8 Scholarships to Solo Practice University Now Available

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Eight lucky May, 2012 law school graduates will receive a three month scholarship to Solo Practice University®

Recently, we announced our stellar faculty at Solo Practice University now receive a stipend for their teaching.  It took three years to achieve this goal and we are thrilled to be able to do so.  However,  several faculty said it wasn’t necessary. They were just truly happy to participate and hopefully help others who are trying to start a solo practice.

To honor their incredible generosity, we are awarding eight quarterly scholarships to May, 2012 law school graduates to help them kickstart their solo careers! 

The Rules Are Simple:

1.  You must be a May, 2012 law school graduate. No exceptions.

2.  You may not be a current or past student of Solo Practice University.

3.  In the comments to this blog post, you must tell us why you will benefit from a scholarship to SPU and your plans for your solo practice.

4.  You may enter with an alias if you don’t want to publicize your name.  However, in order to be eligible you must immediately send a follow up e-mail to susan (at) solopracticeuniversity.com with your full name, address, phone number, law school, and identify which comment is yours. This e-mail must be from your current, active e-mail address.  If any of this information is missing your entry will not be considered valid.

5.  Quarterly scholarships do not include CLE.

6. All scholarships will begin on August 1, 2012 and end on October 31, 2012 (we know you’re studying for the bar exam in July!)

 Winners will be selected by people affiliated with SPU. I will not be part of the selection committee. Winners will be announced July 2nd in a follow-up blog post.

If you are fortunate to win a quarterly scholarship, we will email you at the email you provided on June 25nd.  You must respond within 48 hours from the e-mail address you provided or you will forfeit the scholarship and it will be given to an alternate.  There are no exceptions.

Go for it yourself or share it with a new grad!  It’s a graduation gift from Solo Practice University® and their awesome faculty members!

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About the Author

Avatar of Susan Cartier Liebel

Susan Cartier Liebel is the Founder & CEO of Solo Practice University®, the only online educational and professional networking community for solo lawyers and law students who wish to create and build their own solo/small firm practices. It is her personal mission, through education and authorship, to change the way law schools educate their students and the way the legal community receives solos. Website | Bio | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn |

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45 comments on “8 Scholarships to Solo Practice University Now Available”

  • I am definitely going to be a Solo By Choice in 2012. I am graduating from a T2 school in the south and, while opportunities for jobs are fairly limited, it was never my intention to be anything but self-employed so not really sure the employment picture impacts me that much. I come from a family of self-employed, hard-working people. I only know hard work and I don’t do well being told what to do (of course, I’ll listen to the judges and my clients!). Going solo will be hard, but I’m comfortable with challenges and pretty quick on the uptake. I have friends who literally can’t wait for me to pass the bar. Whether I’ll take them as clients or not is a WHOLE other question but their encouragement is motivating me to do what my gut tells me I must. I know others inside SPU and I have not heard anything other than positive from them. I don’t feel like I’ll I have to do this along if I have questions or need support. I especially want to learn how to create a virtual office because I believe this will be best for the clients I am seeking. I live in a rural environment, farm country, and it’s a hardship for those who work on the farms to take time to travel to a lawyer. This would be the biggest obstacle. If I can work virtually and they can connect with me virtually this would be ideal. I would also spend time visiting their farms and learning about their businesses first hand. It would also greatly reduce my overhead and this would be HUGE! Surprisingly, they all are connected so this won’t be an obstacle. If I have to teach them how to work with me I’m sure that would just make our relationship work even better. SPU is a dream come true for me and a scholarship would just be even that much better to help me get started after the bar. But first things first. I need to PASS the bar!

    Thank you for your consideration and keep up the great work. We’ve needed what you are offering for a long time!

    Oh. PICK ME!!!

  • Thanks for this great opportunity. This was forwarded by another attorney and it’s great. A little about me. I just graduated from a T1 and even we are getting the jobs we used to (surprise!). I’m scared to go solo. I’ll be honest. It wasn’t always my first choice but when I was second year our school counselors started talking about the option to go solo and I went to an event put on by the school where local attorneys came in and talked about going solo. Quite frankly, they said it was not their first choice but life happens when you least expect it. I’ll be graduating with close to $90,000 in student loans as did some of these solos but they say they are making it work.

