Over
the
past
two-and-a-half
years
since
the
COVID-19
pandemic
started,
the
legal
profession
has
seen
major
shifts
in
the
workforce:
lawyers
making
exoduses
from
Biglaw,
lawyers
with
increased
desires
to
stay
remote
or
in
a
hybrid
work
environment,
and
lawyers
receiving
less
scrutiny
for
career
gaps.
There’s
also
been
a
trend
of
increased
burnout
with
higher
rates
of
reported
depression
and
anxiety
in
the
legal
profession,
thus
pushing
a
further
need
for
flexible
work
options
and
increased
work-life
balance.
The
gig
economy
has
seen
an
influx
of
growth
in
the
past
few
years,
and
the
legal
profession
is
not
immune
to
this
shift.
As
I’ve
written,
there
has
been
a
surge
in
demand
for
contract
roles
for
those
seeking
legal
consulting
and
contracting
opportunities
without
the
long-term
commitment.
Enter
Lawtrades,
the
on-demand
legal
talent
platform,
which
has
set
out
a
mission
to
scale
outside
counsel
work
while
also
providing
world-class
flexible
legal
talent
through
its
innovative
app.
This
app
allows
brand-name
tech
companies
like
DoorDash,
Headspace,
Epic
Games,
Pinterest,
Instacart,
Coinbase,
Airbnb,
and
Duolingo
to
match
with
attorneys
seeking
project-based
legal
work.
I
had
the
opportunity
to
speak
with
Lawtrades
founder
and
CEO,
Raad
Ahmed,
about
how
Lawtrades
is
transforming
the
traditional
path
of
lawyers
to
provide
on-demand
legal
support
while
also
tackling
shortcomings
in
the
legal
profession
such
as
a
lack
of
diversity
and
inclusion,
burnout,
and
expensive
overhead
that
we’ve
seen
affected
during
and
prior
to
the
pandemic.
Founded
in
2016,
Lawtrades
is
a
legal
marketplace
which
seeks
to
empower
“legal
professionals
to
work
and
live
on
their
own
terms,
offering
unprecedented
work-life
balance,
control
and
flexibility
while
enabling
companies
to
seamlessly
scale
their
operations.”
Building
a
welcoming
community
for
all
lawyers,
including
those
coming
back
from
maternity
leave
or
nearing
retirement,
is
at
the
forefront
of
Lawtrades’
mission.
With
positions
available
in
12
practice
areas
(e.g.,
corporate,
securities,
M&A,
product
counseling,
real
estate,
labor
and
employment,
data
privacy/cybersecurity,
litigation,
and
IP),
the
platform
focuses
on
opportunities
for
attorneys,
paralegals,
legal
ops,
contract
admins,
and
compliance
teams.
A
typical
engagement
lasts
around
six
to
nine
months,
but
also
allows
for
some
engagements
to
go
on
for
two-plus
years.
I
dove
into
a
few
advertised
positions,
which
openly
provide
the
level
of
experience
and
skills
required,
practice
areas,
industry,
as
well
as
hourly
rate
(e.g.,
a
data
privacy
counsel
role
seeking
a
midlevel
lawyer
for
five
hours
a
week
at
$130
an
hour).
This
type
of
arrangement
gives
you
a
chance
to
work
on
multiple
engagements
a
week
and
month,
ultimately
putting
the
ball
in
your
court
to
scale
up
or
down
as
you
would
like.
This
offers
flexible
work-life
balance,
particularly
for
someone
who
has
planned
travel
or
just
wants
an
alternative
legal
career
path
for
the
next
six-plus
months
while
they
sort
things
out.
Based
on
the
above-mentioned
example,
a
five-hour-a-week
gig
at
$130
an
hour
provides
earnings
of
$2,600
per
month.
If
you
took
on
five
separate
gigs
for
that
month
at
that
same
rate
and
hourly
schedule,
there
is
a
potential
for
significant
earning
power
with
a
truly
flexible
work
schedule
that
lets
you
set
the
parameters
around
remote
work.
If
you’re
facing
a
layoff,
downsizing,
or
are
simply
burned
out
by
law
firm
life,
on-demand
legal
talent
may
be
what
you’re
seeking
for
the
short-term
or
even
the
long-term
to
keep
your
legal
skills
robust,
build
relationships
with
top
technology
companies,
and
maintain
(or
increase)
your
earning
power.
Have
a
job
search
question?
Connect
with
me
on
LinkedIn.
Wendi
Weiner
is
an attorney,
career
expert,
and
founder
of The
Writing
Guru,
an
award-winning
executive
resume
writing
services
company.
Wendi creates
powerful
career
and
personal
brands
for
attorneys,
executives,
and
C-suite/Board
leaders
for
their
job
search
and
digital
footprint. She
also
writes
for
major
publications
about
alternative
careers
for
lawyers, personal
branding,
LinkedIn
storytelling,
career
strategy,
and
the
job
search
process. You
can
reach
her
by
email
at wendi@writingguru.net,
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn,
and
follow
her
on
Twitter @thewritingguru.