Aspiring Solo (the bar exam and eventual-solo-practice blog)

Aspiring Solo's Second Annual List of Legal Temp Agencies Serving the Washington DC area

2009-06-25T16:18:00.006-04:00

Second Annual List of Legal Temp Agencies, June 2009

It's that time of year again. I have compiled a list of legal temp agencies serving the Washington D.C. metro area. I came up with a total of 42.

If I left any out or if any of the information is incorrect is any way, then please let me know. You can reach me through the Email Me! link that is located in the left-hand margin of this page.

I eliminated a couple of agencies because they no longer exist and I added a couple of new ones. A new temporary placement agency pops up from time to time on the Posse List or Craig's List. I've tried to keep up. When I go to investigate, I sometimes discover the agency is not exactly a legal temporary placement agency. They just happened to have a client with a project of interest to the legal temp community.

I focused mostly on those agencies that offer temporary placements. I put the best contact information for each agency, which I felt was probably email or fax. If the agency did not provide that information, you will find a phone number or instructions to go to that agency's website to fill out an on-line form. Everyone does business different.

This list is the property of the Aspiring Solo blog. Please do not reproduce it without the permission of the owner and without properly crediting the source.

This List of Temp Agencies will also be converted into a Google Doc and a link can be found on the left-hand margin of this page.

Here is the list:

Ajilon Legal, also known as StaffWise, 1150 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 707, Washington, D.C. 20036, contact: washingtondc@ajilonlegal.com

Aldan Troy Group, 1634 I Street, NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC, 20006, Submit resume using online form.

Assigned Counsel, 6701 Democracy Blvd., Suite 300, Bethesda, MD, 20817, submit resume through online form or send to info@assignedcounsel.com

BCG Search, 1050 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20036, jobs@bcgsearch.com, permanent placements only.

Beacon Hills Group, 1120 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 461, Washington, DC, 20036., contact: washingtondc@beaconhillsg.com

Blackletter Discovery (BLD), 1025 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC, 20036, contact: dc@blackletterdiscovery.com

Cambridge Professional Group, 7475 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1150, Bethesda, MD, 20814, Contact: sstone@cambridgepg.com

Clutch Legal, 910 17th Street, NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC, 20006, contact: clutchinfo@clutchgroup.com

Compliance Inc., 1660 L Street, NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC, 20036, apply online or call 703-276-9357.
Continuum Legal, 1651 Old Meadow Road, McLean, VA, 22102, contact: info@continuumlegal.com or fax (703) 734-8839.

Delta Group, 1101 17th Street, NW, Suite 1006, Washington, DC, 20036, Contact: Fax: 202-659-5250 or fill out online form.

De Novo Legal, 1420 K Street, 11th Floor, Washington, D.C., 20005, contact: dcresumes@denovolegal.com or fill out online form.

Elaine P. Dine, 115 East 57th Street, New York, New York 10022. Now doing DC temporary attorney placements. Contact: info@thedinegroup.com.

Firm Advice, 1746 N Street, NW, Washington DC 20036. Contact: mlegg@firmadvice.com or recruiter@firmadvice.com.

Global Diversity Consulting Group, 444 North Capitol Street, N.W., Suite 841, Washington, DC, 20001. Contact: resumes@gdiversity.com.

Hands-On Legal, 1025 Connecticut Ave., NW, 10th Floor, Suite 1000, Washington, DC, 20036, contact: dwlawler@handsonlegal.com

Hire Counsel, 1725 I Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20006, DC@hirecounsel.com

Hudson Legal, 1111 19th Street, NW, Suite 620, Washington, DC, 20036, contact: DClegalrecruiters@hudson.com

JuriStaff 1875 I Street, NW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC, 20006, submit resume online or fax: 877-751-9388.

Kelly Law 1825 K Street, NW, NW, Suite 1010, Washington, DC, 20006, contact: 19W1@kellyservices.com

Law Firm Staff, 1875 I Street, NW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20006, contact: apply online or jobs@lawfirmstaff.com

Law Resources, 1140 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 675 Washington, DC, 20036, apply@lawresources.com

Legal eStaffing, 370 Maple Avenue West, Vienna, VA, 22180. Contact: Fax: (703) 319-1400.

Legal Placements, 1300 I Street, NW, Suite 750 West, Washington, DC, 20005, contact: apply online or dcoffice@legalplacements.com

Legal Source, 1625 Eye Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC, 20006, contact: info@legalsource.com

Leverage Legal , 8300 Greensboro Drive, Suite 800, Mclean, VA 22102, Apply Online

Lexolution, 1776 I Street, NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC, 20006, contact: infodc@lexolution.net

Lumen Legal, Contact: jobs@lumenlegal.com

Mergis Group (formerly Spherion), 1730 M Street, NW, Suite 401, Washington, DC, 20036. Contact: KatherineHatcher-Standley@mergisgroup.com.

National Associates, Inc., 1130 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 530, Washington, D.C., contact: fax: (202) 296-7558

Oxford Legal, 1875 Eye Street, NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC, 20006. Contact: rks@oxfordlegal.com.