    I know I have always wanted to practice law, immigration law, and nothing is going to deter me from this mission given I’m first generation in this country. If I can’t do it as an ‘employee’ I’ll do it as my own employer but the need is so great and the resources for so many so meager I’m ‘hanging my shingle’ as soon as possible.

    There’s a lot of competition back home in the Bay but I don’t think for the group I’m going for because they are not seen as having the money to hire to a lawyer. Being bilingual is a huge help and they do have the money when they need something even if it isn’t $300 an hour.

    What I need to really help me make this work is a resource like Solo Practice University. If I’m able to study like crazy at SPU while waiting on the bar results this will give me a big leg up for when I get sworn in. Did I mention I’m the first in my family to go to any graduate school?

    This is a dream of mine. I think you’ve written so much about making it happen, I’m going to make it happen, too. Thank you for this awesome chance. It’s almost like a lifeline for me. Thank you, again as this would be a priceless graduation present.

  • Hello Everyone, I decided to go to law school at the height of the financial collapse and resulting Recession. I finally decided to take the plunge since it had been a dream of mine for many years. I came from an extended family of lawyers, however I didn’t have a clue what it would take to be one, nor what would be expected of me. Law school was not easy; there were many pitfalls throughout. Yet, I persevered. I decided to work for an bankruptcy attorney in Michigan and it led me to create a class for individuals to file their own chapter 7′s. Later, I had the great fortune to intern for a Judge. And in each instance, whether in class, at work, or interning – I would have my goal at the forefront of my mind, to practice as a solo. I have had a very well rounded law school experience; however, I still need those few practice tips to make it on my own. I believe this scholarship can help me do just that. The goal of graduating from law school is only surpassed by my extreme need to pass the bar in my home state and practice as a solo attorney. I sincerely want nothing more to be the go-to-guy for family, friends, and future clients. Nothing would make me happier. This scholarship will allow me to do so. Thank you for the consideration.

  • I’ve been following Solo U since I entered law school. I’ve always known I would have to go out on my own because of my circumstances. I’m what they call a non-traditional law student. I’ve had two careers prior, one involved a very litigitious company which helped to put my family’s small business out of business. This created a strong, very strong, one could almost say, ‘maniacal’ need to go to law school so I could defend small businesses from being impacted as ours was. Being older, however, makes working for a firm more challenging even if I wanted to, which I don’t. Having been in business for myself I’m pretty comfortable with the idea of being in my own business again. Law is a different game, though. Being able to work with more accomplished attorneys like those on your faculty will be a major influence on my success. I’m convinced of this. As for the scholarship, with these economic challenges, every little bit helps. Let me repeat this: every little bit helps. I want to make a difference for the mom and pop shops which have been a mainstay of our country,our culture, and communities. They can’t disappear. So much is but a memory already. We can’t live in a just a world of Walmarts. Thank you for creating these scholarships.

  • A scholarship from SPU would be extremely helpful to me because starting a successful law practice is an expensive task. I want to become a great lawyer, and I think becoming a great lawyer requires learning from others who are successful. There are so many things to consider when it comes to running a successful law practice, and I know that I have not thought of everything. I try to network with attorneys and research as much as possible so that I can ensure my success in running a successful practice. When I first entered into law school, I always pictured myself working for individuals who may not have access to the justice system because their economic status prevents them from hiring a lawyer. I believe that every person in a America deserves to be treated fairly and should have equal access to the justice system. I want to provide a means for that to happen by providing legal services at a low cost. I plan to practice family, criminal, and probate law. Not only do I want to provide legal services at a low cost, but I want to be the best lawyer that I can be. I want to work hard and efficient for my clients. I think a scholarship from SPU will provide me with an abundance of resources to learn how to efficiently build and run a successful law practice as well as innovative ways to serve my clients at a low cost.

  • Greetings! I heard about this opportunity via Twitter and I would love to be selected as a participant in Solo Practice University. I am a recent graduate from Drake University and also a serial entrepreneur. I discovered early on in law school that working for someone else’s firm would never be for me. Mandatory billing, a cubicle or small office, and minimal flexibility were so very unappealing. I also found that a lot of my mentors were solo practitioners and very successful. Throughout law school, I tried to find ways to think out of the box, and address the changing legal needs of our community, such as legal practice for startup companies, and right of publicity cases when it comes to social media. Law school seemed to be stuck in the 19th and 20th century on these types of issues, so I made it a priority to keep myself ahead of the game by learning about emerging areas of law. I would like to keep this method going by having my own legal practice. Attending Solo Practice University would give me the right tools and insight into solo practice so that I can be successful!

