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The Strongest Links
Outsourcing
April 2006
The topic of outsourcing is not handled in a very organized way on the Internet. There are thousands of articles on the subject scattered across news sites, IT pages, and Human Resource portals. In addition, the number of companies that provide outsourced legal services continues to grow. So rather than attempt to decide which of these articles and services were the best, this month's Strongest Links will provide you with the sites you need to educate yourself on the topic of outsourcing, as well as a few articles I liked. Once you're ready, you can head out onto the Internet to find the other sites yourself.
Wikipedia on Outsourcing -- we'll start, as we often do, with the Wikipedia entry. It's a great discussion on the topic, although the segment on legal outsourcing is pretty skimpy. You'll find arguments both for and against outsourcing, as well as a number of external links on the subject.
GlobalServices -- aimed at providing "strategies for sourcing people, processes and technologies," this site provides up-to-date news, whitepapers, and blog entries on the whole issue of outsourcing.
Outsourcing Center -- billed as the Internet's most prominent resource on outsourcing, this site provides free research, case studies, database directories, market intelligence, and other content on emerging trends and best practices on outsourcing. The Outsourcing Journal contains articles by lawyers on outsourcing and offshoring issues.
Outsourcing Law -- the firm of Bierce & Kenerson provides this site, devoted to "insights on effective outsourcing." You'll find white papers and other great information to help you learn more about outsourcing. You can also subscribe to the Outsourcing Law and Business Journal newsletter.
Outsourcing.org -- billed as the "Global Service Directory," this site provides links to outsourcing-related sites, from Accounting to Writing and Editing. The legal page offers more than 75 sites in areas such as legal research, trademark services, legal coding, nurse consulting, and more.
Weblogs
As you might expect, the blog world has a lot to say about outsourcing. Although a number of law-related weblogs have a lot to say about outsourcing, very few are wholly devoted to the topic. The following is a selection of weblogs, by lawyers and others, on outsourcing and offshoring topics.
Global Teamwork -- Kris Nair in New Delhi is writing about the global offshoring business, but he doesn't like the term "outsourcing." He prefers "Global Teamwork," and he's discussing it at his blog.
Offshore Legal Services -- from attorney David Galbenski, the CEO of Contract Counsel, a company that provides direct hire, contingent staffing, and document review services to law firms and corporations. His blog focuses on research, trends, and his personal experiences related to reducing legal costs via offshore services.
Offshore Outsourcing World -- another outsourcing blog. Check out the article "Legal Research Outsourcing Set to Boom".
Outsourcing Blog -- a group-published blog that provides the latest news, articles, tools and information related to business process, call center, and general outsourcing. One of the bloggers, Deepa, also writes the BPO Journal, which focuses on business process outsourcing.
Outsourcing Times -- the tagline of this site is "Outsource effectively to increase profits." Here you'll find posts in a variety of topics, including Call Centers, Human Resources, Payroll, Research & Development, Small Business, and a lot more.
Patent Prosecution Outsourcing & Legal Globalization Blog -- Raj Abhyanker is a Palo Alto patent attorney, and at his blog he's discussing outsourcing in the U.S. legal profession, and in particular the area of patent prosecution. He's using the blog as an open forum for in-house counsel, executives, patent attorneys, and other interested parties.
The Outsourcing Weblog -- brought to you by Danny Sullivan, founder of a Canadian outsourcing firm. He's writing about outsourcing news in all areas of the business world.
There are also a number of lawyer blogs that discuss outsourcing, but not exclusively. These blogs include Adam Smith, Esq., George's Employment Blawg, and Rob Hyndman.
Articles
There are a number of good articles on outsourcing legal work -- here are a few of them. Their titles speak for themselves:
Are Your Lawyers in New York or New Delhi? -- from the May/June 2005 issue of Legal Affairs webzine.
Case Study: Was Outsourcing to India the Right Move? -- from Inc. Magazine, this article studies Contract Counsel, a company started by David Galbenski (see Offshore Legal Services, above).
Law Firms Outsourcing Tasks to Outside Services -- from Business First of Buffalo.
Outsourcing: A Multi-Level Solution to the Cost/Value Dilemma -- an article from last July's Law Practice Today by Ed Poll.
Outsourcing as a Tool to Maximize Law Firm Profitability -- from the Esquire Group, a national legal search and consulting firm.
Outsourcing Legal Work to India -- From the American Jurist, a student publication at American University.
About the Author
Tom Mighell is Senior Counsel and Litigation Technology Support Coordinator a Cowles & Thompson in Dallas. He publishes the Internet legal research and technology weblog Inter Alia , and is the current Chair of ABA TECHSHOW 2008. He and Dennis Kennedy talk about legal technology, with a focus on the Internet, in The Kennedy-Mighell Report .