In the per-diem world I regularly encounter pro-se adversaries (people representing themselves). In New York City Civil Court (jurisdiction up to $25,000), people often appear pro-se. Many of these are debt collection cases, but I have been involved in all kinds of civil litigation where one side (the other side from my side) was pro-se. […]

It might be a stretch to call per-diem court appearances “zen-like” or “other-worldly.” That being said, I have some philosophical observations about making multiple court appearances on behalf of other attorneys: Treat your per-diem appearances as if you were appearing on your own case. If that means you care more about the case than the […]

Bad is good. That’s the philosophy behind the “per diem” part of my law practice. One might call it a “niche” practice.  I don’t feel so lofty about it, so I call it what it is, “Queens Court Appearances.” It works because of a basic business truth:  Success can be as simple as finding and […]

(Read Evolutions of a Solo Practice – Parts 1- 6 if you’re new to this author) When I returned to work, I knew I had to adjust my practice to make it a better match with my physical and mental health.  I converted the per-diem business into a model where the actual court appearances were mostly […]

(Read Evolutions of a Solo Practice – Parts 1- 5 if you’re new to this author) And then it happened… On Monday morning, March 20, 2000, on the second floor of Queens Supreme Court, I had a heart attack. So, March 20th is my 13 year heart attack anniversary.  I suppose there are people who get to […]

(Read Evolutions of a Solo Practice – Parts 1- 4 if you’re new to this author) In the early to mid 90’s, as my negligence caseload grew, I noticed a few things: The fees were way better than the fees from closings, but the cash flow was sporadic. I was spending a lot of time in […]

(You can read Evolutions of a Solo Practice- Parts 1 -3 here). Taking on Negligence Cases I learned the basics of negligence cases when I worked part-time for Fred early in my practice.  I knew enough to handle basic cases if I got a call to do that.  In those days (early 80’s), you could […]

You can read Evolutions of a Solo Practice – Part 1 here. Everything and Anything Phase, Especially Landlord/Tenant I passed the bar exam on the first shot, and accomplished every law student’s dream, making partner in one day. Now the firm needed an office, and furniture, and telephones, and other trivial details like paying clients. […]