  • I’m honestly scared. I’m scared about this economy. I’m scared about job prospects. I’m scared because of all the debt racked up I can’t reasonably expect to pay back in 25 years, never mind 10 years, with the current economic crisis. But this is my reality today. It’s the reality for many law school graduates.

    I want to practice law. I’ve always wanted to practice law. I’m not the brightest student if you go by one’s GPA. I’m not the most aggressive hustler. But you won’t find anyone more committed to practicing law.

    I come from a pretty brutal background and it’s made me beyond passionate about helping children from broken homes. Understanding the torment they suffer through the divorce process, the warring (and often, incredibly selfish) parents not considering the needs of the child over their own needs just kills me. It literally can destroy the child. I was very fortunate to have an amazing attorney represent me during this hell so my voice was actually heard by the judge and it made a difference. I want to make a difference for more children. I have no other professional goal in life and it’s why I took on the debt. This doesn’t mean I’m still not terrified about not paying it back or not being able to buy a home or not being able to do other things.

    I also am realistic enough to know it in order to do what I really want to do – represent kids in divorce – I am going to have to start a solo practice. End of Story.

    Solo Practice University is a real support vehicle for me because once I checked out what is offered, it pretty much covers everything plus I can talk to other people and the professors. This is a major point for me. Im going to do this no matter what. The scholarship will just give me some breathing room and an upperhand in the process. I would very much like to win one of your scholarships.

    Best, Georgia.

    • HonestlyScared – Thanks for entering. We received your followup information so you are officially entered!

  • Good afternoon! I am a juris doctor graduate of the Class of 2012, and can proudly state that I was successful on the February Bar Exam and last week, I was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court and the District Courts of my state. I am thrilled and humbled with the opportunities that lay before me as a legal advisor and advocate.

    I entered law school in 2009 as a non-traditional student, and I was blessed to have developed a great career prior to this chapter in my life. I am committed to draw on my prior professional and life experiences while utilizing my legal education and training in the private practice of law.

    The opportunity to participate in Solo Practice University (“SPU”) would bolster my potential to successfully build and grow a law practice. There is so much to learn! I look forward to gaining insight on many topics through SPU, including the latest advances in technology; best practices for soliciting, managing, and securing (new) clients; understanding marketing and social media; and, developing a support and referral network with other attorneys and the bar association(s). Award of a scholarship to participate in SPU will open my world of possibilities for success in private practice, and I would be ever grateful. Thank you!

  • Law school is the culmination of a life goal and the start of a new journey for me, a forty-five year old, second career student concluding legal studies in the Metro Detroit area. The Scholarship from Solo Practice University will assist me as I embark upon a legal career enhanced by my personal experience as a member of the city of Detroit and the surrounding metro area.

    Balancing legal studies and working full time in the auto industry, as a skilled tradesman, has been a long, but satisfying journey. As a member of the union during that time, I have seen the struggles of how labor unions and management operate. I have also dealt with labor issues from the opposite perspective as a small business owner. As a result, I have a unique appreciation for the manner in which labor and employment law can impact our lives.

    I have watched as the auto industry and its work force, both union and salaried, have borne the brunt of the recession. An overall decline in automotive sales has resulted in plant closings, lost jobs and a host of related problems. The effect of these factors upon the Detroit area and the local population has been well-documented. As the industry has turned around, labor and management are faced with new global problems.

    I feel that this is the time for me to step up and use the skill I have acquired at law school to give back to the community. Ultimately, I would like to offer legal support to those who have been personally and financially damaged in this recessionary period. I have progressed upon this goal by working at a non-profit that aids displaced workers throughout the southeast Michigan area.

    I have witnessed a transition in Detroit. I hope to be, by aiding its people and businesses, a part of its revitalization. This scholarship will allow me to dedicate myself to becoming a solo practitioner and fulfill this desire to assist Detroit’s reemergence as a premier city of the world.

    Thank you for your consideration,

    Detroit,MI

  • I am a second career law student, having worked as a non-profit consultant for the past several years. I did “everything” in law school that I thought would ensure I would have post-law school employment opportunities. I served on the Law Review Editorial Board, I served as captain of our moot court team, and our team did well in competition. My rank is at the top of our class. I enrolled in clinic to gain practical knowledge.

