Does StandIn Stand Up for Solo and Small Law Firms?
Scrolling through #LegalTech on Twitter, a new name came across my feed: StandIn, described as kind of an Uber for court appearances. Since many other #altlaw sites that self-describe as Uber rarely live up to the hype, I decided to see how StandIn would stand up to the comparison and downloaded the app to my phone, then watched a quick demo sent by Peter Cariannis.
Design-wise, the StandIn App compares favorably to Uber. The interface has a similar look, and like Uber, StandIn is both simple and intuitive to use. Of course, arranging a courtroom appearance is somewhat more complicated than simply hailing a cab – but StandIn ensures that the process is seamless by providing a standard workflow with a list of sequential tasks that can be checked off as completed. But one step that I’d want to add before releasing payment is transmittal of a summary of the hearing by the appearance attorney.
Aside from the app’s features, there’s a more significant question: should solos and smalls sign up for StandIn — either as providers or procurers of appearance services? On the provider side, the stand-in work could be worthwhile for lawyers with extra bandwidth who practice near the court and can get in and out quickly for the fee charged, or take on several cases at once. That’s the model behind another appearance service firm, Local Counsel Collective, where high volume firms can find appearance lawyers to take on appearances in local courts, often in remote locations. Attorneys on Demand, which has been around even longer has a similar approach, and I’m familiar with at least one small law firm and one solo whose practiced consist entirely of appearance work. A key issue for an app like StandIn is how it will help to facilitate these transactions already taking place.
As for me, much as I like the app, I couldn’t see myself using it in the way that I use Uber. When I need someone to show up in court on my behalf – whether for a litigated hearing or what may only amount to a 10 minute hearing, I prefer working with attorneys who I’ve worked with before. I’m not sure that I’d be comfortable clicking on a 5-star attorney and dispatching them to an appearance without knowing any more about them. Appearances may seem trivial but if my firm’s reputation or client’s livelihood is on the line, they matter to me.
That said, one alternative use case that I could easily envision is to employ the StandIn app as a platform for transactions with attorneys who I already know. If I had an appearance – or any kind of “one-off” work for that matter, I could ask the lawyer I’d chosen to handle it to download the app to facilitate communication and payment. Another situation where StandIn would be ideal is for spot-proofing – a task which is not my forte. I’d readily pay a couple of hundred dollars to pass a final document along to a proofer for clean-up and cite checking before it goes out the door. What’s more, I’m sure that I’d find plenty of takers for this project — from attorneys with downtime or law students with journal experience done with classes for the day. As with Uber, they’d be pinged when an assignment posts and could just grab it and start work.
The on-demand legal market can be a lucrative one for the platform facilitating the transactions, if not the participants themselves. According to Inc.com, where Law Counsel Collective profile holds position #204 in the Inc. 5000, the Law Counsel Collective earned $2.4 million in revenue in 2014, and grew a whopping 2067% over a three-year period. But the market for on demand “tiny jobs” potentially extends beyond appearances and it would be nice to see some diversity in the tasks that these products handle and not just in the platforms they offer.
Have you ever used an on demand legal service platform – either as a provider or procurer? What’s been your experience – please share in the comments below.
I live in a small county, and have provided appearances for other firms through Local Counsel Collective and through Attorneys on Demand. Both companies make assignments and reporting convenient. I rarely accept assignments through Local Counsel Collective because they pay a bottom dollar fee, but I know the attorneys in my area that cover most of their assignments and I would be comfortable with those attorneys covering my routine appearances.
Your critique of Standin makes me wonder if this is a startup that’s run by, or at least is advised by, lawyers. The whole notion of your reputation being on the line, even when you are using a stand-in for an appearance, seems pretty basic, but they seem to have overlooked it. There is absolutely no information at the Standin website about who is behind this project. There’s no identification of the team members, or their qualifications. I don’t have any problem with legal tech, as long as the people behind it (1) take the time to learn something about how lawyers practice law, and (2) aren’t dedicated to screwing with my livelihood.
They need to add Workers’ Compensation Appeals Boards to this app. I would both make appearances for other attorneys and I frequently need someone to help when I get double-booked.