When American companies and law firms consider the use of India-based LPOs for core legal work, they wonder whether the work of Indian attorneys will be of a quality similar to that of their western counterparts. For the reasons described here, I suggest that the level and quality of work produced by Indian attorneys can be impressive even when compared directly to that of equivalent American attorneys.

There are many reasons to expect and receive high quality work from Indian attorneys. English is the language of the Indian legal education and judicial system. Lawyers undergo five years of legal education in a common law system. While it may be difficult for an American client or company to rank law schools on the basis of the education provided, there are some widely accepted views. For example, The National Law School of India is considered by many to be the best law school in India. The Gujarat National Law University was founded in 2003, but in a few short years, it has taken substantial steps to attract high quality students and to provide them with a top quality education. Experience may be easier to judge than law school rankings, however, especially as many new law schools are coming online as the demand for Indian attorneys by multinationals increases.

Our company focuses on recruiting lawyers with some experience because it is easier to judge their abilities if they have done similar work at an advocate's or solicitor's office. While the practice of law in India differs in many respects from American practice, many of the skills that graduates develop in the first few years are similar in both countries. Junior Indian attorneys develop their analysis and writing skills, and learn to handle client relations. Moreover, some LPO companies take training very seriously, often requiring their attorney employees to undergo special training courses complete with tests they must pass before being assigned actual work.

Another factor that is often overlooked is the unique position of the nascent LPO industry in India. LPOs have been able to attract top legal talent in India, essentially choosing lawyers from the cream of the crop, even though long term employment with an LPO may ultimately detract from an Indian attorney's career prospects within the traditional Indian legal system. LPOs attract top level talent for three main reasons:

1. they take a meritocratic approach to hiring and employee management;

2. LPOs enjoy prestige among law graduates in the marketplace, because
    the knowledge outsourcing industries (BPO, KPO and LPO) are sought-
    after employers; and

3. LPOs may offer superior compensation to young attorneys earlier in their careers.

One of the major differentiating factors between LPOs and many (though certainly not all) Indian law firms is the approach to hiring and retaining employees. LPOs are influenced heavily by the Western concept of meritocracy, where employees are hired and retained based on their achievements and performance. The Indian legal profession, on the other hand, still suffers from a significant degree of nepotism and gender bias. Nepotism and gender bias prevent many competent attorneys from achieving their professional goals within traditional practice. As a result, a significant portion of the available legal talent in India is under-utilized. These attorneys – many of them women who face gender bias as a part of everyday life in India – are not properly valued based on their talent and skill sets. Moreover, culturally based gender discrimination by courts and clients may perpetuate the under-utilization of women and lawyers and those without prior "connections" in the profession or in business.

In LPOs, employees are generally reviewed without regard to gender or personal connections. High performers are given additional responsibilities commensurate with their skills. The meritocratic nature of the LPO industry makes it highly attractive to under-utilized but talented Indian attorneys. Simultaneously, nepotism and gender bias in the profession result in lawyers seeking alternate career paths. So while LPOs compete with established law firms and other legal employers for top quality talent overall, they enjoy a distinct advantage among potential employees who do not see a beneficial career path in traditional Indian legal practice.

Compounding this effect is the high regard in which many Indian attorneys hold established LPOs. LPOs often handle complex legal matters for multinational corporations and clients. This exposure to "international" business and law is perceived as an excellent opportunity to learn more about various legal systems and perhaps as a stepping stone to actual work or study abroad. LPOs also tend to provide high quality working conditions in modern offices plus perks ranging from air-conditioning to flexible work schedules to complimentary food and beverages. These factors place the LPO industry in a favorable light when compared to the majority of traditional legal jobs available in India.

Even with a meritocratic approach to employment and a superior workplace reputation, LPOs must provide competitive compensation because the Indian labor market is notoriously elastic. Slight differences in pay – sometimes as little as the equivalent of $10 per month – can lure an employee from one employer to another. The LPO industry routinely matches or exceeds the compensation available in traditional legal practice for employees of all types, including those who through personal connections might be able to obtain coveted employment in a traditional Indian legal practice. It is as-yet unknown whether a long-term career in an LPO can match the compensation of the top private practitioners in India, but many recently graduated lawyers are unwilling to wait decades or longer for a level of economic comfort and security.

These three principal factors, taken together, lead to a ripe opportunity for the LPO industry in India to attract top quality legal talent from a large available labor pool. When this top talent is coupled with sufficient training and supervision, the result is high quality work product in sophisticated matters that meets and often exceeds the expectations of Western clients.