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<b><i>Case Study</b></i>LAZINGA!: An Advanced Online Directory for Legal Professionals
My law firm is always looking for ways to simplify day-to-day processes. This includes having the most up-to-date software systems, streamlined and manageable billing systems, and the most cost effective ways to resource qualified temporary and permanent staffing.
Attending a conference last fall, a friend introduced me to the CEO of a new legal tech startup, LAZINGA!. My friend had mentioned earlier that I needed to check out this new company because they had a very simple concept that he couldn't believe someone wasn't already offering: a legal directory to connect professionals in every category of legal service to each other, plus free access for companies and consumers with a need for an attorney or legal related service.
A past experience of frantically finding a notary on a holiday weekend while closing a transaction for an out-of-town client reminded me of how many times a legal service provider was needed on short notice or for temporary assignment. The prospect of finding a solution to my ad hoc needs caught my interest
LAZINGA! is an online searchable directory that represents nine legal professions. Its website is much more than an aesthetically pleasing phonebook with some additional bells and whistles. Other sites exist that specialize in attorney listings and notaries, but I had not found anything that takes every category of legal related profession and puts them all together under one roof, with usable descriptions of who they are and what they do.
Notaries and other legal professionals become members of LAZINGA! by paying an annual fee, starting at $79, which provides them an online searchable profile where they can offer and promote their services and qualifications. Companies and consumers search for free to locate qualified legal service providers in their area. Nine professions are searchable on LAZINGA!: attorney, paralegal, mediator, legal document preparer, court reporter, process server, legal courier, legal translator and notary. Notaries and paralegals were the inspiration for LAZINGA!
Members have an online searchable profile. A unique feature is that a member can register for as many professions as they would like (and for which they are qualified). Many new attorneys just getting started in practice are open to performing paralegal work and other legal services to generate extra income until established, and LAZINGA! allows them a platform to advertise all of the services they offer. It is also very common for a legal document preparer to work as a courier, process server, notary, and in some cases, even perform paralegal work as well. Many members register for multiple professions and gain new clients. New members complete very detailed profiles in order to present their capabilities in easy-to-access form. New members have their credentials checked before their profile becomes public and searchable on LAZINGA!. LAZINGA! offers three membership options, and the annual fee depends on the member's selection of added features, such as advertising, blogging and social media outlets.
On the LAZINGA! homepage, it is immediately apparent how to start a search, simply click “Start Search,” enter your location, a physical address or zip code. Next, select a profession from a drop down menu, and hit the search button. A list of legal service providers appears that match the search criteria.
The list presents basic information and distance from search location. Click on an individual listing to view the full profile of the provider. All necessary contact information, credentials, background, education, experience, additional services offered and even a photo. The software is extremely user friendly, not confusing or intimidating.
LAZINGA! is accessible at no cost to companies and consumers and there is no registration required to use LAZINGA! ' just sit down and start searching. The directory intends to have a large volume of members to become the go-to resource for anyone requiring a legal related service provider.
CEO Lisa Munyon is a serial entrepreneur who explained that the LAZINGA! concept originated from her other company, National Paralegal & Notary, which works directly with large law firms and lenders to deliver paralegal staffing and notary signing services.
Upon returning to our offices in Florida, we began using LAZINGA! We quickly located a paralegal for temp work and were so pleased with her performance that she now holds a full time position in our office. I am now a LAZINGA! member and other colleagues and service providers we speak with are joining too and gaining multiple inquires for their services. It's ironic how sometimes the simplest things can be such powerful and useful tools in our daily and professional lives. We tend to underestimate time wasted on mundane tasks. LAZINGA! saves time and effort accessing the right legal resource at the right time. It's surprising it took this long for a company to offer so elegant a solution.
Jason Searns is a senior partner in Prince Law, LLC, a national consumer bankruptcy law firm. He has practiced law for more than 30 years as both a general practice consumer law attorney and as a consultant to law firms on the changing paradigm of the practice of law.
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