Palmer Legal, 1211 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 302, Washington, DC, Fax: 202-464-1001, individual contact info on website

Pat Taylor & Associates, 1101 17th Street, NW, Suite 707, Washington, DC, 20036, contact: susan@pattaylor.com.

Phase Legal, 1701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC, 20006, contact: info@phaselegal.com

Providus Group, 1130 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 710, Washington, DC, 20036. Contact: dcresumes@providusgroup.com.

Proxy Personnel, 1100 H Street, NW, Suite 260, Washington, DC, 20005, Contact: apply online or Fax: 202-639-9630.

Rhodes & Weinstock, LLC, 1701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC, 20006. Contact: info@r-wgroup.com.

Solon Legal Group, 1919 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 760, Washington, DC, 20006. Contact: russ@solonlegal.com or Fax: 202-280-1485.

Solomon Page, 1200 G Street, NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC, 20005, Contact: site@solomonpage.com

Special Counsel, 1920 L Street, NW, Suite 550, Washington, DC 20036, contact: dc@specialcounsel.com

Tower Legal Staffing, 700 12th Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20005, contact TowerDC@Towerls.com

Update Legal, 1150 17th Street, NW, Suite 302, Washington, DC, 20036, washdc@updatelegal.com

New Resource for Advice and Tips on Interviewing for a Legal Job

2009-05-29T08:50:00.004-04:00

I added a link to the left-hand margin of this blog, under Links of Interest: "The Ultimate Guide for Law Job Interviews: 100 Essential Tools and Resources." I thought Aspiring Solo blog readers would find this to be a useful resource. It seems quite comprehensive.

Guest Blog: Another Aspiring Solo Paves His Way

2009-05-13T20:18:00.003-04:00

On April 1 of this year, I hung out my own shingle here in Chicago. It's been a month and a half and I'm doing okay: I have clients, I'm paying all my bills, and things are essentially under control. Most solos I know have not had this experience. I would say that the reason my start has been so smooth is that I planned for it for over a year.

When I realized I wanted to go solo, I immediately created a googledoc (an online document where I can jot down anything at anytime). A year later when I was gearing up for going solo I reviewed that document and it was pages and pages long. Lots of the ideas weresilly and naive but some of them were really great and I had totally forgotten about them. I immediately implemented a lot of those ideas and found almost immediate success. I was so glad that I had writtendown everything that might help me.

So, I would say the second step after dreaming of going solo is to write those dreams down...to the last detail. It doesn't matter if they're silly or impractical, you'll sort all that stuff out later.

******
Russell Knight is a solo practitioner in Chicago. His two websites are www.rdklegal.com and http://www.abogadodechicago.com/.

My Thought on Document Review, Precisely

2009-05-07T20:45:00.004-04:00

Special Gift for Aspiring Solo blog readers from Jay Foonberg, author of How to Start and Build a Solo Practice

2009-04-26T16:16:00.005-04:00

I was delighted to receive an email recently from Jay Foonberg, whom some of you may know as the author of How to Start and Build A Law Practice (now in its Fifth edition). His book is considered the solo practioner's manual - a must-have for new solos. Mr. Foonberg is offering a special through the Aspiring Solo blog for those of you interested in purchasing individual chapters from his book.

First, you must send an email to his manager, Yolanda, at yolanda@foonberg.com and let her know that you wish to purchase chapters through the special offer at the Aspiring Solo blog. She will send you a special code, which you will use at the online checkout after you have selected which chapters you would like to purchase. You purchase the chapters at http://www.foonberglaw.com/. Just follow the instructions for purchase and it will all be self-explanatory.

I personally own the book, have read about half of it, and I can testify to you that it is chock full of useful information, ideas and inspiration.

Happy Reading!!!!

Lawyering and Activism: A Partnership

2009-04-11T12:25:00.003-04:00

I have been an advocate for bring activism into the law since my own activist days as an undergrad. In law school, I enjoyed attending meetings of the National Lawyers Guild. As a lawyer, I attend trainings for lawyers that teach advocacy for victimized or underrepresented persons.

So when I came across this article involving a law school student who took on a pro bono case involving a woman unfairly jailed for 29 years because she happened to be waiting in the get-away car while her husband and brother robbed a liquor store and killed the owner, I felt it pertinent to share the story with readers of this blog. I am also in favor of a client-centered approach to lawyering, and as struggling solo practioners, it would help us to pay attention to activist lawyers. From what better platform could a lawyer feel empowered to combine law, activism and client advocacy than as a solo practioner?

Adam Reich, the law student representing the woman, is quoted as saying that his work on this case has taught him "that advocacy must extend beyond the courtroom." To read more about Reich's creative lawyering, see the full article here.

Weighing Options

2009-04-08T20:42:00.004-04:00

I had the pleasure last week to hear Carolyn Elefant, creator of www.myshingle.com and author of Solo By Choice, speak at AU Law School. She made numerous helpful points on starting a practice, including the notion that one can start a solo practice and look for a job at the same time, and in fact the former can be an asset to the latter because it shows a self-starter, can-do attitude. Ms. Elefant was also inspirational. She assured us that we already have the skills to practice law and what we don't know can be learned. Moreover, it is less expensive to get started in solo practice than many think.