    Yet, opportunities have not materialized. For example, I applied for a position in a law firm that paid $30K a year with no benefits. The hiring partner openly stated that hours for a first year associate would be almost unmanageable. Despite the fact that McDonald’s would have been more lucrative, I would have accepted the job had it been offered and simply considered it “Year 4″ of law school. Though I would not have stayed long, I wanted to learn how to practice law in the real world before embarking on my own. Instead, an attorney with five years of experience joined their firm.

    It is not that I am afraid to be a sole practitioner. I have an entrepreneurial spirit, and made good money as a non-profit consultant. Yet, I am cautious about taking a client’s money and telling her she can rely on my representation for some of the most important issues in her life when I have any hesitation about being able to offer her quality legal services.

    This is why I am truly excited to learn about Solo Practice University. Through its services, I can have the opportunity to learn about the practical aspects of running a business office, coupled with practical information about appropriately fulfilling the needs of my clients.

    Please accept my application for one of these scholarships. Solo Practice University is the quintessential example of an attorney using her unique background and skills to follow a path she might not have originally envisioned upon entering law school. This is my hope, too. As an unexpectedly newly-single mother of five, I have committed to my children that we would not leave our current home. This scholarship would allow me the assurance that I have the support I need to open my own solo practice in a responsible way, honoring my commitment to my children while pursuing my own dreams.Thank you to you and your generous faculty for providing the opportunity.

  • I came into law school wanting to defend people’s freedoms and make a difference nationally. However only about a dozen people participate in First Amendment law really and truly and I’d have to get elected to make much of an effect with my law degree.

    However, learning the truth about the law didn’t dishearten me at all. I realized that there is a lot of good that can be done on a local and state level. By being an attorney I can make a difference in the lives of people here in Texas. I, as a single person, can have a great effect on the lives of people in my community and state.

    I law school I did take First Amendment, and the required constitutional law, but I found there was a lot more to the law than Supreme Court opinions. I became very interested in wills and estates, administrative law and mediation. Not only did I realize that I probably couldn’t pay the bills defending freedom full time, I found other things I’m interested in. I’ve been planning since my last semester, along side job hunting, to go out on my own.

    My plans are to live in the Houston area and focus mainly on wills and trusts. Due to economic constraints I have plans to start from a home office and be as mobile as possible. Utilizing portable printers and scanners to ring legal services directly to the client. This service would be particularly appealing to clients with mobility issues or the elderly, the very people most in need of wills and estate planning documents.

    I would use the SPU scholarship to gain and improve the skills I need to work for myself and my clients. I feel having such support would be a leg up on others just starting out and give me a strong foundation for a lifelong career. Taking this in addition to being a qualified mediator, would, broaden my skills set and make me a more effective advocate for my clients.

    I don’t have a sob story, or a lofty dream. I had my pie in the sky hopes grounded by the harsh reality we area currently facing in the job market. I just want to be the best damned attorney I can be, I want to work for myself and I want to make a difference in people’s lives. If I can take some cases dealing with freedoms, or help someone against the machinery of the state or help being people together in mediation along the way, I’ll consider that a win.

    Thank you for your consideration.

  • I graduated from a small Midwest law school and am planning to stay in state to practice. I have always known I would be an attorney and that my focus would be public service. I just never thought that the service would be as a solo practitioner in a state where there are a number of counties without any attorney practicing there. While I have not decided where I want to relocate, I do know it will be a part of the state that is rural and where people are limited in their access to legal services. With the changes that have been happening here, including increases in crime, issues related to land and mineral rights as well as the usual concerns such as marriage and divorce, I have the chance to use my education in a way I never imagined. By giving me the scholarship, you will be helping not only me but an area of the state that is currently without legal aid.

  • What a great opportunity! I just graduated from a T1, and entered law school to (1) help others and (2) be in business for myself. I am passionate about assisting families going through life changes, and believe there is a benefit to be gained from approaching family conflicts with integrity, collaboration, and vigorous advocacy. I am thrilled to be one step closer to my own family law practice.
    In law school, I sought to build a foundation for this dream through family law coursework, children’s rights clinic work, and publishing an article in my state bar’s Family Law Section Report.
    Now, as I prepare to take the bar exam, I’m looking for opportunities to translate this foundation from the classroom to the courtroom (“and beyond!”). Solo Practice University is exactly that opportunity! As a law student who funded her own education through student loans, this scholarship to Solo Practice University would be a huge help in getting ahead toward hanging out my shingle! Thank you very much for the consideration.

