Re: starting solo and getting Ct appointments??

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On 1/23/08, Rob wrote:
> You can call just call the judges and they will put you on
> their list. If you are interested in criminal work, you
> may want to contact your local public defender's office for
> contract work. Most of them hire private lawyers (at
> about $50 per hour) to handle "conflict files."
>
>
> On 1/16/08, Hoeful solo wrote:
>> I am planning on starting solo in the southeastern part of
>> Ohio right out of law school. I was going to try to get
>> public appointments mostly while I try to grow my business.
>> I am willing to drive to several nearby counties
>> surrounding Athens, ohio. I was curious if there was anyone
>> familiar with the public appointment system / process in
>> that area and whether I can expect to actually get any
>> appointments early on, and how many to really expect?
hey neighbor. Athens county as you may know has a public
defender's office. Vinton already has 4 attorneys that do
criminal, not sure if that's at the saturation level or not
since it's a pretty sparsely populated county but also very
poor. Don't know anything at all about Meigs. Jackson is
court appointed, Ross has its own public defender office. In
my county the rate for court appointment is $35.00/hr. Rob is
right, just let them know you'll take appointments-- except I
would advise actually going to the court and introduce
yourself to the judge and staff. They'll put you on the list
for appointments if you've passed the bar, but if the judge
doesn't know you, you may not get many appointments at first.
Depends on the judge and the county as to what to expect re:
amount of work. My advice: stick with muni till you get your
feet wet. common pleas is much more complicated and takes
sometimes a year or 2 to finish and get paid. in muni you can
get 2 0r 3 cases (or more) done a week. not great pay but
great experience. we only get $35.00/hr in my county for
court appointed. also, not a bad idea to hook up with a
couple of the local defense attorneys for a little
guidance/comraderie. Most small rural counties we all know
each other, can really help if you've got a schedule problem
etc. good luck. BTW are you really "hoeful" or hopeful? :)