So recently, I hired a Life Coach. She seems to think I need to chose between focusing my attention on finding a job or focus my energy on going solo. I told her that I am torn on this. It would be wonderful to get a real job. The benefits are that I would be consistently practicing law everyday, I wouldn't have to go out and get clients, I'd have a steady paycheck, and I'd have others around me who can check my work.

"That's a lot of benefits," said my life coach.

"But I always wanted the freedom of going solo," I argued.

"Keep in mind," said my life coach. "This is not permanent. You said yourself you would only want to work for someone else for a year or two, with the goal of going solo. You don't have to give up your dream. This is temporary."

When you think about it, if I can do document review for 5 years than I should easily be able to work in my field for much less than that. Furthermore, with the economy being sluggish and jobs scarce, I could put a timeline on my job search. If I don't get a job by X date, I will re-focus my energy on solo practice. I have only 3-4 weeks left on my current document review project, and I told my Life Coach that I need her to hold me accountable to making the transition out of document review and on to the practice of law. We'll see how it works out.

Stay tuned readers for the Aspiring Solo's Second Annual List of Legal Temp Agencies serving the Washington DC metro area. I'll try to post this in the next week or two.

Guest Post: Virtual Paralegals

2009-03-16T19:42:00.001-04:00

Thinking of going Solo? Learn how to reduce overhead costs by 85%. The recession has affected every industry including legal. Law firms have been laying off attorneys in record numbers leaving lawyers scrabbling to find work. Some are working temporary positions, working as paralegals and others are considering going solo. Attorneys who consider going solo are hesitant due to the start up and overhead costs of starting a law firm.

These attorneys may want to consider hiring a virtual paralegal. A Virtual Paralegal is a paralegal who is independently contracted by a lawyer or law firm to provide paralegal support services on an as needed basis with such services being supplied with the use of technology such as the internet, e-mail, fax and remote access systems (to name a few).

Virtual paralegals reduce the cost of overhead for lawyers and small businesses as there is no need for: training, employee insurance, benefits, superannuation, workers compensation, taxation, sick leave, personal leave, holiday leave, maternity leave, parental leave, coffee breaks or any other cost which is incurred with employing staff full-time or part-time.

With engaging the services of a virtual paralegal, you only pay for the time it takes to complete a task or specified assignment. A virtual paralegal can offer a very affordable alternative to the standard onsite employee and result in increased billable hours for lawyers. Virtual Paralegals have their own equipment which includes their own computer, internet connection, fax, dedicated telephone lines, printers, software and hardware to undertake their clients’ assignments.

Using a virtual paralegal is an economical way to keep your legal budget under control. If you want to learn more about virtual paralegals or virtual assistants visit:

CD&C Virtual Outsource Paralegal, http://www.virtualoutsourceparalegal, The International Virtual Assistants Association (IVAA), http://www.ivaa.org/ and Virtual Assistant Networking Association, http://www.vanetworking.com/.

Survey on Law Firms and Marketing

2009-03-06T20:57:00.003-05:00

I received an email requesting that I post a link to a survey about law firms and marketing on this blog. I took the survey myself. Here's the link:

http://rainmaker.questionpro.com/

Haven't Lost Hope

2009-02-10T19:29:00.005-05:00

Sorry for the delay in posting. I am alive and hanging in there. I haven't lost hope. I'm still doing document review in Washington D.C. to keep the bank account sustained (noticed how I didn't say flowing). I watched the inauguration on TV and stayed out of that crowd. My significant other has a busted ankle and I am the caretaker. I have a credit card bill that doesn't want to get paid off. Inbetween projects, I watch the Food Network addictively. I decided that the meaning of life is the Food Network, recipes and cooking. I attend AILA events to try and keep on top of immigration law. That's my life.

I admit I have been entertaining recently the prospect of obtaining a job in the field of immigration law. This is so I can actually practice the stuff everyday and get on top of the law. Then I can use this expertise to launch a solo practice. The problem is the economy and the recession and the fact that any jobs posted on Craig's List receive about 100+ replies. The chances of my getting called for an interview are slim, especially without experience or proficiency in Espanol. (Yes I have Rosetta Stone. But gaining proficiency in a new language takes time, ok?).

I started reading Eat, Love, Pray, a New York Times bestseller written by a woman who tossed a husband and the prospect of babies out the door when she realized that despite the fact that this is what she is supposed to want, she in fact did not want that life. She embarked on a journey to India, Italy and Indonesia. The writing is entertaining and I recommend it. I usually read non-fiction. This justifies the fact that I tend to read half of a book and then put it aside.

The Aspiring Solo is considering hiring a Life Coach, so she can, well, get her Life together. The way I see it, my career is a mess. I did not expect to be 33 and a temp, specifically, a 33-year old who had not yet gotten the chance to have a career and who is doing document review. The good news about document review is that we tend to get to know one another and sometimes keep in touch. Or we "meet up again" on subsequent projects. We are a community in and of ourselves. We learn of each other's marriages and births. Each of us has a story as to how we wound up on document review. Some of the stories make sense and lack shamefulness. Plus there are no office politics to get caught up in, thus many of us actually act like adults. We are the self-employed, to a certain extent, and have the potential to hold some clout. We are loyal to ourselves and welcome friendship from each other, something employers fear. We are ripe for unionization. If it weren't for apathy and outsourcing to India, we could be a serious group of contenders.

