When a law firm or corporate legal department faces a demanding litigation schedule, a large volume of documents, or a temporary increase in workload, additional legal resources can make a meaningful difference. Two options to consider are managed document review and contract attorneys.
Although these services can overlap, they address different needs. Contract attorneys provide supplemental legal talent for a defined period or project, while managed document review offers a coordinated approach to reviewing documents, with project management, quality control, and workflow oversight built into the service. Understanding the difference can help legal teams choose the right resources for their workload, budget, deadlines, and case requirements.
At Avalon, finding the right fit starts with understanding each client’s priorities. As Chuck Pindell, Managing Director at Avalon, explains: “Every legal team is different, and finding the right fit takes more than matching a résumé to a job description. We take the time to understand the people, the work, and what success looks like for each client. From selecting the ideal talent to staying involved throughout the engagement, we work alongside our clients to help them achieve their goals.”
What is Managed Document Review?
Managed document review is a service in which a provider, like Avalon, oversees the document review process on behalf of a law firm or corporate legal department. It’s most commonly associated with eDiscovery, the process of identifying, collecting, processing, reviewing, and producing electronically stored information (ESI) for litigation, investigations, and regulatory matters.
During discovery, attorneys must examine emails, text messages, contracts, spreadsheets, business records, and other electronic files to determine which documents are relevant to the case, responsive to discovery requests, or potentially protected by attorney-client privilege or work-product doctrine.
A managed document review provider coordinates the people, processes, and technology needed to complete this work. Depending on the engagement, services may include:
- Recruiting and assigning qualified review attorneys
- Developing review protocols with the case team
- Conducting reviewer training
- Monitoring progress
- Performing quality-control checks
- Reporting on productivity and review results
The provider also helps maintain consistency throughout the review. For example, if a case involves thousands of emails and contracts, reviewers need clear instructions about what makes a document relevant, which issues to identify, and when to escalate questions about privilege or ambiguous information. A managed review team establishes a structured process for addressing those questions and incorporating guidance from supervising counsel.
“The most successful review engagements are not driven by headcount alone,” said Pindell. “They’re driven by strategy, process, and accountability. At Avalon, we don’t simply provide contract review attorneys. We build and manage review teams that align with each client’s case objectives, workflow requirements, budget considerations, and risk profile. From reviewer selection and project oversight to quality control and reporting, our managed document review solutions are designed to help legal teams improve consistency, control costs, and make defensible decisions at scale. The difference isn’t just who’s reviewing the documents, it’s how the review is managed.”
Technology can also play an important role. eDiscovery platforms such as Relativity help legal teams organize, search, review, and code documents. Depending on the matter and the agreed-upon workflow, analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) tools may help prioritize documents or assist with review. Human judgment, appropriate oversight, and quality control remain important to evaluating the results.
The defining feature of managed review is that the provider coordinates the review operation, rather than simply supplying additional people. The precise scope of responsibility varies by engagement, so legal teams should confirm what project management, quality assurance, reporting, and technology services are included.
What are Contract Attorneys?
Contract attorneys are lawyers engaged for a specific project, assignment, or period rather than hired as permanent employees. They give law firms and corporate legal departments access to additional legal talent without requiring a long-term employment commitment.
Their responsibilities vary depending on the client’s needs, the attorney’s experience, and the scope of the engagement. Contract attorneys may assist with legal research, drafting, case preparation, regulatory work, due diligence, and other legal assignments. They also frequently perform document review for litigation, investigations, and other matters involving substantial amounts of information.
For example, a law firm preparing for trial may need an attorney to research a specific legal issue, help prepare deposition materials, or assist with drafting motions. A corporate legal department may need temporary assistance with a contract backlog or an internal investigation. In these situations, contract attorneys can provide targeted expertise and help relieve pressure on existing staff.
Contract attorneys can also be assigned to large-scale document review projects. They examine documents according to instructions provided by the law firm or supervising counsel, identifying relevant information, applying coding decisions, and flagging potentially privileged or sensitive material.
In a traditional staffing arrangement, the client generally directs the attorneys’ day-to-day work and is responsible for coordinating the overall project. A staffing provider may handle recruiting, screening, placement, and employment administration, while the client manages the workflow, training, supervision, and quality control.
However, arrangements differ. Some contract attorney engagements include dedicated project leadership or other management services, while some managed review teams rely on contract attorneys to perform the review itself.
Managed Review vs. Contract Attorneys: The Key Differences
The biggest distinction is the scope of the service and who is responsible for coordinating the work. With contract attorney staffing, the primary objective is to provide qualified legal professionals who can perform the work the client needs. With managed document review, the objective is to coordinate a defined review project, which may include staffing but also encompasses the processes needed to keep the work organized, consistent, and on track.
