An attorney practicing with a VLOTech virtual law practice may at some point consider retaining the services of a virtual legal assistant. A virtual assistant, often shortened to VA, is a professional who provides office administrative and/or paralegal services remotely through the use of technology. These individuals are technology savvy professionals, most of whom are also entrepreneurs and small business owners themselves, and are capable of advising a virtual practitioner as to the most efficient methods of handling projects for a virtual law practice.

A virtual legal assistant using the VLO may be retained on a per-project basis or a more permanent working relationship may be established depending on the virtual attorney’s needs. Because of the remote accessibility of a web-based VLO, the virtual assistant could be located anywhere in the United States or even in another country, depending on the type of work the virtual attorney needs handled. If the legal work involves state specific laws, then a virtual assistant with paralegal experience in that state would be advisable. On the other hand, if the project is transcription or other administrative tasks, the virtual assistant’s home state would be irrelevant and the focus on hiring would be the virtual assistant’s level of experience and recommendations.

With any virtual assistant relationship, the VLO attorney must comply with his or her state bar association’s rules and regulations for professional conduct regarding management of nonlawyer assistants. Appropriate instruction and supervision should be given to any virtual assistant hired to work in a VLOTech virtual law practice. One of the safest law office practice methods for the VLO attorney to protect him or herself is to keep digital records of any communication of instructions to the virtual assistant from the beginning of the relationship.

If the virtual assistant will be working through the web-based VLO application, the attorney needs to emphasize the importance of nondisclosure and security for the VLO clients and that the virtual assistant should closely guard their username and password to their permissions-based VLO access. Again, most professional virtual assistants, especially those with legal training and experience, are more than aware of confidentiality and nondisclosure issues when working for a law practice.

Future development of the VLOTech application includes permissions-based access for legal assistants, such as a virtual assistant. The software will permit the backend VLO to be accessed by a virtual assistant while allowing the attorney to lock certain functions of the VLO which he or she may not want the virtual assistant to access. Even if a virtual practitioner decides against VLO access for a virtual assistant, the use of these professionals may be beneficial for the virtual law practice through the use of email or other forms of online communication provided the virtual practitioner practices the safe transmission of any sensitive attorney/client data.

For more information about virtual assistants and how a VLO may benefit from their use, please view the following links:

Home Office Virtual Assistant

Clerical Advantage

From Clerical Advantage: Projects Your VA Can Accomplish in One Hour or Less

Virtual Help: An Outsourcing Relationship with a Virtual Assistant Can Complete Your Team, Edward Poll, April 2006, ABA’s Law Practice Today

International Association of Virtual Office Assistants

International Virtual Assistants Association

Ultimate Virtual Assistant Guide from Productivity 501