At some point, every lawyer has a client they cannot help. I’m not talking about the clients who are so guilty there is no defense. I am talking about clients who, because of some failure in the system, will not “win” their case. Whether winning their case means getting their kids back, getting off probation, or being paid for injuries they’ve suffered, sometimes no matter how good a lawyer is, the client is unlikely to prevail. I’ve had a handful of clients that fit this bill recently. It’s easy for the lawyer to get dragged down and worn out in these cases. But it’s not necessary.
Starting a Law Firm
Starting a law firm is one of the most exciting things you can do.
To get started you will need to select your law practice niche; launch a website or law blog; get some malpractice insurance; stock your office with the necessary technology and software, including a ScanSnap s1500 scanner for your paperless law office; put together a marketing plan, a social media plan, and a networking plan; decide on your billing structure; and decide if you need an office or if you will be a virtual law office.
Need more ideas? Join other innovative lawyers in the Lawyerist LAB.
My partner and I recently sat down and did a self-audit of our firm’s productivity. We looked at where our time and money have gone since we started the firm. We found that we spend a lot of time doing menial tasks, and as a result we end up struggling to meet deadlines and taking longer to complete substantive projects (like writing a brief, drafting client opinion letters, etc.) Three major things were taking up our time, so we found outsourcing solutions for each of them.
You can discuss The Shingle Life in the comments, in the LAB, or on Twitter using the hashtag #shinglelife.
Read Beware Flood Damaged Car Scams In Sandy Aftermath on AOL Autos, then join the National Association of Consumer Advocates and look for a mentor in your state. Oh, and pick up a copy of the NCLC Automobile Fraud manual. That should get you started.
Whether you’re catching up on work, waiting for a jury to come back, or avoiding a tumultuous home situation, you will likely end up spending a late night at your office now and again. Depending on your practice, it may happen more often than not. But you can make the experience a lot more bearable by making sure your office is properly prepared.
In an attempt to get more cases coming in the door, my partner and I both placed ourselves on various court appointment lists. This was no easy task. But after lots of letters and phone calls we managed to make our way on to a few lists. These lists have kept us extremely busy. In the month of September alone, I’ve been appointed on over fifty cases so far. We can get off these lists at any time. So the question becomes: are the cases worth the stress?
You can discuss The Shingle Life in the comments, in the LAB, or on Twitter using the hashtag #shinglelife.
I recently reached out to several peers and mentors to discuss fear. For a week or so it felt like I was just treading water, trying to stay alive in my practice. I spent a lot of time just writing down all the things I had to do in order to make sure I didn’t miss anything. But I didn’t have enough time to cross things off the list. And there, constantly in the pit of my stomach was a little ball of fear. Fear of missing a deadline, letting down a client, messing up in general, or getting disbarred. I was also concerned for my future, knowing that fear leads to anger, and anger doesn’t help anyone.
You can discuss The Shingle Life in the comments, in the LAB, or on Twitter using the hashtag #shinglelife.
When Josh Camson started his own firm this year, he decided to write about his experience on Lawyerist. From the beginning, he has written about all aspects of starting a firm, from the questions he answered before deciding to hang his own shingle to choosing practice management software to getting his first client and beyond.
Catch up, commiserate, lend your sage words of advice, or just follow along.
Read The Shingle Life in the archives.
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“In most states, there is no reason to form a Corporation anymore “
by Sam Glover on December 6, 2012 in Starting a Law Firm
CPA/attorney and LAB member, Jeff Vandrew, on the difference between entity choice and tax status:
Read (and respond to) Jeff’s comment in the LAB.