Solo In Chicago…Grow Your Practice!

The Practice alerted me to this Website. It’s a free sign-up for lawyers. It looks like part list serv and part q/a with potential clients. I’m joining. I’d think it would be particularly helpful for those of you with fairly national or international practices.

Here is Carolyn Elefant’s post over at My Shingle regarding her efforts to start a Solo and Small Firm Energy Network. I believe her law practice focuses a good bit on federal regulatory matters in the energy law field.

One of my big goals for ’07 is similar to this but more along the lines of creating a closely knit group of small firm and solos to create a “firm” without a firm. In other words, have a very formal network of lawyers in different practice areas where in-house referrals are made and direct support is given. The idea hasn’t totally come to fruition, but essentially I want to stop the random referral searches for a lawyer when our clients need something outside my specialty areas. Rather, I want to be able to serve that client through this “firm.”

Care to join me?

Well, since we know the IL Supremes are inching closer and closer to requiring us to fulfill “X” numbers of pro bono hours, I took on a pro bono client yesterday (Did you report your hours on your ARDC renewal?). Admittedly I’m required to fulfill a pro bono obligation I’ve made to the Alliance Defense Fund as well.

But shouldn’t you nearly always have a pro bono case going too? Why?

1. Learn a practice area that can become a “billable” practice area. My experience has been that many of the legal service providers have very good mentor networks to access and I think the mentors are a bit more willing help on pro bono matters.

2. They produce fee-generating cases. This could be true at many levels…everyone has a network of people they know, right? I think some discernment is wise. Importantly, I’ve found many of the pro bono providers for seniors are particularly effective. Because, although a typical retiree many have a fairly low income, they’re often asset rich and thus may have additional paid legal needs and/or be more apt to have family/friends for whom private counsel is appropriate.