  • Technically I’m not going solo. Another May 2012 graduate and I are committed to starting our own non-profit immigration law practice. Ours will be the first immigration practice of its kind in our area: serving and empowering those who 1) cannot afford the high fees charged by the handful of immigration attorneys in our area and 2) earn enough money that they do not qualify for the modest means programs offered through the state bar.

    We are committed to the non-profit model because we’d like to seek additional funding to one day incorporate free and accessible services like “know your rights” trainings and environmental justice presentations at locations more convenient to the workers’ camps located throughout the region.

    A scholarship to Solo Practice University would be invaluable as we navigate the complex processes associated with incorporating as a non-profit, securing 501(c)(3) status, and the business of running a small legal practice. The trainings, networking, and mentorship that SPU offers its members will undoubtedly provide us with the extra confidence we need to press forward and make “justice for all” a reality in our area.

  • At the ripe old age of thirty-seven, I decided to change careers. I began law school in August, 2009 and graduated in in May, 2012, cum laude, and was admitted to the Order of the Coif. I decided to switch to law because I wanted a career which offered me more flexibility and choices in terms of hours, subject matter and salary. In addition, I was becoming bored with my earlier career and law offered such a wide array of practice areas that the work would never grow stale. To date, I have found the law both interesting and rewarding.
    Upon being accepted to my state bar, I plan on opening my own practice. I have done much to prepare for this. I spent my entire 3L year in a legal clinic representing real clients. I have appeared in court weekly on behalf of my clients. And I have completed a solo-practice seminar offered by my law school. However, as I have learned, there is no such thing as being ‘overprepared.’ I would like a scholarship to Solo Practice University to further refine my business plan, goals and skills in order to provide high-quality, professional representation to my clients at a reasonable price.
    I plan on practicing criminal law, including expungements, parole advocacy and violations of parole and probation. I consider criminal defense work to be a calling of mine. During my time working at the public defender’s office and legal clinic, I arose everyday looking forward to meeting new clients and working with them on their case. I look forward to continuing this in my own solo practice.

  • My family and I have long planned to start a business after I finished law school. Now that I have finished, I realize it will not be that simple. Law school taught me a great deal, but there is so much more I need to know to successfully work without the supervision of an experienced attorney. I feel that venturing out without having fully prepared myself for collateral considerations is the equivalent of malpractice. I attended the lectures and seminars on solo practice that were offered by my school, but the information was always second to my heavy course load. Solo Practice University would allow me to focus my efforts on gaining the skills necessary to provide efficiently and responsibly for myself, my family and my clients.

  • I hope this e-mail finds you well. My name is Andre T. Mc David, but my friends call me Truth. I want to become one of the top Defense Lawyers and a top litigation resolution person in America. Before I came to law school I was doing very well as a Fire Alarm Technician, but after I won some small claims cases for myself three random people asked me if I was a lawyer. All three said based on the way I argued the law in court I must be a lawyer! I decide to quit my job, go to college, and become a lawyer. I became a philosopher and studied philosophy of law at NCSU. I have completed law school and won several cases while in school under North Carolina Third Year Practice rule. I want to change the law by winning cases that help people live the lives they dream and defend the legal claims of defendants in criminal cases. Moreover, I want to build a law firm that my son would be proud to take over some day. I need all the help I can get to make my dream come true. I have taken classes at NCCU School of Law to teach me to open a firm, but I know there is still a lot for me to learn. Great leaders need great teachers! Thank you and have a good day.

  • As a recent law school graduate, I find myself presented with a choice. With a legal job market that is paralyzed by gridlock, I can either languish while trying to find somebody else to hire me, or I can choose to hire myself. Rather than be paralyzed by self-loathing and wallow in despair at my financial situation, I have decided that I am going to strike out on my own and hang out my shingle.

    I come from a long line of people willing to go out on their own. My grandfather was laid off from the mines many years ago – rather than simply soak up unemployment benefits, he started his own auction house. When my family was disappointed by the lack of quality education options in the rural Appalachian town where I lived, we decided to go with homeschooling. When my mother, a realtor, found her real estate sales dwindling, she founded her own real estate appraisal business. As for me, I am the first member of my family to graduate with a bachelor’s degree, and I am the first lawyer in my family. It took guts to decide to enter a field where I had no connections and no experience, but I have known since I was 16 that practicing law was the career for me. It combines my love of public speaking, my desire to help other people and my ability to write persuasively into a single, fascinating job.