Next time I will have made progress and I will report on that. Until then I am happy sipping wine in front of my computer and staying on top of immigration law.

Guest Blogger James Tai

2008-12-02T21:32:00.000-05:00

From time to time, the Aspiring Solo blog will feature guest bloggers. Below is a post from James Tai, a solo practioner from Florida. I asked him to write about his trials and tribulations as a solo attorney and how he resolved them. I think it's important for us to share with one another the nuts and bolts of building a solo practice.

Doing It All

In my experience, the hardest part of going solo, is having to do everything myself (I am actually in a 2 attorney partnership, but we do not currently have any staff). In the past, I have worked for a number of firms ranging from medium in size to solos. Even in the solo firm that I worked for, there was at least a secretary. In past experiences, there was always staff available to do specific tasks (i.e. mailings, filing, making appointments, calendaring and other clerical work). Tasks such as billing, account, and other money related tasks were also delegated to other people.

Now, I am learning to do all these things myself. Although they do not seem too difficult at first, they can often be extremely frustrating. I think my worst pet peeve is having printing envelops. Every time I try to print one envelop, I waste 4, because I can not ever remember which way I’m suppose to put it in the printer. I often think that I spend more time fussing over the printer than I do actual legal work.

The other thing that takes way too much of my time is billing and accounting. While most attorneys complain about billing, it really hits home when you are going at it yourself. Having not only to enter your time, but to prepare invoices, can take up most of a day. Accounting for expenses and accounts receivable can be just as tedious and time consuming. This is compounded by the fact that good billing and accounting software is priced for “rich” lawyers.

Filing should be such a simple task, yet it is difficult. This revelation was an especially a surprise to me, since I spent an entire year working as a “file clerk” for a large firm. Having to keep the file up to date just seems like an endless task. While I have attempted to limit the amount of actual paper that I use, organizing the file in digital format presents its own challenges.

Although I look forward to the day when I will not have to perform all these tasks myself, I am glad that I am actually learning how to do all these things myself. This experience will definitely help me better manage and supervise my future staff. Surely, it will also make me appreciate them that much more.

James C. Tai, Esq.
jtai@hortai.com
Hor & Tai, PLLC
www.hortai.com

Profile
James is a Florida attorney who recently opened his own firm. He specializes in small business representation, and real estate matters. He is the author of http://floridasmallbusinesslawyer.blogspot.com and http://floridalandlordtenantlawyer.blogspot.com

The Makings of an Immigration Practice

2008-11-30T13:56:00.000-05:00

I have been making progress toward acheiving my goal of going solo.

There is a wealth of information out there, you just have to reach out and grab it. Once you decide you want to go solo, there are numerous resources at your fingertips on the internet, through books, bar events, etc. For example, the DC bar recently had a FREE event called Basic Skills for Solos that attracted a small but vibrant group. Each participant received a spiral bound book of information covering the major areas entailed in going solo: marketing, finance and budgeting, writing a business plan, etc. I have been working on a business plan for a long time so I was able to add to my plan from those materials.

Sometimes there is too much information out there. At some point an aspiring solo must take the plunge and reach a decision and then just do it. For example, there are numerous law firm accounting and case management software out there to chose from. So how to chose? I think I am decided on case management software -- INSZoom. That seems to be the most oft-referenced software by immigration solo practioners. As for accounting software, I am still not sure. I will look into QuickBooks.

Preparing to go solo is a tremendous amount of work from multi-angles. I am studying immgration law, period. I study it through books. I study it through some online resources. I study it through AILA events. I study it while conversing with immigration attorneys. I have pages of handwritten notes about all kinds of aspects of immigration law that I have picked up from a number of places. I started a document called Practice Tips to keep this type of information organized. I find that I am tabbing numerous books that I plan to use as references. I tab it so I am able to locate certain information more quickly. I cross - reference what my immgration textbook says about a certain type of visa with what another resource says about that visa. I find out what forms are involved. I check the CIS website, the State Department website, and the website of the consulate for the country involved. I ordered the Immigratice Practice Toolkit through AILA, which has yet to arrive. I ordered this on the advice of an immigration solo attorney with whom I met for coffee last week. I started to create forms for my practice -- a retainer agreement, a fee chart, and a confidentiality agreement.

Money is a concern. Preparing to become a solo is a race with the clock, or better, a race with one's bank account. It is simply a balancing act. If I cannot get my practice established and running before my funds run too low, then I will be forced to accept a temp gig. If I do this, my solo practice will go by the wayside. I have no answer other than to keep my eyes on the prize and stay disciplined. My career is in my hands. Sometimes I panic and I think I am just not ready to do this. I simply wish that I had a job offer doing immigration law as an associate or staff attorney in a law firm or non-profit. I do plan to volunteer whenever I can, but the income factor is just reality. The truth is that no one wants to train you while they are paying you. So if you have no experience and you do not speak Spanish on top of that, you are not much help.

