Solo Practice

E-mail is a Dangerous Tool - Beware! Beware! Beware!

Posted on March 13, 2008
Law is Cool discusses the ridiculous behavior of inexperienced and experienced lawyers (I have no doubt it extends to all professions) when it comes to the inappropriate use of e-mail in this post "Legally Rude Jerks of the Web". In...

High Demand and Growth Areas In the Law - Opinions

Posted on March 12, 2008
From Law is Cool comes this blog post of opinions from Big Law to solos as to the growth practice areas for the future. Much turns on the aging of our society and technology and energy. A very nice collection...

The Building of Solo Practice University Continues - The Madness is Upon Me!

Posted on March 11, 2008
My Fortune Cookie told me: A few hours grace before the madness begins....again. The building of Solo Practice University is coming along very nicely. And if you are interested in learning more about Solo Practice University as well as receive...

Eric Turkewitz asks "What is a Solo?"

Posted on March 09, 2008
After my recent post discussing more than 80% of private practice attorneys in New York are solos (the actual number is 83% - confession...I'm actually on vacation right now and retrieved the numbers from my memory banks) it spurred Eric...

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Wallet Mouth? How You Spend Speaks to How You Want To Be Seen

Posted on March 09, 2008
The title of this really cool blog Wallet Mouth and it's tag, "Your Wallet Is A Mouth. When You Spend Money, You Tell The World How You Want It To Be" speaks volumes about how and why we spend the...

Is it the Worst Time To Be A Lawyer?

Posted on March 07, 2008
On a listserv I frequent there was a recent question and answer session regarding whether or not it is the worst time to be a lawyer, given the economy, glut of lawyers and more. This was one response I felt...

"Passed the Bar - Hung A Shingle" - Gabriel Cheong

Posted on March 06, 2008
I really love what I do! This solo, I believe, is very representative of many new lawyers, the passion, the commitment and the circumstances of today's new law graduate. Gabriel is emminently relatable. Let's cheer him on! (Note: his site...

Understanding the Psychology of the Successful Solo Practitioner

Posted on March 03, 2008
The Financial Post has a wonderful piece titled, " Understanding the Psychology of the Successful" in which it explains the traits and characteristics unique to the individual who becomes a successful solo entrepreneur and these traits and characteristics clearly translate to the lawyer who starts her own solo practice...

"Tip of the Week" - Don't Join Bar Associations to Get Clients

Posted on March 02, 2008
When I talk to new lawyers the first thing they say is, "I've signed up for 1, 2 10 bar associations so I can network, meet other lawyers, get some referrals going."  Right?  Wrong.  Same thing for Chambers of Commerce. Do you want to try and catch a fish where all the fishermen are, drinking and eating, learning about fishing, socializing, comparing bait and giving awards for the nicest rod and reel?  Or if someone catches one fish and it's too small for them or not what they normally eat, you have ten lawyers fighting for this little fish to be referred out while the referring lawyer may still keep a small piece for themself...

When You Get Derailed - How to Get 'Railed', Again

Posted on February 29, 2008
It happens to us all.  We get overwhelmed, undernourished (not underfed), anxiety-ridden about the world and our future in it and our best marketing efforts and business-building goals just fall by the wayside.  But to make it worse, somehow we feel like we can't keep up with those we believe are superstars in their chosen profession, that it would be admitting weakness if we acknowledged there are simply blocks of time when we are not chugging full speed ahead with a blazing smile...

Dennis Kennedy's 8 Technology Trends for 2008

Posted on February 29, 2008
From Dennis Kennedy's recenty article on Technology Trends for 2008:I have written recently about how to make prudent technology choices in a negative economy. The key idea is not simply to cut spending, although you might, but to think clearly about the economic justification for each technology decision that you make...

Inspiration Like Nothing You've Read - Carol Simpson

Posted on February 29, 2008
Attorney Carole Simpson went to law school after her son died.  And then she's opted to open her solo practice. This is an excerpt from her story as posted on Ms. JD.Some of this change may also go back to how I got to attend law school. Just at the time I was preparing to take the LSAT, my younger son, then 24, became ill...

Jordan Furlong - Great Information on E-Mails in the Workplace

Posted on February 29, 2008
Jordan Furlong, current Editor-in-Chief of the National Magazine of the Canadian Bar Assocation, authors an independent blog called Law21 in which he has this great post titled "The Last Days of E-mail."  It is chock full of great links, too...

"Passed the Bar - Hung a Shingle" - Michael Bace

Posted on February 27, 2008
Today's guest blogger, is Michael J. Bace, a brand new solo practitioner who didn't even wait 24 hours after being sworn in to open his doors for business.  And coming from a family of entrepreneurs, this is not surprising.  Here's his story and philosophy about practice which should be uplifting for everyone...

Female Attorneys Hanging Shingles for the Benefits of Solo Practice

Posted on February 26, 2008
Increasing numbers of female attorneys are declaring their independence. Several women have hung out shingles in Sauk County in recent years. They left established firms to start solo practices, taking a financial risk in search of flexible schedules and decision-making authority...

E-mail Auto Responding to Clients - Yeah or Nay?

