Contract Attorney Law and Legal Definition
Contract attorney is an attorney who works on legal cases on a contract basis. Such work is generally of a temporary nature, often with no guaranteed employment term. S/he is an attorney temporarily hired by a law office for a specific job or period. When the job or period is finished the contract is over.
The work of contract attorneys often varies. They can be engaged in activities such as document review. Large firms appoint contract attorneys as they perform their work much more cost effectively than high-priced associates. A contract attorney may be hired to do assigned counsel work in counties without a public defender. Some states or counties may have a panel of lawyers who act as contract attorneys.