There is a long road ahead. When you go solo, find other attorneys who are willing to enter mentoring agreements with you. This is where you have a fee-sharing agreement with a more experienced attorney and you share the fee in proportion to the work performed. You will find a more experienced attorney who is willing to do this if you ask around. Chose this person wisely, though, you want to team up with an attorney who you get along with and trust. Well this is where I am nowadays. I will try and post an update periodically. I want others to benefit from my journey, so I will let you know how I am preparing to go solo along the way.

Happy Holidays!

Virginia Bar Results

2008-10-19T20:24:00.000-04:00

I passed the Virginia Bar Exam. I think I am just now recovering from the shock. That was one of the hardest administrations of any bar I've ever taken. I walked out of the exam and forgot about it because I've never seen such a hard exam. The turn around time for the swearing in ceremony is very short. It is next week. I'm not sure how it affects my career plans since I want to practice immigration law. Now I will be able to help people with multiple legal issues. Wow, this was a surprise. My project is winding down, too. I want to go solo instead of stay on document review. The problem is that I did not save up enough money to accomplish that goal. I am still aspiring to go solo, though. I haven't lost sight of that dream.....

Document Review & My Update

2008-10-08T20:25:00.002-04:00

I will try not to complain about document review. I was going to write about how document review (code word for attorney temp work) is pure brain drain. But I think we already know this. Document review involves sifting through documents and looking for key words or issues that are responsive to a discovery request. It is relatively easy but very boring. We do not go to law school to do document review. Not at all. Since this is well known among lawyers, I wish to mention the benefits of document review.

Document review pays well. The current rate is probably around $35 per hour, give or take. The work is easy and stress free. The hours are flexible. There is free coffee. Occasionally, if you are out in a suburban law firm location, there could be free parking. Some projects provide meals and/or cab vouchers if one works beyond a certain hour. There is even some room for advancement. One could become a salaried staff attorney with benefits and rise to the level of reviewing the work of the contract attorneys or making final privilege calls. One could manage one's own document review project as, say, a senior staff attorney. This person would work closely with the partners to determine the project's discovery needs relating to the document review and serve as the point of contact with the temp agencies. This upper-level of the document review world falls under the heading of Litigation Support. Depending on your city and the size of the firm, these positions often pay well. But interesting or challenging they are not. Another benefit of document review: if you speak a language other than English, you may qualify for a foreign language document review and earn more per hour than just with an English document review project. Maybe $45 per hour or higher.

These are the benefits. If you want to hear the negatives, or for a "critical expose" of the document review world, visit Tom the Temp.

I am on a project that is slated to go a couple more months. This is why I have been posting sporadically. I'm also taking two classes -- an Immigration course and a Tax course. I'm still working on a solo practice plan but I am also open to accepting a job offer so I can get some experience. We'll see. One thing that I keep promising myself -- this time is no different -- is that I cannot continue to waste time on document review. Saving is tough though with family expenses.

Oh and I'm reading a book about having a mid-life crisis at 30. The book is aimed at women though the title does not indicate such. The premise is that women's major life choices coalesce around age 30 unlike for our foremothers. The author's tap into the feminist movement and the issues and concerns of previous generations and where that has left the Gen X and Gen Y movements. The authors argue that Having It All should be replaced with Having Enough. In other words, these authors are basically imploring women to calm the heck down. It will all happen in due time, really. And if it doesn't -- eh, so what.

Last, I'm experimenting with veganism. I'm doing this mostly for health reasons. It is really hard to eliminate all that stuff from your diet. I'll let you know how that goes. Stay well friends!

Practicing Attorney Survey

2008-09-13T17:39:00.000-04:00

If you have often felt a desire to help other up-and-coming attorneys, now is your chance! I created a Practicing Attorney Survey designed to gauge the perspective of associates and solo practioners who are engaged in the practice of law. If I receive enough responses, I will post the information here on my blog (sans any personal information).

You can find the link to the survey here or in the left-hand column of this blog. Feel free to forward the link to any attorneys who you think would be willing to support a good cause, namely, the professional development of new attorneys. Thanks for your participation!

Book Review: Rain Making 2nd Edition by Ford Harding

2008-09-05T22:56:00.004-04:00

Rain Making--2nd Edition, by Ford Harding, arrived on my desk at a perfect time. I am developing a business and marketing plan for my own practice. It is chock-full of useful revenue-raising marketing tips. As I read through each chapter, I became motivated and inspired to get out there and market my own practice.

Harding describes selling, a.k.a rainmaking, as integral to all professions. To truly succeed in business, one must sell and bring in new business. Law firms are one such environment where selling occurs. The author outlines selling techniques and strategies throughout the book and argues that they apply across professions. Variables include industry peculiarities, geography and individual strengths.

To the extent the book is useful for lawyers… much advice applies to medium/large sized firms or law firms whose clients are other businesses. The book is less useful for solos whose clients are regular citizen-consumers.

The author’s chapters on article publishing, networking and developing leads were especially useful to me. Harding describes how to make full use of your contacts and how to give back to others as a way of expanding your network. He further dissects several industries to illustrate who the key players are.

