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what law for solo if no experience?
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Date: March 26th, 2017 9:44 PM Author: narrow-minded excitant parlour i actually do have like 7 years of experience. but it's in securities and fcpa. there's 0 demand for that in the particular part of middle america i'm stuck in for the foreseeable future. i have no connections here- legal or otherwise. i'm in a medium-ish city (700k) with not a ton of lawyers, but depressed economy and billing rates. i'm good with clients. and in the courtroom (though limited experience here) but despise that self-selling shit.
seems unlikely i could just waltz in and get business clients. would rather not get malpractice pwned or screw someone's life. but for various reasons, solo is my only option.
help please. i think i can get the effective website/content/social media presence thing down. but there are a million advertising options, and i'm guessing 999,990 are terrible options. should i just throw a dart at a board of specialties and claim one instead of advertising more general anything/everything? if a specialty- which one? business? t&e? crim? basic ip? basically all i've eliminated is immigration, because i've heard it's actually crazy complex, and hard to get paid for.
how do i find people to give me work/hold my hand for a case or two to make sure i'm not fucking up?
tyia. |
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Date: March 26th, 2017 10:00 PM Author: Dark ungodly fortuitous meteor I'm a graduate of a T14 on the coasts, who also landed in middle America, in a metro area of about 600,000. After 3 years at a regional firm (450 lawyers) I had to go solo. I'm 8 years into my solo practice at this point. To succeed as a solo with weak or no ties to an area, you may need to start by taking whatever comes in, and learn how to do the work. After a while you will see what kind of connections you develop, and you can narrow your focus. I practiced in commercial real estate for 3 years at the big firm, but I found that there was very little commercial real estate work that trickled down to small firms. I did some work for residential title companies, evictions, property tax appeals, etc. and also took related work like estate planning, probate, etc. I started developing clients who owned small retail businesses (gas stations, restaurants, etc.), and this got me back into the commercial real estate sphere. I have never advertised, and I don't know any small firm attorneys who do, except the ones who only do a very narrow type of work. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#32924923) |
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Date: March 26th, 2017 10:15 PM Author: narrow-minded excitant parlour thanks, this is helpful.
how did you do it with zero advertising though? did you build up some connections in the regional law firm first? i wasn't thinking, like tv and radio ads. more like having a strong website with some content, and an optimized seo search. *maybe* facebook or google ads if they wouldn't bankrupt me.
also, i was planning to join the bar, go to all the events and also join the chamber of commerce/whatever other nonsense, until i see if any of those are effective. i'm a pretty good public speaker. so it'd be nice to be able to give free "this is how you solve some problem" speeches to groups. but i'd have to figure out stuff first.
do you mind my asking how long it took you to build up a practice? i don't have a huge window to flounder here. i can make no money for one year, or not much money for two. but median solo attorney salaries (of those who reported) are around 80k here. if i'm not making at least that after two years, i'm in trouble. |
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Date: March 26th, 2017 11:40 PM Author: pale anal piazza nowag if you're practicing consumer law, website is tcr, but it takes about a year before it starts working. also it needs to look good. it doesn't have to be expensive though, i saw an attorney's website the other day running on a Wix template that looked great.
some of the directories can get you some business, like justia and even avvo. it's hit or miss, but worth at least the effort of getting a listing in all of them. depending on the practice area, yelp too, if you get reviews. don't pay any of these places money for advertising though, beyond the one-time fee some charge for a directory listing.
after you get your website up, submit it through this for local seo:
professional networking groups can be very good. it takes at least 6 months of actively getting your name out there, but business will eventually start to come in. networking with attorneys in other practice areas will lead to business. you can also sometimes get attorneys in your practice area that will give you smaller matters they don't want to deal with.
you also need to get your own network of professionals, because when you start to get clients and referrals, they're going to ask you for shit you don't do. you should be able to refer them to other attorneys, or accountants, or realtors or whatever they are asking for. give referrals out freely and abundantly, if you can.
they're lower margin, but to get business in the door in the beginning you can also sign up to be a provider for prepaid legal plans like Hyatt.