Posted on February 25, 2008
Recently, there was an intriguing discussion on a listserv where one member felt very 'unimportant' when a colleague responded to her e-mail inquiry with an e-mail autoresponse stating he returned e-mail correspondence during certain hours.  A discussion ensued about why this could be very off-putting to clients, yet others felt it was responsible and allowed the attorney to manage his time better as well as managing the client's expectations...

"Tip of the Week" - Finding Old Internet Pages

Posted on February 24, 2008
The Web changes constantly, and sometimes that page that had just the information you needed yesterday (or last month or two years ago) is not available today. At other times you may want to see how a page's content or design has changed. There are several sources for finding Web pages as they used to exist...

There is No Competition. That's Right. There is No Competition.

Posted on February 22, 2008
That woke you up, right?  Well, a good friend of mine and I had this discussion recently and we realized we share a brain on this topic.  We have never believed in external competition.  We have always believed in internal competition, competing with just ourselves to be better than we were the day, month, year, decade, before...

Lessons Learned from a Gourmet Chef - You Can Go Home

Posted on February 20, 2008
The parallels are undeniable in this article...world renowned executive chef goes home to small town, USA and opens a restaurant serving metropolitan gourmet on his terms, high quality at reasonable costs and living the 'seamless' entrepreneur's life I've talked about so much on this blog...

Be A Brilliant Salesperson to Be a Brilliant Solo Practitioner

Posted on February 20, 2008
I have talked about this on numerous ocassions but this is the first time I've seen a law firm come right out and say that in order to be an associate in their firm you MUST have a sales background.  This is an incredible 'coming out of the closet' acknowledgment how key sales orientation and clients' needs focused an effective lawyer must be, how critical the relationship is in order to procure and keep good clients because this is a service oriented business...

Do You Have A 'Herd' Mentality?

Posted on February 18, 2008
Recent experiments by professors at the Universities of Oxford and Wales Bangor show that it may be natural for people to herd just like animals when they are in a crowd, as reported by The Telegraph (2/14/08) The scientists told volunteers to start walking around a large hall with no particular destination...

"Tip of the Week" - Only You Can Say If Solo Practice is Right For You

Posted on February 17, 2008
Periodically, others will ask me how I can be so 'rah, rah' about such a challenging endeavor as opening up a solo legal practice. First, if you are reading this blog it is because you are already a solo practitioner or are looking to become one.  Would it serve your purpose for this blog to tell you your goals are unworthy, foolish or misguided?  No...

"Tip of the Week" - Don't Forget What's Important

Posted on February 10, 2008
This post will be brief as I am returning to New Jersey to be with family.  I have spent the last few days at my cousin's house experiencing the last days of my Aunt's life.  We expect her to pass today or tomorrow.  The reason I am even writing about it is because it's been an incredible experience...

Rolling Admission Continues for Solo Practice University - Here's A Course Sample

Posted on February 08, 2008
Now that Solo Practice University has more than 500 students, I thought I would give you a taste of the style and tone of the very popular Solo Practice University E-zine so you can decide if you would benefit from signing up for this free newsletter or know of others who may...

"You Ask....I Answer" - I Want to Fire A Pro Bono Client. What Say You?

Posted on February 06, 2008
Question: Thank you so much for your website. I hung out a shingle, scared to DEATH, and then I found you. You have helped me draw many deep breaths since I went solo as a brand new attorney, and I am so grateful for your help. If you have any time to share some thoughts with me, I would appreciate it...

Fewer Law Firm Options for New Grads? Who'd Have Thought It?

Posted on February 05, 2008
This title is provocative from the New York Lawyer but the information is just not new: In this reprinted article, it give examples of law school graduates taking non-traditional law jobs because they have to as legal jobs are drying up.Some experts disagree, but Jeffrey Brand, dean of the University of San Francisco School of Law, says Luros' experience may be the start of a bigger trend?at least for students graduating from law schools that aren't among the nation's most elite...

7 Ways Solos Can Get Things Done

Posted on February 04, 2008
PicktheBrain has done it, again, with this terrific list of 7 Ways to Grow the Action Habit.  I've selected my favorites as they are most applicable to starting a solo practicePeople at the top of every profession share one quality: they get things done...

"Tip of the Week" - AceProject takes on Basecamp and Wins

Posted on February 03, 2008
Progressive solos and brand new solos who are taking the concept of a paperless office seriously have been learning about, transitioning to, or starting from the beginning with web-based management software.  The name you will hear, at least the name I've been hearing most, is Basecamp...

Hitch A Ride On Someone Else's Ego - Learn How to Be A Lawyer Under Fire

Posted on February 01, 2008
If you commit to a 40 hour work week in the beginning of your solo practice career, unless you have hip-pocket business, you will see most of your weeks will be marketing and legal education and very little billing.  In time the ratio will change from 80/20 to 20/80 only because you must always have committed time to marketing and continued education...

Going Solo; Confessions and Inspirations - Michael J. Keenan

Posted on January 31, 2008
Michael Keenan is an Elder Care Lawyer in Glastonbury, Connecticut who has had his solo practice now for sixteen months.  His is a paperless office utilizing technology to better serve his clients, keep his overhead down and profits up.  He is a big believer in the power of blogging and is just thoroughly enjoying his professional life as a solo...

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