It's Not Too Soon to Go Solo, and Here's How You Can Get Ready to Do So
It may not be legal for a private law firm to accept a recent law graduate’s offer to work for free to gain some much-needed experience.
But a newly minted legal eagle with the drive to pursue the dream of a high-flying solo career need not hesitate to do so right away, advises the New York Law Journal.
For those who really want to open their own practice, every moment of the day awaiting news of the bar exam results offers new opportunities to hone your skills and make new contacts even if you’re not licensed as a lawyer yet, the article says.
Among the many suggestions it offers:
Go hang out at the local courthouse, introduce yourself to its staff and spend some time in the courtrooms watching lawyers at work. A veteran practitioner may take you under his or her wing and offer some pointers if you appear interested. View every conversation, no matter where it occurs, as a future client development opportunity. And don’t hesitate to go on job interviews, even if you’re more interested in going solo—they provide a chance to talk with partners and learn how they operate a successful law firm.
Although opening a solo practice may seem like a risky venture, it doesn’t get any easier to leap into the unknown once you have a mortgage and children to support, the article points out. And, as hockey great Wayne Gretzky once said, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.”
