My post yesterday struck a chord.   There was one response which I did not want buried in the comments and decided to post as a follow up because this Mississippi lawyer , John Gillis, took the time to educate us all on the state of mandatory pro bono throughout the country. I’m a Mississippi lawyer […]

More than three years ago I wrote this column for the Connecticut Law Tribune: ********************* Connecticut Law Tribune – June 8, 2007 (This column comes on the heels of the recent Second Circuit Decision regarding pro bono fees, as a I promised.) It’s been a year since I read an Illinois Supreme Court ruling regarding […]

There is a joke I heard recently from a small law firm who stopped renewing their ABA membership. The lawyer I spoke to said, “We get 13 things for our ABA dues – 12 nice magazines and a bill. Those are very expensive magazines.’ This is from someone who bought in to the idea, ‘graduate law school and join the ABA.’ No longer are students mindlessly joining an organization because it exists. Somewhere along the way any perception of value disappeared.

It’s a trend that began after the economic downturn of the late 1980s, as many laid-off professionals became consultants. Then it seemed temporary, though, tied to bad times. Evidence now suggests that this is our new economic condition. Today, in fact, 20% to 23% of U.S. workers are operating as consultants, freelancers, free agents, contractors or micropreneurs. Current projections see the number only rising in coming years.

The other night I was listening to talk radio and I heard something which was both dismaying yet exhilarating at the same time. Bear with me. The show was discussing how two great professions, the medical field and the legal field, were now closing in on the least desirable professions to pursue. But…..

Deflation is coming. The problem with deflation is that not only do debts remain constant, but incomes fall as well. The early signs of falling wages are here, and the long-term ramifications are not comforting. How will deflation impact your clients and by extension your solo practice?