Solo by Choice: Being the Lawyer You Always Wanted to Be

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams . Live the life you imagined.” --Henry David Thoreau

Lawyers have dreams. You had them once too.

Perhaps you dreamed of serving clients in this tradition.

Or arguing cases before a jury

Well, now you have a choice. A path not taken that can lead to…

Opportunities beyond your wildest imagination

… and the freedom to become the lawyer you always wanted to be

David J. Abeshouse Law Office of David J. Abeshouse; Uniondale Long Island, New York http://www.BizLawNY.com ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],I started my own law practice because... “ I needed to do things my own way, after being with firms for nearly two decades; and I knew I had the discipline to devote considerable time and efforts to the tripartite necessities of marketing/rainmaking; administrative/organizational tasks; and yes, doing the actual legal work for the clients, simultaneously. “ One significant accomplishment in my practice: “ Developing sufficient experience and reputation in the legal and business communities to advance understanding of Alternative Dispute Resolution through publishing, speaking engagements, non-profit Board service, etc.”

The Law Offices of Dawn Elaine Bowie, P.C., t/a Maryland Family Law Firm; Rockville, Maryland http://www. marylandfamilylawfirm .com Blog : http://www. marylandfathersrights .com ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],What I do in my practice matters because.... “ I do something that matters to society, and changes the lives of children for the better.” One significant accomplishment in my practice: “ When their mothers won't, and when their fathers care about their kids more than anything else, I help these children keep their relationship with their fathers reasonably intact. ” Dawn Elaine Bowie, Esq.

Law Office of Thomas J. Crane; San Antonio, Texas www. sanantonioemploymentlawblog .com ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],What I do in my practice matters because.... “ I help people. People who have been fired or lost their jobs through no fault of their own are incredibly upset. It is a privilege to represent them and counsel them. It is equally rewarding to assist small business owners with employee issues.” One significant accomplishment in your practice “ Closed my office when I was called to active duty in 2003 while ensuring all clients had new, skilled lawyers if they chose to continue their case.” Thomas J. Crane

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The key to a starting a successful law practice is..... “ Minimizing overhead. Expenses and long-term commitments can kill a promising practice. Keep a close eye on the bottom line, and always think through your purchases. For example, do you really need traditional office space right off the bat? Could you work from home instead?” Andrew Flusche Andrew Flusche, Attorney at Law; Fredericksburg, Virginia http://www.andrewflusche.com/ ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],One significant accomplishment in your practice: “ In one year, I went from no clients to more than I can handle.”

http://www. simplejustice .us/ Scott H. Greenfield Do great work for every client you take on. Be the best lawyer there is. Serve your clients completely…. Being a lawyer is not about getting home early, having plenty of time to play with the kids, go to the bar with friends, enjoying life. It's about representing clients... The secret to success has nothing to do with a great website, or spamming for clients, or social media, or advertising. Those are the methods of people selling used cars. You can make some money that way, provided that you envision your career as performing mediocre quality, high-volume, low-paying work. If that's where your aspirations lie, then the marketing magic bullet will be just the ticket. Be excellent and you will have more business, and better business, than you could possibly handle.

Leanna Hamill, Attorney at Law PC; Hingham, MA www. HamillLawOffice .com ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],My mission in my law practice is... “… to help strong families through trying times– to protect their choices, preserve their relationships and pass down the things that matter. I take care of the legal matters so my clients can take care of their families.” One significant accomplishment in my practice “ Being quoted in Money Magazine as a result of my blog. ” Leanna Hamill

Walter D. James III, PLLC; Grapevine, Texas (Dallas/Ft. Worth) www. jamespllc .com http: //environmentalblog . typepad . com/environmental_crimes_blog/ ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],I started my own law practice because... “ I was tired of BIGLAW’s way of doing things – there has to be a better way to delivery services.” One significant accomplishment in my practice: “ I am helping clean up the environment by assisting clients in negotiating the regulatory process.” Walter D. James III

