Nearly a decade ago, the American Bar Association's Lawyer
Statistical Report determined that 89 percent of all lawyers in the
United States work in solo or small practices. With the lion's
share of the legal profession comprising firms with one to 10
lawyers, it is surprising that, in the following 10 years, so many
people don't know where to begin or where to turn for training and
support when they set out to form their new practice. After all,
starting a solo practice or, in fact, any kind of nuts and bolts
law firm management is not something generally taught in law
school. It is not so much a legal endeavor calling on lawyer skills
as it is a small business endeavor for which many of us have no
skills.
There are some lawyers who are going out on their own solely
because of today's economic downturn. Through no lack of talent and
no fault of their own, they can't land an appropriate first job or
are laid off by the big firm. For those attorneys, they should know
there is no shame in being a solo practitioner and they should
never be apologetic to clients telling them how they can now be
cheaper or explaining that they are where they are because of a
tanking legal market. Clients have their own problems and aren't
interested in yours. They also don't want it driven home to them
that they should hire you only because you are a self-proclaimed
cut-rate discount bargain lawyer.