tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452025352696285200.post6820620029215292490..comments2024-02-23T04:59:26.907-05:00Comments on But I Did Everything Right!: Ready or Not, the World is Going Solo!Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07820446523257638689noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452025352696285200.post-81320903758120341922010-02-10T12:38:58.589-05:002010-02-10T12:38:58.589-05:00There are worse reasons to get married. : ) I ca...There are worse reasons to get married. : ) I cannot WAIT for my husband to finish school (3 more years, sigh -- but no student loans) so he can get a job with health insurance and I don't have to sell my soul to the law school anymore. At that point I might just stick with research-and-writing work entirely, because I've given up/have burned out on the real practice of law.Credence@Toddlerismshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12398410553915620682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452025352696285200.post-83241230467219522082010-02-10T00:34:18.892-05:002010-02-10T00:34:18.892-05:00Thanks for all of the help, MP. I am definitely g...Thanks for all of the help, MP. I am definitely going to work on getting that done... don't want to say more for now.<br /><br />Jadz... yes. And that is what I have managed to get my hands on so far. So, I see how it can lead to more work. I'm okay with Cobra for at least another 11 months. Maybe a year. Who knows.. maybe I'll have to get married to get insurance.Angelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07820446523257638689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452025352696285200.post-52613281456516189482010-02-09T23:58:02.340-05:002010-02-09T23:58:02.340-05:00Angel, have you been out of law school/do you have...Angel, have you been out of law school/do you have adequate contacts to do research-and-writing type contract work? That's what I do when my caseload isn't too busy (like right now!) -- it pays far, far better than doc review, can lead to referrals (my best client right now started off as a referral from somebody for whom I occasionally write briefs), and does not require spending working hours in a basement. Just a thought, YMMV. There's still the little problem of health insurance and other overhead, but it's been a great fallback for me.Credence@Toddlerismshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12398410553915620682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452025352696285200.post-19424219321712695192010-02-09T23:21:31.808-05:002010-02-09T23:21:31.808-05:00Hi Angel - You go girl! Here's another though...Hi Angel - You go girl! Here's another thought - you obviously have great computer skills (I don't know how you do half the stuff in the right hand column!) have you given any thought to maybe setting up some kind of local solo referral network? Maybe a web directory for solos to refer work to each other easily? The bar association may have something similar, but usually it is 1) cranky, 2) not user-friendly, and 3) not personally verified. Would there be value in setting up a referral network locally made up of solo lawyers (that would be interviewed and verified by you or another member) so that they could immediately turn to this network if they had a client needed a skill beyond that which they provide? (Basically being able to provide any client with all of the skills of a law firm). As far as monitezation, you could start for free with some ads and maybe add a small monthly fee at a later time. You may also want to work something out with regard to compensating referrals - in accordance with your state's bar rules.<br /><br />Why would local solos list on your site? Well, as you mentioned, they want to pass business to other solos. Also, they know that the solo rates are lower and they are less likely to lose a client if they pass a piece of work to another solo than if they pass a piece of work to a firm that might replace them. Also, as opposed to mere advertising, all of the lawyers on the list would have the Angel seal of approval - and that aspect of trust really helps differentiate this from advertising. Finally, having a ready network to refer other client work to makes them look more confident and competent in the eyes of their clients. Just an idea. <br /><br />Once you get it up and running, you may want to approach your local bar association and see if they are interested in allowing you to consult in improving their system. You would not contaminate your solo listings with their info, but it may be a way to get additional paid consulting work from them.<br />Most likely their info could really, really benefit from your skills. If you need additional programming skills, maybe you could hook up with a freelancer - or maybe another local solo already has programming skills.<br /><br />Other ways to leverage this include repositioning yourself as a web-marking specialist for law firms and selling your services to law firms. You would have a great advantage over most of the competition because you have a law degree and experience and thus know more how lawyers think and talk. You could help design and maintain law firm web presences - or at least write copy. You might want to do this solo or see if there is some company that might want to hire you.