Every BigLaw associate needs a plan.
BigLaw is an extraordinary training ground. For most lawyers it isn’t a lifelong home, and the numbers show most departures come early. The ones who do it well start planning before they need to.
Source: NALP Foundation, Update on Associate Attrition, calendar year 2025 (April 2026). Based on 141 U.S. and Canadian law firms.
Just curious
You want to know what’s possible.
Planning
You expect to leave in the next year or two.
Have a date
You need a launch checklist.
Some members decide to stay. That’s a good outcome too.
Your own firm. Your own terms.
You don’t have to plan alone
The hardest part is having no one to talk to. Here you’re among lawyers in the same boat.
Control your own destiny
A solo or boutique practice means your clients, your hours, your pricing, and your name on the door.
AI changes the math
AI now handles work that used to need extra staff, so a small firm can start lean.
BigLaw taught you how to practice. We’ll help you build the firm.
Apply to join the cohort →Private application. Personal email welcome. We never contact your employer.
“Going solo saved me.”
I remember the day I got laid off from my BigLaw job. We had an entire upper floor of the Wachovia tower in Charlotte, but most of the offices were vacant. The economy was in meltdown from the credit crisis of 2008. Eventually we all got laid off. No one was surprised.
Walking down the street that sunny afternoon, I felt a little nervous, but mostly relieved. I was free. Hanging a shingle came next, and I never looked back.
BigLaw gave me training I still use every day. What it didn’t give me was a plan for running my own firm. That’s what this cohort is for.
John O’Connor · President, Solo Practice University
From the numbers to your first client.
These are the conversations that come up. The group sets the pace.
Timing your move
When to go, and how to make the decision with real numbers.
Leaving the right way
Notice, partnership agreements, and client communication, done properly.
Your first-year budget
What it really costs, and how long your runway needs to be.
Pricing your work
Flat fees, value pricing, and life without a billing department.
Your tech and AI stack
The tools a modern firm needs on day one, and what to skip.
Your first 10 clients
Where they come from, including from your BigLaw network.
Cohort discussions are educational, not legal advice. For your specific obligations, talk to your own counsel.
Four steps to your group.
Apply
A short, private application. Personal email welcome.
Get vetted
We verify you’re a practicing lawyer.
Get matched
We place you in a private group. Never with someone from your firm.
Join the conversation
A members-only chat, moderated by John O’Connor, open whenever you need it.
What lawyers ask before applying.
Will anyone at my firm find out?
We never contact your employer. Apply with a personal email and use a personal device, never your firm’s. Pseudonyms are welcome and there are no public profiles. Every member signs a confidentiality pledge, and breaking it means removal.
Could a colleague end up in my group?
No. We never place you in a group with someone from your firm.
How do you verify members?
Every application is reviewed privately, and we verify that you’re a practicing lawyer before you join. The cohort is for verified practicing lawyers only.
What does it cost?
$695 to join your cohort, then standard SPU membership. Applying is free, you pay only after you’re accepted, and there’s a 30-day full refund.
What if I decide to stay?
Some members decide to stay. That’s a good outcome too.
How active is the group, and who moderates it?
It’s a members-only chat, moderated by John O’Connor, open whenever you need it. The group sets the pace.
One fee to join. Then standard membership.
You pay only after you’re accepted. Applying is free.
- Then SPU membership
- 30-day full refund
- You pay only after you’re accepted. Applying is free.
Private application. Personal email welcome. We never contact your employer.