Hanging your Shingle as a Newly Minted Attorney: Five Lessons Learned in my First Year of Sole Practice

Last year, at around this time, I finally embarked upon what I now see as the greatest adventure of my life: I started my own law practice. With all the ups and downs, and learning experiences, at the end of it all, it was truly the best career move I could have made. I write this article now for two purposes. Firstly, I would like to offer encouragement to other lawyers who are thinking about going solo but are averse to the mountain of risks that comes with making such a career move. I also write this article to offer a cautionary message, one that should help you manage the mountain of risks you face as a new lawyer starting out on your own. Yes, the key word here is “manage”, because you will not escape the risks. Being a lawyer, as you know, comes with a world of responsibility, and you must be in good form at all times, even when you do not necessarily feel like it.  

Without further introduction, I offer to you my personal “Top Five Lessons” learned in my first year of sole practice as a freshly minted lawyer.

1. Every new client is a liability

This was the most important lesson of all, and I put it first because it is necessary for every lawyer to master. It can be tempting to eagerly say yes to every potential client who walks through the door. I say this because that is how I felt starting out. When I decided to start my own practice and had no clients at all, I felt a distinct insecurity. You will probably experience this as well, and you will feel excitement when you finally get your first lead. I urge you to fight this instinct and instead focus on the risks and screen the new potential client thoroughly. You will be able to avoid some potentially difficult situations with proper screening. Your priority should be to weed out any leads who either appear to have an improper motivation for hiring a lawyer, real estate and litigation lawyers come to mind as most at risk, but truly no area of practice is without their own unsavoury types. Finally, ensure that the problem the client has brought to your attention is within your capacity, and that representing them would not put you at a conflict. While this is basic and common knowledge among lawyers, the excitement or desperation to gain clients will have its way of making you forget these basics. As such, never get excited about a new client.