My Shingle

Encouragement

A Valentine’s Post: Business Porn and Putting the Magic Back in Starting a Law Firm

February 14, 2013 by Carolyn Elefant

Because of this blog and a national practice, I travel out of town several times a year for speaking engagements, conferences and hearings.  Rather than feign work on a long cramped bus or plane ride, I generally stay up until 3 am the night before I depart, scrambling to push assignments out the door.  That [...]

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Open Letter to New Lawyer: You should be dragging me into the 21st century not the other way around

January 17, 2013 by Carolyn Elefant

Dear New Lawyer, At 48 years old, I am old enough to be your mother.  And you should be ashamed of yourself.  Here you are, coming to me for a legal job when you don’t know the first thing about RSS feeds, blogging (reading them, let alone writing them), Twitter, Pinterest or YouTube.  And what’s [...]

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The Miracle of the Solo (reprise)

December 7, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

Editor’s note: Tomorrow night is the first night of Chanukah, one of my favorite holidays not because of the presents but what it stands for. Chanukah inspired one of my favorite posts in nearly a decade of blogging, and if you didn’t catch it last year, here it is again. Tonight marks the first night [...]

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A lawyer who still has to market: shameful confession or practical reality?

November 19, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

After I shared this quick video clip from the Avvo Conference on my Facebook page, a high school acquaintance remarked: Sounds like you’re a lawyer that needs to market, what stress! Though intended sympathetically, the comment stung. Because yes, after almost 25 years of practicing law, 18 as a solo I suppose that I do [...]

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Why I Don’t Focus on the Hardships of Starting a Law Firm

August 26, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

Starting, or more accurately, sustaining a law firm is hard. Scott Greenfield hammers the point sharply but accurately; Sam Glover more mildly but equally accurately. So why don’t I? As a longtime blogger focused on solo and small firm practice, and author of Solo by Choice, I’m the first to admit that I, like other [...]

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Thank You Thursday: “She motivated me to start law school at the age of 42″

July 12, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

So, last week, I wrote about the  importance of saying thank you , and noted that I’d be starting  a Thank You Thursday column, open to readers who want to thank someone who’s made a difference in their life. The first installment comes from business and estate planning lawyer, Paula Schaefer: In 1997, I worked [...]

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I Am the Sole Solo on the 2012 Washington D.C. Energy & Natural Resources Superlawyers

May 1, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

  Carolyn Elefant visit superlawyers.com I do not often post about myself or my practice. What you need to know about me can be found here. But for a couple of reasons, I’ve decided to share news of my recent inclusion in Superlawyers (for what that ranking or any other is worth): First, every so [...]

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Guest Post: Six Month Solo

February 29, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

The following is a guest post by Carl, a New Jersey Divorce Attorney who six months ago hung a shingle. Perhaps some of you remember my guest post on “the first week of going solo.” It’s hard to believe I wrote that only six months ago. At the time, Carolyn suggested that perhaps I could [...]

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It’s Never Too Late to Start a Solo Practice

February 15, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

Solo practice isn’t just for the young or the new attorney. Many seasoned veterans who’ve spent their entire career at a government position or a large law firm secretly harbor dreams about starting their own practice. Others who have devoted their career to a firm now find themselves out on the street with few options except [...]

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At the End of the Day, Who Comes Through For You?

January 25, 2012 by Carolyn Elefant

When you start a law firm, you encounter lots of naysayers along the way. Yet while negativity is always unpleasant, at least when it’s out there, blatantly up front and in your face, you can simply walk away. Contrast the naysayers with another sector that many solos and solos-to-be run into: the well-intended lawyers and [...]

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