Ideas & Tips

Both lawyers and law students thinking about solo practice have dozens of questions.   But some questions are asked more frequently than others and those are the ones that I’ve tried to address in my book, Solo by Choice.  Take a look at some of the questions that I’ve addressed in the book and think about…

UPDATE:  The relatively new blog, Nextlex notes these FREE PLI webinar resources on foreclosure law and predatory lending. In both my book and on this blog, I’ve written that pro bono training programs offer one of the cheapest and most effective ways to get up to speed on matters that you might handle in your…

Here’s a question from a reader of this site and Solo by Choice: I spent two years at a large law firm and now clerk for a federal district court judge.  I want to start my own practice after my clerkship concludes, but if I do, I’ll be turning down the $50k starting bonuses that…

Imagine having your bar licenses suspended for two years over a measly $175.  Sadly, that’s what happened to this unfortunate Ohio attorney (Respondent) who accepted referrals from United Financial Systems Corporation (UFS), a national wealth management company.  As described in this grievance decision by the Supreme Court of Ohio, UFS representatives used non-lawyers to meet…

Recently, I realized that after five and a half years, I’ve been blogging longer than many people have been reading blogs.  And while I’ve collected quite an archive, who has the time to sit down and read hundreds of old posts.  So rather than let them fade into oblivion, I’ve repackaged a few in an…

According to this article, the Florida Supreme Court’s Commission on Professionalism recently adopted a recommendation that would require every lawyer admitted to the Florida Bar – 2000 of them annually – to obtain a mentor during the first year of practice.  The Commission has now asked a special blue-ribbon committee to study ways to implement…

Much of the advice on learning new practice skills relates primarily to litigation oriented practices.  As I’ve discussed in Solo by Choice, a new solo or lawyer interested in trial work can spend a few days court-watching, accompany a more experienced lawyer to depositions or pick up a pro bono case which might entail representing…