There has been a lot of discussion lately concerning using virtual assistants and also running a virtual law practice.  Our friends over at VLOtech has a very timely post called Virtual Assistance for a Virtual Law Practice. In the post, Stephanie Kimbro discusses how using a virtual assistant fits with their practice model, the Virtual Law Office.

Key points in her post include professional conduct concerns and how a virtual assistant in the virtual law office may be affected.

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.

And just as important, nondisclosure and security for the clients of a virtual law office.

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.