Consider how the two approaches compare across several important areas.
Project management:
- In a contract staffing arrangement, the law firm or legal department typically directs assignments, tracks progress, and coordinates the team.
- In managed review, a designated project manager (PM) or review lead generally oversees workflow, communicates with the client, monitors progress, and helps resolve operational issues.
Quality control:
- Contract attorneys follow the client’s review instructions, but the extent of additional quality assurance depends on the engagement.
- Managed review typically incorporates a defined quality-control process, which may include sampling completed work, checking coding consistency, providing feedback, and escalating complex decisions to supervising counsel.
Staffing and scalability:
- Contract attorney services allow clients to add one attorney or build a larger temporary team.
- Managed review can also scale to accommodate a large document population, with staffing coordinated around the project's scope, deadlines, and changing needs.
Technology and workflow:
- Contract attorneys may work within a client’s existing eDiscovery platform and established procedures.
- Managed review can incorporate workflow planning, platform-specific processes, analytics, and reporting, depending on the provider's capabilities and the agreed-upon scope.
Accountability and oversight:
- With contract staffing, responsibility for coordinating the overall effort generally remains with the client.
- Managed review establishes a more centralized structure for running the review. The law firm or corporate legal department still retains responsibility for legal strategy, substantive decisions, and appropriate attorney oversight.
Neither option is automatically better. The right choice depends on the type of work involved, the amount of internal oversight available, and the level of project coordination required.
Where Managed Review and Contract Attorneys Overlap
Managed review and contract attorney services are not mutually exclusive. In fact, contract attorneys are often an essential part of a managed document review team. Both approaches can provide experienced legal professionals, help organizations respond to fluctuating workloads, and reduce the need to hire permanent employees for temporary demands. Both can also be used for document review, including identifying responsive materials, coding documents, and flagging potential privilege issues. The difference is how those resources are organized and managed.
For example, a law firm handling a discovery project may hire several contract attorneys to review documents using its own project manager, established workflow, and internal quality-control procedures. Alternatively, the firm may engage a managed review provider that supplies the review team and coordinates training, workflow, progress reporting, and quality checks.
In both scenarios, attorneys examine documents. The difference is the management structure surrounding their work.
When Should You Choose Managed Review?
Managed document review is worth considering when the work requires a coordinated team, a defined review process, and consistent oversight. It can be particularly useful for large discovery productions, internal investigations, regulatory inquiries, and litigation with compressed deadlines or multiple review phases.
For example, when a case involves a substantial volume of email and business records, the legal team may need more than additional reviewers. It may also need structured training, clear escalation procedures, ongoing quality checks, and reliable reporting to help manage the project. A managed review provider can bring these elements together, allowing the internal case team to focus on legal strategy, key evidence, and decisions that require deeper case knowledge.
Managed review may also be appropriate when internal resources are limited or when a firm wants to avoid building and supervising a temporary review operation itself. The value comes from the combination of legal talent, project coordination, and a process designed around the requirements of the matter.
When are Contract Attorneys the Better Fit?
Contract attorneys may be the better option when a firm or legal department needs to fill a specific staffing gap, obtain specialized legal expertise, or add capacity while retaining direct control over assignments and daily supervision.
A firm that needs temporary assistance with legal research or drafting, for instance, may benefit from engaging an attorney with relevant experience. Likewise, a legal department facing a short-term increase in workload may need one or two additional attorneys rather than a managed review operation.
Contract attorneys can also be an effective choice for document review when the client already has an established review process, an experienced manager, and the resources to oversee the work. The key consideration is whether the organization has the internal capacity to coordinate the additional attorneys and maintain the necessary level of oversight.
Choosing the Right Approach for Your Legal Team – and How Avalon Helps
The decision between managed document review and contract attorneys comes down to more than headcount. It requires an understanding of the work to be completed, the expertise needed, the available internal resources, and the level of coordination required to meet the project’s goals.
As an alternative legal services provider (ALSP), Avalon delivers managed review and contract attorney services for law firms, corporate legal departments, and government agencies. Our screening includes background reviews and behavioral-based interviews to identify the right talent.
From specialized placements to coordinating 120+ contract attorneys across multiple cities in less than 24 hours, we provide flexible staffing, simplified costs through a single invoice, and W-2 employees eligible for benefits, including paid time off, 401(k), and medical insurance. Our responsive, flexible approach to legal staffing helps clients control costs, maintain efficiency, and meet critical deadlines without compromising quality.
Need help determining the right approach for your next project? Connect with Avalon to discuss your document review or legal staffing needs.
