "

For 10 years, Bottman, who also founded the Washington Contract Attorney Group, has specialized in document review, research and drafting briefs.

"I'm able to do something I wouldn't be able to do full-time in a law firm," Bottman said.

Aaron agreed.

"Contract lawyers find an attraction in not having to deal with the client," Aaron said. "They can choose the type of work they do, and they don't have to do other, non-billable work common in law firms."

Toni Imfeld, who has been the victim of cutbacks in three firms, said, "One of the attractions to being a contract attorney was that in an uncertain market I could be my own boss. . . . I enjoy it. I have a lot more control over my own life."

Bottman started out as a full-time contract lawyer, but once she and her husband had children, she moved her office into her home and now works about 20 hours a week. Balancing family and work is one of the biggest reasons lawyers opt for the contract life.

"I still have some very long days when I'm on deadline," Bottman said. "But being able to practice law while spending time with your very small children is hard to do in a law firm."

Among the most obvious disadvantages of being a contract attorney is that by and large they make less money than if they worked full-time in a large firm. Rates from $30 to $55 an hour are not uncommon.

"Some can double their pay as a contract attorney," said Aaron. "But most earn less than they would in a firm."

While many contract lawyers work alone, many others use services to help them find work. These services can be especially helpful if the contract lawyer is just out of law school or new to the area and therefore has few contacts in the legal community.

"We provide a very specific service," said Associated Provisional Attorneys' Lynn. "We screen the attorneys beforehand, saving the law firms time and expense spent interviewing several candidates. We also market our company to law firms, which saves the contract attorneys from having to do that themselves."

Being part of a service may be especially beneficial for younger lawyers trying to establish themselves.

"Especially with younger attorneys, there's a lot of downward pressure on rates," Imfeld said.

Bottman continues to work as a contract lawyer for all its benefits - she sets her own schedule, chooses the work she does and has time for her family - and also for her ability to help the firms she works for. "I like being needed," she said.

Alex Goff is an Olympia free-lance writer.