John D. Kitch, Attorney Nashville, Tennessee ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],My advice to new solos is... “… watch the pennies and the dollars take care of themselves. “ One significant accomplishment in my practice: “ Named American Bar Association Sole Practitioner of the Year in 1997” John D. Kitch

Koehler Law; Washington, D.C. www.koehlerlaw.net ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],“ I am at that point in my life in which I don't want someone else telling me what to do. I resigned from my position at the Philadelphia Public Defender's Office… and I thought: why not work for someone who thinks I am the greatest? I was also inspired by my wife who now has a very successful small firm practice four years after leaving big law.” One significant accomplishment in my practice “ Eleven days into my practice, I've launched what I believe is an impressive website and blog.” Jamison Koehler

Law Offices of Laura S. Mann, LLC; West Milford, New Jersey www. mannlegal .biz ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],My advice to new solos is... “ Know your market and find your niche, whether it’s a particular segment of the population (elderly, children, women, etc.) or substantive area (business law, family law, IP). Utilize the many free or low-cost resources available to you, online or otherwise. Then sit back and enjoy the ride!” One significant accomplishment in your practice “ Making it past the first year and still going strong!” Laura S. Mann

Law Office of Elaine Martin; Dallas, Texas www. martinvisalaw .com www. martinvisalaw . blogspot .com ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],What I do in my practice matters because.... “ I help people do something incredibly important to them - to work where they want to work, to bring their spouse here from overseas, to allow their children stay here, to allow their frustrated spouses go to work, to get them green cards so they can stay as long as they like, to get US citizenship.” One significant accomplishment in your practice “ I'm excited that I was profitable from the first day of solo practice. I'm not buying yachts or jets, but I'm not on food stamps either.” Elaine Martin

Smith Law Group, P.C.; Austin, Texas http: //texasappellatelawblog .com ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],My mission in my law practice is... “… to serve as the “appellate section” for trial lawyers who don’t have that resource within their firms, or for in-house counsel wanting to add appellate expertise to their trial teams. Getting involved in cases early helps the appellate process go more smoothly.” One significant accomplishment in my practice “ Obtaining reversal of a trial-court judgment for a Hurricane Katrina victim whose post-storm attempts to recover her dog had been unsuccessful.” D. Todd Smith

Lisa Solomon, Esq. Legal Research & Writing, New York www. QuestionOfLaw .net ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],I started my own law practice because... “ I wanted to have an intellectually stimulating practice with flexible hours that I could run from a home office” One significant accomplishment in your practice “ I have advised scores of lawyers on how to start and run successful practices as contract lawyers.” Lisa Solomon

Tannebaum Weiss; Miami, Florida www. tannebaumweiss .com ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],The key to a starting a successful law practice is..... “ Not talking yourself out of it. There's always a reason not to do something. To be successful you must first be a good lawyer, not just a good marketer. Marketing only gets you so far. Word of mouth is where the real clients are. Word of mouth can launch, or kill your practice.” One significant accomplishment in my practice “ Being recognized by the National Law Journal for one of the top 10 defense verdicts in the United States” Brian L. Tannebaum

Winghart Law Group; Redwood City, California www. winghartlaw .com ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],I started my own law practice because... “ I knew I could make my firm a success. I have three little kids who were not getting enough of my time. I wanted to be able to make the parent-teacher conferences and be the attorney in court. The only way to do both was my own practice.” One significant accomplishment in your practice “ I helped save a woman's home from a fraudulent lender who attempted to foreclose on her home after agreeing to modify her mortgage.” Andrew D. Winghart

Zuger Law Office PLLC; Burnside, Kentucky www. greenerattorney .com ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],I started my own law practice because.... “ I believe that the profession, and our clients, have the opportunity, responsibility, and, perhaps, the duty to utilize the law in order to advance the stewardship of our natural resources.” One significant accomplishment in my practice: “ I was named Sierra Club's 2009 Volunteer of the Year in its Kentucky chapter for energy litigation work, and committee and administrative work.” Edward George Zuger III

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