In his seminal guide on solo practice, Jay Foonberg predicted that the Internet would change everything about the way consumers shopped for goods and services. And in his opinion, the practice of law was no exception. Today, Foonberg’s vision seems to be materializing more each day. Consumers size up lawyers not just by their artwork […]

I was lucky enough to learn a bedrock principle of law firm marketing all the way back in law school: niche expertise is valuable if not invaluable. As I’ve pointed out before, there are a lot of good reasons for a solo to cultivate a single are of expertise. It’s even better to be a […]

When first starting out, the single biggest issue I dealt with (as do all young solos) was building a client base. At the time, I had very few clients. And unlike an established attorney, I did not have the luxury of sitting back and relying on repeat business or word of mouth (which there was […]

Last time, I discussed ways of gaining experience if you are an entry level job seeker.  But what about those who already have experience?  If you work at a medium or large law firm and are thinking of becoming a solo mid-career, you probably need to prepare for a significant shift in your work. For […]

After starting this series, I realized that many readers might be fresh out of law school (or perhaps still in it).  Not having had a full-time job, you may be short on experience.  So how much experience do you really need to become a solo attorney?  And in such a poor job market, what do […]

Once you actually start a law practice you will have to decide how to operate.  What type of tax classification will you choose?  Will you be an LLC, a corporation, or a sole proprietorship?  When choosing how to operate, people generally have two things in mind – taxes and liability.  As a tax lawyer, I deal […]

Once you have decided to become a solo, the first step is to determine what your practice is going to be about. How will you distinguish yourself? I highly recommend focusing on cultivating a single area of specialty. (Now, I’m using specialty not in the ‘I’m certified as a specialist’ but only in the context […]

Please welcome Solo Practice University’s newest columnist, Douglas Greenberg, who will be writing about his experiences going solo.  In this first post of a five-part series, he will be discussing how he built his practice.  Having seen his columns already, I know you’ll enjoy and learn from what he has to share. It all begins […]