“Some of London's magic circle law firms have turned to the streets of Mumbai for completion of work that was once the preserve of young UK lawyers….”
The above lines appeared in “TIMES ONLINE” in their 15th January 2010 edition.
(http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/support_services/article6988773.ece)
Yes, this is the LPO scenario now; be it Mumbai, Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Hyderabad or Bangalore. But there is a twist in it; not every Indian law graduate is employable in the LPO sector. The reason being, just like other industries, performance of duties in a LPO job also requires specific training, expertise and grooming. After all, it involves the doing of legal assignments of a distinctly different country with an absolutely different set of laws and work culture; in fact it is a job that was once the preserve of young foreign lawyers.
The typical Indian mindset is bound to be a misfit in the LPO space. To be a perfect LPO employee, one has to gear up and get himself trained in the required areas. This calls for professional training. Though clients do provide process specific training during the initial days of transition of processes, but they do not usually provide a general training about the industry as a whole. Before you walk in for your next LPO job interview, ask yourself whether you are well equipped to face all that is in store for you inside the room.
The training that a prospective LPO employee requires is not only about the work and a few processes. Rather it must encompass the whole gamut of issues like work culture, professional ethics, inter personal relationship, responsibility as an LPO employee, effective communication techniques with the client, the US legal market and much more.
The grooming of the candidate needs to be done in such a manner so that he can relate and respond to the work requirement, behavioral pattern, work pattern and ethical consideration of the foreign clients. Without a formal grooming even if you bag an LPO job at the Junior Associate level, it would be difficult for you to “set-into” the entire work environment and further, chances are slim that you shall climb up the ladder to the level of a TL or a Manager within a reasonable time.
Accordingly it is absolutely necessary that an aspiring candidate should go through a proper training prior to joining an LPO company.
What all training is required for a prospective LPO employee.. pls list if possible.. Are there courses available in UK or US, which can be pursue by an Indian lawyer to become a professional paralegal. I heard one of such course like Post Baccalaureate certificate course.. please let me know if possible
ReplyDeleteGood question asked, Nitin. The industry is expected to grow at much faster pace this year but there is no recognized Training Channel which has been set up to ensure the consistent supply of trained manpower for the industry. We have been in dialogues with global LPO industry and US/UK based training schools to come and partner in our endeavors through Global LPO Conference 2010 to do the needful and help Indian and global lawyers to find another avenue for their growth.
ReplyDeleteThere are some skills which are innate and few which cab be developed . There are few institutes offering courses and also a diploma for the same.
ReplyDeleteFew qualities which are a must:
Good command over language
Technical know-how
Logical and Analytical Mind
And above all, willingness to learn and thorough professionalism.