Rain Making emphasizes the importance of patience in developing a lead. Not only can it take 20-30 tries to get a foot in the door, it can take years to turn a lead into a customer. The author takes his readers through the gamut of dealing with secretaries, making presentations (individually or as a team), follow-ups, sizing up the possibilities operating in most sales situations, and time cycles that occur in various industries.

The chapter on cold calls was not what I expected. I was ready to dismiss this chapter. The term “cold call” conjures up images of telemarketing. Here, cold calls are more like industry-relevant office visits. Harding gleams these visits like a veteran, describing the do’s and don’ts of such visits. Rain Making describes how to hold a conference or seminar (including how to structure it to hold an audience’s attention). The author advises incorporating media relations into your marketing strategy. Legal techies might be disappointed with the chapter on the internet – it is a helpful but sparse discussion on SEO and SEM.

The author, Ford Harding, speaks with authority (the book cover points out that his books are required reading for certification with the Society for Marketing Professionals). Though this is a business type book best used as a reference guide (and I tabbed it throughout for such purpose), I learned a lot from reading it from beginning to end.

Rainmaking is hard work and intimidating. Many people shy away, even run, from the tasks entailed in selling one’s services. Harding walks his readers through the practical, logistical and psychological. He addresses the shyness factor and how to overcome it using reason and common sense. Introverts can do it, too, argues Harding.

Half the battle, I think, is standing strong in the face of defeat or the prospect of defeat. I personally found some of the suggestions intimidating, but only because I am at the beginning of my career. Those of you who have developed proficiency in a single area will benefit from this book. Also standing to benefit, argues Harding, are those who excelled at marketing in their careers. I had a number of instances where I showed promise as a future marketer while still a teenager. There was the door-to-door sales job I had at age 17. Then there was the time I ran for a student body representative seat in college and devised several clever marketing strategies for my campaign (and I won in a close election).

Rain Making is indeed for those who aspire to be principals in their firms – not mere employees. Thus the book speaks to those readers who possess an entrepreneurial mindset. For example, there is a chapter on writing project proposals for clients and another chapter on “turning down small work.” Aspiring solo practioners often measure their firm’s success this way. Associates rarely have these opportunities in law firms.

A question entered my mind as I was finishing up the book. Is marketing intuitive? So much of the articles and books pertaining to marketing are essentially common sense. Yet my reading of Rain Making was helpful and thought-provoking. Perhaps there is a 50/50 split between intuitive and non-intuitive marketing. I have no idea how this book stacks up against the work of the self-proclaimed law marketing gurus such as Ed Poll or Ben Glass, but as a novice marketer myself, I got a lot of useful tips out of it!

Keeping My Eyes on the Prize (in more ways than one)

2008-08-29T19:45:00.002-04:00

Thankfully many of us have a 3-day weekend ahead of us. Time to relax, finally!

I am in the planning stages of preparing for my solo practice. Gee I have been in those planning stages for a while, eh? I make checklists and timelines. There are many interesting resources out there for solos. As members of the DC Bar, we have access to a suprisingly large amount of resources on the DC Bar website for solo practioners. I also called their Law Practice Management office this week and spoke to a helpful staff person who sent me an additional number of resources. There are quite a few solo publications out there in addition to the major ones (i.e. Foonberg, Flying Solo, etc).

This means shaving down my list of reading. I cannot read everything. To a certain extent I must learn by doing. My first major step involves writing my business plan. I already started it. It will include a Marketing plan and a Technology plan. I intend also to have others read it and offer me their candid advice.

In other news, the announcement today about McCain choosing a woman vice-presidential running mate threw me for a curve. He is clearly trying to woo the female voters who were so upset that Hilary lost they vowed to vote for McCain. He is further playing up to "impulse voters" by allowing us to believe that we will get our female president after all in the event he dies while in office. Since he is in his early 70's and of questionable health, this is a viable image for him to conjure up in the minds of voters. Personally, I am not falling for it. I was already going to vote for Obama, except now with even greater conviction. Progressive voters can spot a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Getting Organized Part I

2008-08-24T07:41:00.003-04:00

I have been reading a lot and going through my things. I got rid of the old to make way for the new. I re-arranged furniture. I have a lot more room now. Working everyday has kept me motivated to get even more things done. I have been inundated with household chores and improvements, and it's been fun. I am not a packrat, but I play one on TV. I hate to throw things out that I believe I might find useful one day. I keep old issues of law-related magazines that sparked my interest for reasons I cannot sometimes explain. I just went with my gut and held onto them because I felt they would be important to me one day. This is true in life, wouldn't you say? If something grabs your attention and sustains your interest and this happens sometimes for reasons you cannot explain, then you should take stock in what that may mean for you. This is maybe especially true for aspiring lawyer solos. The law is not cookie-cutter and there are too many variables, and much more so for those of us just starting out. We must pay attention to our intuition as to what motivates and sparks our passion.

I found a number of projects that would be ideal for a law clerk. But I don't have a law clerk, so I'll have to do it myself. Oh well. What do solo practioners do with their law school notes and materials? Do you just chuck them in the trash or organize them to serve as something like a legal encyclopedia for future reference? Feel free to send me your thoughts on this.

