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Forbes Legal Council
Experienced chief legal officers & law firm partners from Forbes Legal Council offer firsthand insights on legal issues.
When you first became a lawyer, you may have dreamed of starting your own practice one day. But starting your own law firm is no walk in the park. There are clients to attract, bills to pay, and an office to run — and none of the resources of a large firm to help you get it all done.
To find our more, we asked five chief legal officers and law firm partners from Forbes Legal Council to share their top tips for lawyers who are thinking of going into solo practice and what they should expect once they do so.
From top left to right: Doug Bend, Victor Cardona, Lawrence Buckfire, Anthony Johnson, Peter Minton. All photos courtesy of the individual member.
1. Focus On Quality, Not Just The Quantity Of Leads
Focus on growing the quality of your business leads who will trust you the moment they walk in the door. Identify your strategic referral partners and strengthen your relationships with them by finding ways to add value to their practice. This will be a much, much higher return on your time than going to networking events in the hopes of coming across a potential client. – Doug Bend, Bend Law Group, PC
2. Remember The Opportunities Are Endless
As a relatively new attorney, you should know that the practice of law is no longer just about protecting your client’s interests or being intellectually challenged. Look around — your potential clients and competitors can be anywhere in the world. Create a practice while realizing that the opportunities and challenges are almost endless. – Victor Cardona, Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti PC
3. Learn How To Market Your Practice
Many ambitious attorneys hang up their own shingle without first learning how to market their law practice. We all like to think that the phone will automatically ring with new clients because we do great legal work, but the fact is, you need to be proactive in your marketing efforts. Read marketing books and attend legal marketing conferences. Implement your ideas and grow your practice. – Lawrence Buckfire, Buckfire & Buckfire, PC