if considering PI you should read every thread by the poaster calishitlawguru. |
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Date: March 26th, 2017 11:48 PM Author: Dark ungodly fortuitous meteor I have never networked with other lawyers. I spend my time going to meet clients in their place of business. Small business owners are great sources of work. Also, when you are there, you will meet their business associates and employees. Their employees will hire you for divorces, expungements, traffic tickets. The owners will hire you for business deals. If you have clients come to your office you are throwing away a networking opportunity in many cases. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#32925876) |
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Date: March 26th, 2017 11:50 PM Author: pale anal piazza nowag explain how that is not solicitation? or do you mean for existing clients, you go to their offices and get work from the people you bump into there? then you have a chicken and egg problem though. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#32925896) |
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Date: March 26th, 2017 11:51 PM Author: Blue corn cake if you're worried about shit like violating solicitation rules it's probably gonna be real tough for you to make it as a solo ITE (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#32925908) |
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Date: March 27th, 2017 12:01 AM Author: Beta histrionic crackhouse associate CR (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#32925956) |
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Date: March 26th, 2017 11:55 PM Author: Dark ungodly fortuitous meteor I don't go to random businesses and introduce myself, I go to an existing client meeting at the client's business. While I'm there I get introduced to other folks and tell them what I do. That's not solicitation. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#32925928) |
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Date: March 27th, 2017 12:02 AM Author: pale anal piazza nowag got it. no, it's not. smart. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#32925961) |
Date: March 26th, 2017 10:18 PM Author: Multi-colored round eye library Anyone can do PI. Anyone. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#32925112) |
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Date: March 26th, 2017 10:28 PM Author: narrow-minded excitant parlour yeah, but i've heard contingency cases until you're established is a bad idea. can't pi be expensive? or is that just med mal? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#32925232) |
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Date: March 26th, 2017 10:30 PM Author: Multi-colored round eye library PI can certainly be expensive if you go to trial. I would never touch a med mal plaintiff case (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#32925251) |
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Date: March 26th, 2017 10:42 PM Author: narrow-minded excitant parlour thanks. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#32925344) |
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Date: March 26th, 2017 10:50 PM Author: black razzle-dazzle tanning salon karate The run of the mill PI shit doesn't require any experts. You're basically just acting like an adjuster for a client (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#32925389) |
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Date: March 26th, 2017 10:57 PM Author: Multi-colored round eye library This is very true. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#32925454) |
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Date: March 26th, 2017 10:43 PM Author: Marvelous kitty real estate closings (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#32925346) |
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Date: March 26th, 2017 10:44 PM Author: Blue corn cake easy to learn those? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#32925350) |
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Date: March 26th, 2017 10:56 PM Author: narrow-minded excitant parlour i've thought of this. is there any benefit to my becoming a licensed real estate broker in nyc? i mean, i could waive in or whatever, and then, by reciprocity, have that qual here. but it does cost- i think like $500. if it'd help with knowing how to do these things, or having more cred though, maybe i should? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#32925443) |
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Date: March 26th, 2017 11:13 PM Author: Arousing Crawly Box Office Some states let you be the attorney and broker. NY prohibitsvit for ethical reasons. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#32925590) |
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Date: March 26th, 2017 11:50 PM Author: pale anal piazza nowag not if you're west of the rockies (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#32925900) |
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Date: March 26th, 2017 11:51 PM Author: diverse space ? y ? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#32925905) |
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Date: March 26th, 2017 11:52 PM Author: pale anal piazza nowag lawyers aren't used for real estate closings in the west (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#32925910) |
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Date: March 26th, 2017 11:52 PM Author: salmon trailer park nibblets Criminal or PI
This is what all the straight out of ls lawyers I know did |
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Date: March 26th, 2017 11:54 PM Author: Blue corn cake how did they land PI clients with 0 experience? every single market is already saturated with them (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#32925921) |
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Date: November 20th, 2018 10:39 PM Author: cream razzle theatre messiness All of the young PI lawyers I know do criminal as welll. Get a few contract cases, do well, and they start building clients through word of mouth from their criminal client to all his friends. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#37274301) |
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Date: November 20th, 2018 9:36 PM Author: harsh cruise ship how is op doing? well i hoap (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#37273894) |
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Date: November 20th, 2018 9:37 PM Author: internet-worthy school Crim def (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#37273903) |
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Date: November 20th, 2018 9:49 PM Author: harsh cruise ship how 2 learn / find clients (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#37273984) |
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Date: November 20th, 2018 10:29 PM Author: internet-worthy school I guess it helps to have been a public defender. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#37274231) |
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Date: November 20th, 2018 10:02 PM Author: Contagious hospital old irish cottage It would prob. help if lolschools taught their students how to practice law but that would make too much sense. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#37274058) |
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Date: November 20th, 2018 10:37 PM Author: Hairraiser locale double fault titmfcr. i was able to breeze through law school via writing and logic, but learned jack shit about actually practicing law. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#37274288) |
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Date: November 21st, 2018 12:23 AM Author: Contagious hospital old irish cottage Failing that, the local/state bar ass'n should presumably have some kind of system to help new lawyers get set up. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3565198&forum_id=2#37274905) |