My To Do list is a mile long. I better go start checking things off.

Curious Minds

2008-08-12T18:45:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted in a while. I am back on my old document review project in downtown Washington, DC. It's going really well. The hours are reasonable and we get a lot of freedom. I am a member of the ABA's General Practice, Solo and Small Firm division and I recently started getting their publication again. I am surprising myself by how interested I am in the material. I am devouring each issue. The issue before last was devoted entirely to law firm technology. I read the magazine cover to cover. I thought it was especially helpful for busy solo or small practices and for attorneys who travel often, but the issue had something in it for everyone. There are articles on PDA's, security and backup (of which every attorney must be aware), laptops, software (including free online software). My favorite article covered the topic of information management, a topic for which I had been hoping to write an article. I think this is a huge issue for most people because many of us are bombarded with so much cyber-information. This includes emails, news aggregators through which we subscribe to our favorite websites and blogs, PDF files that we want to save, listservs, and so on. I for one am on information overload. You can read this issue of the magazine online.

The next issue is all about elder law, including articles that give an overview of Medicare and Medicaid, trusts and estates, and other issues that impact older adults. I am reading this voraciously as well.

I have not forgotten about my plans to establish a solo practice. This temporary project will last for another few months. In the meantime, I am working on all the back end research to start my practice and I plan to keep you updated as I make my way through the challenges and adventures on my way to self-employment in my chosen profession. I started a business plan and I have several solo practice books. Starting a new law practice does entail information overload because there are so many t's to cross and i's to dot. This includes everything from negotiating virtual law office space to devising a marketing plan to ensuring I have a support network in place when I need to bounce ideas off other attorneys.

I'll keep you posted.

Virginia Bar Breakdown

2008-07-31T07:56:00.001-04:00

Well, becoming a member of the Virginia bar was a nice thought.

The essay portion of the Virginia bar exam this week was one of the most difficult essay exams I have ever seen. I am already aware of an entire essay that I bombed and another essay for which I forgot to answer one of the four subparts. I just skipped it and went on to the next question. There went 2.5 points. As for the other essays, they were hard too. One or two was manageable.

When we got to the MBE the next day, I understood why. The MBE was one of the easiest ones I have seen in all my bar exam taking over the years. One half of it was medium level difficulty with lots of long property questions. The other half was just easy. I don't want to get too confident with that, since the MBE has always been my nemesis.

The way I have things calculated, I would have to get about a 160 scaled on the MBE to pass the Virginia bar exam. That is very unlikely.

Oh well, I gave it a shot. On to my next adventures in life. I hope the rest of you had good experiences with the exam! I'm going back to my temp gig on Monday.

Expectations about the Practice of Law

2008-07-23T13:25:00.001-04:00

Studying is going well, but I felt the urge to comment on what appears to me to be a quest on the part of some ex-lawyers to "out" current or aspiring attorneys as not really interested in the practice of law and lawyering.

I have heard all the arguments. There is a high defect rate. There are more than a few whispers about dissatisfaction in the legal profession. Many law graduates went to law school because of the prestige and not because they really wanted to be lawyers.

I went to law school knowing that I was not passionately in love with the law, but because I wanted to have a solid, profitable career for myself. I figured the need for lawyers is not going out of style anytime soon. I came to realize during and after law school that the practice of law is a trade, much like accounting or any other specialized field with its own language and concepts. So I went to law school to learn a trade. My expectations were not unrealistic when I entered law school. After law school I came to think about other careers in which I could have pursued an advanced degree that would have promised a comfortable income and solid career path. But the things that would have made me unhappy about those careers would make me unhappy about a legal career, so what's the difference? For example, long hours working for someone else and office politics. I always knew I wanted to be self-employed. Of course, I could have been self-employed in non-lawyer jobs too which for me would have been something related to Human Resources. But if I work with employment law matters, I will deal with human resource issues as part of my law practice, either in due course or as I intentionally incorporate them in. As for sustaining excitement or passion over a long period of time with ANY profession related to business (e.g. law, HR, etc), I had to pursue a solid income regardless. It was just too risky for me assume that I could build an income-sustaining career on, say, making crafts or karaoke or blogging, and certainly not a leap I would venture out on in my early 20's which is when many of us made the decision to go to law school. We all have hobbies that we find fun and interesting, but the question is whether they can support me. If not, they have to remain hobbies.

Sure, I had a bunch of disappointments in law school and beyond. My first law school graded on a C curve and that was exactly the grade that more than half the class received. I had law professors early on who did not care to monitor their students level of comprehension but instead went forward using legal terms with a first-year first-semester group of law students. Did they want to confuse us so that some would drop out? Who knows. They plunged into legal concepts without giving students a framework in which to understand how these concepts fit into the lawyer-client relationship. Some would argue that we get this perspective later on in, say, a Legal Writing course or clinical program, but to sustain the interest of any group of students one must give them relevant context in which students may envision themselves as engaged in the actual practice of law as lawyers. I am not suggesting that "thinking like a lawyer" take a pedagological backburner. When one emphathizes with the perspective (level of experience, etc) of one's students, then my message becomes clear. This framework that I am describing could have been incorporated easily into my legal education, upfront. Next, because of my grades, I knew certain job prospects were closed to me but I knew I wanted to be self-employed anyway. And last but not least, I had terrible problems with the bar exam.