    As a third year law student, I sought out opportunities to actually advocate in court. Through my work with a local DA’s office, I was able to handle more than 40 probation violation hearings, which were essentially miniature trials. While I know how to handle myself in court, I don’t know the first thing about transactional law, nor about running a business. That’s where Solo Practice University comes in. I have browsed the course offerings, and I believe that the lectures available through solo practice university will complete my legal education, giving me the tools to handle the areas of law where I am less familiar. In particular, I am very excited at the opportunity to take “The Basics of a Real Estate Transaction”, offered by Ms. Devery. I believe that, with my family’s recently-developed background and connections in the local real estate market, I could attract a number of clients seeking to close simple residential real estate sales quickly and efficiently. However, I didn’t take any courses on real estate during law school, nor do I really know the practicalities of performing a closing or recording a deed. I also feel that the classes on billing, practice management, taxes and fee-setting will be immensely valuable to me in my future career as a solo practitioner. Between student loans and the cost of practicing in a rural area, however I am certain that funds will be tight for the first few months after opening my firm. Therefore, I am grateful for the opportunity to compete for one of these 8 scholarships and hope that I am chosen for one of these slots. Thank you very much for your time in reading this, and for the opportunity offered here.

  • As founder of managing member of my own marketing LLC, a 2012 graduate with Latin honors, and Executive Editor for Lead Articles on my law school’s flagship journal, I have the foundation and ambition necessary to be a successful solo practitioner. Combined with the expertise of SPU to hone my ability and instill confidence in me as a young attorney, I hope to begin advocating as a generalist for those in dire need as soon as I am admitted to practice.

    My experience in law school has been quite fortunate. Even though I have been inherently disadvantaged attending a T3 law school, I clerked for a semester with a federal judge and assisted drafting two opinions with him, I successfully advocated two SSDI cases in my school’s clinic, placed 3rd in an annual writing competition, published five articles in four different sources (including my state’s bar association’s blog and in two separate law reviews), served on a student council committee, assisted admissions as an ambassador, and spent my 2L year as a general law review member before being elected onto the editorial board this year. A truly involved law school experience.

    Yet as fortunate as I have been, and even graduating with Latin honors, I still face over $100,000 in debt; primarily from law school but also undergraduate loans. That is because my law school provided me with a mere $1,000 scholarship my 3L year, which was really the product of my election onto the Law Review editorial board. To add insult to injury, the law firm I had been working at for a year balked at full-time offers due to the tumultuous economic environment coupled with an immediate need; not able to wait until August.

    Receiving a scholarship from SPU would do more than provide me with the tools to practice law. But it would acknowledge my achievements and show there is faith in my ability. Further, it would be transferable to my own law firm marketing LLC this past semester I formed immediately before graduating. Thus, the fruits of this scholarship would be doubled.

    Thank you for such a generous opportunity, and equally for your consideration in my application.

  • Before I graduated this May I became more and more focused on the possibility of opening my own firm. In law school, how to start a solo practice seemed neglected in our studies and the common consensus seemed to be that joining a firm after graduation was your best option. This meant that starting a solo practice was little discussed and seemed like an unclimbable mountain to those who had an interest in it. However, I knew almost from day one that the big firm setting would not be for me. Also, unlike most of my classmates, I had no intention of staying in the metro area where I earned my degree but instead planned on returning back near my hometown to practice law. Because I have a narrowly focused area of practice and am from a lesser populated area, this meant that starting my own practice was the only choice for me.

    This scholarship would be a great benefit to me. Opening a solo firm is both the most exciting and scary thing I will probably ever do in my life. It is exciting because I will control my own destiny and have the opportunity to build something from the ground up. It is scary because success and a steady paycheck is not guaranteed. I will also be getting married this fall and I worry about providing for my spouse who was so patient and supporting to me during law school. In order to follow my dream, I had to pack up and move back to my home state which means my fiance and I basically have to both start from scratch. Any additional support, would go a long way to help quell my fears and allow my to focus on the both the success of my practice and becoming the best attorney I can become for my clients. I thank you for your consideration.

  • I view solo practice as an opportunity to positively impact the lives of others in my own way. In going solo, I intend to make a positive impact, provide access to outstanding legal services and manage a successful law practice. As a recent law school graduate, I am seeking out a career that challenges me to innovate and utilize my talents.

