Re: Taking "The Plunge"

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Make no mistake, you will be working for them. $500/month
is not such a sweetheart deal. The receptionist won't
really do much for you. She'll probably resent having
another person to do work for.

Those are some things to think about. I've seen this type
of arrangement before, and the new attorney usually winds
shining boots and getting coffee.

$3000 to start is on the high side. You can start for $1000
or less. Look around for used office furniture. You can
get a new pc and printer for cheap. You can get books
second hand.

How much money do you have saved up? You'll need a large
chunk. Do you have a spouse that works?

The most important piece of advice is this: Network your
butt off. Spend the money on joining your local bar and the
referral list. Go to every bar function you can and meet
everyone in the room. Give them your card.

Avoid Yellow Pages. Expensive, useless, dying,
cluttered......

Use internet marketing. Cheap, effective, flexible....get a
good website, you can do so for cheap.

Work your ass off for your clients, make them pay you up
front, if they show up poorly dressed, or late, be very wary
of them and consider not taking them.

Learn to read people, and always know all the angles, where
everyone is coming from, what they want, how they view you.
If a person does not make eye contact with you, smile, or
laugh, they don't like you.

Being an attorney is a honorable job, and attorneys,
compared to the general public are honorable people. Be
proud of who you are, and wake up every day looking to meet
people and help people.

On 9/27/06, Clerk Dubs wrote:
> I graduated from law school last year as a "non-
> traditional" student (i.e. I'm in my mid-thirties). I've
> been working as a clerk in my county for the past 9 months.
>
> I've been trying to decide how to proceed from here, as I
> can't live on the pittance they pay clerks in my neck of
> the woods. Recently, one of the lawyers that's in front
> of my judge on a regular basis asked me what I planned to
> do, and offered me space in his building for a reasonable
> price. I have to pay rent ($500 / month), phone and
> internet service, but in return I get a receptionist (who
> works for the whole office) and I get access to two highly
> capable attorneys (one does PI the other family and
> criminal law), who have both offered to give me advice and
> even sit second chair on cases if I needed assistance.
> The attorney who owns the building even offered to front
> me expenses on cases that require it (if I did not have
> the means at that time).
>
> He also said he would help me get started as a sole
> practitioner, refering cases he doesn't want to me, and
> giving me general information on how to get my own
> practice up, running and in the black.
>
> Of course my concern is whether or not I can expect to
> even make the rent and utility payments per month when I
> start. I don't have a vast nest egg, and I figure I need
> about $3,000 just to get off the ground (computer,
> printer, office furniture, etc.).
>
> Seems like the chance of a lifetime to me, was wondering
> if anyone had any input on this? I can't find any
> negative (other than standard inital-sole-practitioner-
> angst-about-the-possibility-of-not-making-any-money), but
> I'd like to hear what others think.