But I am not going to leap from a frying pan into a fire. The profession of lawyering is just as interesting as any other business related profession. As for job scarcity as a factor in deciding whether to go to law school, that is not the reason why a number of ex-lawyers are encouraging current or aspiring lawyers to leave the profession. One should investigate all factors that impact their decision to pursue a certain type of education including: what you see yourself doing all day, whether you want to self-employed or not, job market for your geographic region, expected income, etc. Only the lucky few get careers as actors, motivational speakers, internet gurus or rock stars. The reality is that most of us cannot count on a living doing these things.

Stress Break

2008-07-22T13:03:00.001-04:00

This post is a riot. It is a perfect release from our collective pre- bar exam anxiety. Warning: contains foul language. But is really funny. Check it out.

Final Week

2008-07-21T18:13:00.000-04:00

How is everyone's studying coming along? I am really wiped out. I think I am good to go on the MBE, though I have another set of 100 MBE Questions I would like to do before the real thing next week. I have studied all of my essay subjects. The question is -- how much re-studying should I do? My thought was to cram about 5 subjects per day just to really make sure I have the material nailed in, coupled with re-reading or reviewing the practice essay answers for each subject. I will maybe limit myself to 1-1.25 hours per subject to do this. See how I do. Maybe spot quiz myself on the tougher areas of the law within each subject. I am tired and not really focusing too well. I am reviewing my mneumonics separately, as well as past Virginia short answer exams. Virginia released its Virginia updates today, which is a summary of recent Supreme Court decisions that relate to areas of the law that we need to know for the bar exam. This document can only serve to freak us out. It does not affect the law that is tested but we "may" see a fact pattern similar to one of these cases, regardless the holdings are not "outcome determinative" with respect to how we should expect to answer the question. In other words, psyche! Well good luck all....

Virtual Law Firms

2008-07-16T15:51:00.001-04:00

I had heard about virtual law firms a while back and have remained intrigued by the idea ever since. I envision a lawyer working from his or her remote location, wired up to the max. This person is equipped with a laptop and desktop (in which one can easy load all work from the latter to the former), security protection galore, a solid backup and archiving system, metadata removal software, reliable case management and billing software. The fax and the phone are close by. Virtual conferences are at one's disposal. Educational opportunities or CLE requirements are easily met thanks to webinars and teleseminars. Filing requirements can be met with e-filing, if one's jurisdiction offers this option. As for meetings with opposing counsel, who says you have to meet in person? Many state rules are probably silent on this matter. Discovery and pre-trial conferences can adjourn over the telephone.

One question looms. How does one meet with clients, and regardless, would any client contact short of an in-person meeting violate any ethical duties owed to a client? If not, how do clients feel about a lawyer with whom they only communicate virtually, perhaps even only virtually (is the initial meeting in person?). If so, what type of client or client matters would be amenable to this arrangement? These questions remain unanswered for me and probably for many of us. I imagine there must be some in-person contact, other than potential trial preparation.

Rainmaking must be interesting. Some potential clients won't like the concept of a virtual office because it might undermine their image of the attorney as competent or credible. This is because clients will not have the opportunity to interact with the attorney spontaneously in which the client may gauge the attorney's comfort level with the subject matter (often a sign of experience) and reactions that can only be conveyed by body language or, at the very least, inflection of voice. These are both impossible using an electronic medium (other than a telephone or second-life). As an example, imagine the difference between a virtual versus non-virtual new attorney who admits that the matter is new to him or her but assures the client that he or she is charged with the same level of client representation and competentcy as any attorney and thanks them for having the opportunity to represent the client. A client who hears this in person might react very differently than one who hears this through an email communication. So then maybe a virtual law firm is better suited for an experienced lawyer.

I think virtual law firms sound like a great idea, and one I would consider for myself, but I need more information. As the internet matures from its teenage years into early adulthood, we will hear more about virtual work spaces. This is only the beginning.

Good Flow

2008-07-11T14:36:00.001-04:00

My experiences with studying for the bar keep getting interesting.

I am getting to a point where I am breezing through some of my subjects, particularly some of the MBE subjects. I know this is potentially alarming. I really just know it, except for those handful of things that are tricky to memorize. You know what I'm talking about (i.e. the criminal defense of Arrest, etc etc.). So I am starting at the end of the subject and working my way back to the front. I am doing this because by the time I get to the end I am tired and not paying attention. It's working well.

I am trying to avoid burnout. I make sure to finish by a reasonable time. I'm going to do some more practice questions. Yesterday I did 50 practice MBE questions and I got 38 correct, which was fabulous, but I don't wanna jinx myself.

I'm thinking about the future and what's next for me. My birthday is in a few weeks. Another year older. I have wanted to go solo but now I am thinking I might try to work for someone else for a while. I have a number of things for which I want to save my money -- solo being one of them -- but buying my own property being another.

Complex decisions for another day. Now, bar study.....