    My goal is to start a family law practice. During law school, I discovered my strong interest in family law issues. As a participant in a children’s rights clinic, I managed my own caseload and worked with exceptional attorney-mentors who provided great insight into practicing family law. After this experience, I secured an internship at the Attorney General’s Office in the Child Support Division. Through my experiences, I have become drawn to issues affecting children and the family. In my practice, I aim to maintain a special focus on issues affecting the child (child-support, child-custody, adoption).

    A scholarship to Solo Practice University would be very valuable to me. Like many, I face financial limitations because of my student loans. Additionally, I am very excited about the course offerings and am confident I could make the most of access to such valuable practical learning tools. Thank you for your consideration of my application!

  • Thank you so much for the opportunity to apply for a scholarship to Solo Practice University (SPU). Beginning a solo practice provides a way for me to do all that I want and love what I do. Helping people from all backgrounds in the area of Civil Litigation and/or Dispute Resolution is my desire. Although it is important for me to make a living to pay my student loans, it is important for people to have access to justice.

    Since entering law school in 2009, I always had the goal of opening my own firm. Even if that meant starting out working with a large or small firm before I could make that happen. The more I have prayed, spoken with people and thought about it, the quicker I learned I needed to skip that step. Running a law firm is expensive, but if the proper foundation has been laid, the necessary resources will come in due time. SPU will provide me with the proper foundation.

    Not everything in life comes easy; however, an opportunity to attend SPU would provide me with the tools I need to become successful in the world of solo practice. My alma mater has prepared me in more ways than one to practice law in the real world, but not necessarily on my own. Furthermore, there is always room for growth at any stage.

    Thank you again for the opportunity and your consideration of my application!

  • First, thank you for the opportunity to earn a scholarship to Solo Practice University. I was first introduced to Solo Practice University through Blair Janis, one of my law school professors. I mentioned to him my desire to go solo and this is one of the first sites he recommended. Now on to my story.

    To be honest, going solo was never my intent upon enrolling in law school. I saw myself working for a good firm and likely staying at that firm for a long time. My father is a lawyer and has worked at the same firm his entire career. I too have always been loyal to my employers. For many reasons, however, that will not be the case. Instead, life has given me a curveball and I have been forced to adapt to my circumstances. At first I was bitter because of my circumstances—I told myself I had worked too hard, spent too much time, and sacrificed too much to end up in my position.

    These feelings have slowly changed, however, as I have realized that despite the curveball that has been thrown my way, it is a curveball that I can hit. Indeed, it is a curveball that will provide me opportunities that I never thought would be possible. I am confident in my abilities and am certain of my success. Nevertheless, two very different feelings have overcome me as I have begun my journey of deciding to start my own practice—fear and excitement.

    Let me begin with excitement. I feel excitement because, for the first time in my career, I am going to be able to do the things that I want to do. I will be able to choose my clients. I will be able to choose how I balance my time between my career and my family. I will be able to do with my time what I would like to do. I am also excited because I get to overcome challenges. Certainly there will be tough times. I look forward to those challenges. I look forward to looking outside the box and overcoming my difficulties.

    These feelings of excitement are great. However, they are often overshadowed by a very different feeling—that of fear. I feel fear because of the unknown. What if I am not able to get clients? What if I don’t know what is best for my client? Will people trust me? Are people going to pay for legal services in such a bad economic period? Will the economy just get worse? Most of these questions stem from the lack of practical education taught in law school.

    Perhaps the thing I fear most, however, is that I will not be able to support my wife and three kids. The summer before law school, my wife and I welcomed our first child, a daughter, into the world. She has brought us so much joy. After my 2L year, my wife and I decided that we were ready to have our second child. Boy were we surprised when we found out that our second and third children were coming together—twins! Almost 8 months ago, these two healthy (thankfully) boys joined our family. Life has never been the same. Being a father has caused me to grow tremendously and brought me much joy. However, I often feel the overwhelming obligation to be able to provide for my family.

    All of this brings me to the reason I am seeking this scholarship. Solo Practice University can help alleviate many of my fears. Solo Practice University will give me the resources and tools that I need to succeed. It will be my designated hitter when the curveball comes speeding towards home plate. I can’t wait for the opportunities that lie ahead and for the help that SPU will be able to offer. Thank you.

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