Inspiration & Encouragement

Scott Greenfield responded to Part I and Part II on Post-Mortem of a solo practice. Scott criticizes everything from the author of the post (who left a successful practice to start a firm partly because he didn’t like the work he was doing and partly for a better work life balance) to the value of social…

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…

Exactly a half-life ago when I turned 24, I spent my first — and until now– my only birthday away from home. Though I’d spent four years away in college, then three in law school, because an end-of-May-birthday falls between the end of school and start of a summer job or internship or travel, it…

  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…

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…

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…

Each year, I try to identify an overarching theme that will impact solo and small firm practitioners.  And each year, I’ve been dead wrong – either because I’m way too far ahead of the trends, or because my predictions are contaminated by my own wishful thinking. For example, in 2009, I predicted that in the…

[Warning – Hanukkah-themed post ahead, if you would rather avoid religious-oriented content] Tonight marks the first night of Hanukkah, a joyous Jewish holiday that holds special meaning for me as a solo. From the small band of Maccabees triumphing over the Syrian army to the tiny drop of oil that fueled the eternal flame for…