<br /><br />In this regard, I note that my firm pays stupid amounts of money to people who really can't write or edit copy because they don't have insight into the practice or the language. At the same time, I don't have time to write copy all day - and the associates are billing, too. The main value of the marketing people we hire seems to be 1) they have a list of the magazines that might be interested in article placement (but you could easily duplicate that by calling the magazines - they are always interested in another source), and 2) they periodically remind us that they exist and we should be sending stuff to them (which you could easily do). The marketing people are just terrible when it comes to creating any writing. For example, you win a big case but don't have time to write articles - it would be great if someone could just read the opinion and give a rough draft. However they don't know and they don't want to know or are too timid to try. With your legal background, you could certainly give me a reasonable draft, thus saving me time and furthering our marketing efforts. Just another "need" that I thought that I would highlight.Managing Partnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05130017520583425490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452025352696285200.post-65847795539585149782010-02-09T20:41:33.546-05:002010-02-09T20:41:33.546-05:00Thanks Guys! But I'm not going into the abyss...Thanks Guys! But I'm not going into the abyss here. I'm actually going to continue to do document review and with take on cases on the side. It may be against the rules of some of the firms that employ me... but I don't see any other way of making it work. I can't survive on the several cases I have now, but I want to do good quality, low cost work so that I keep the clients coming.. so the only way I can do that is continuing on document review projects as needed. Hopefully, the clients on the side will outweigh the money to be had in the basement of this shithole firm.Angelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07820446523257638689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452025352696285200.post-35635570872562736702010-02-09T20:16:31.851-05:002010-02-09T20:16:31.851-05:00Great Post, Angel.
Go kick some butt!
DougGreat Post, Angel.<br /><br />Go kick some butt!<br /><br />DougDoughttp://wealthdeposition.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452025352696285200.post-85219817728363588422010-02-09T20:00:15.111-05:002010-02-09T20:00:15.111-05:00There's a lot to be said for being your own bo...There's a lot to be said for being your own boss and not having to deal with office politics.JJDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13336399876642935513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452025352696285200.post-25777446896426332262010-02-09T19:02:46.787-05:002010-02-09T19:02:46.787-05:00Angel is a girl. She's got pink and puppies a...Angel is a girl. She's got pink and puppies all over the place.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452025352696285200.post-19640773760503087642010-02-09T18:44:05.168-05:002010-02-09T18:44:05.168-05:00I wish you the best of luck brother. I'm hopin...I wish you the best of luck brother. I'm hoping it doesn't come to choosing solo law or abandoning my fiancee, but the day might come, and its scary. Try getting criminal appointments if possible, it's a start.Toiletlawyerhttp://www.toiletlaw.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452025352696285200.post-17923798785464730572010-02-09T13:12:50.838-05:002010-02-09T13:12:50.838-05:00I certainly agree with this but it is T-O-U-G-H. ...I certainly agree with this but it is T-O-U-G-H. Even if you work from a home office (which I do), the $800 in bar fees (2 states), $3000 in mandatory malpractice insurance, and worst of all, $1300/month for family health insurance are a huge huge huge stumbling block. Every non-starving solo I know has a spouse with a health-insurance-providing job. I work half-time at a ridiculous law school administration job *only* for the health insurance benefits. (And because I enjoy being treated like shit by our faculty, who seem to think they will get 2nd tier cooties from me.) And if you don't like dealing with the junkyard dogs of the profession, solo litigation might not be for you.<br /><br />If you want to get really depressed, ask me about my Coif certificate, federal appellate clerkship, or number of years in Biglaw. It is just tough tough tough.<br /><br />But I'm not bitter. : )Jadzianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452025352696285200.post-58597861551642046322010-02-09T13:05:37.132-05:002010-02-09T13:05:37.132-05:00It's called the American Dream 'cuz you go...It's called the American Dream 'cuz you gotta be asleep to believe in it. <br /><br />Good luck with your solo career.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com