It is an age-old adage that hindsight is 20/20. When I started my own law firm in 2015 there were a number of things I wish I could have told my younger self before I embarked on this stage in my legal career. Or rather, a number of things I wish someone had told me whilst I was nose-deep in inches-thick tomes about the various legal tests for judicial review.
First, some context for how I arrived at my current position! After graduating from the University of Toronto with a Forensic Science degree, I knew the legal sector was something I wanted to be a part of after a work placement at the Crown Attorney’s office in Scarborough. I obtained a JD at the University of Ottawa and was, fortunately, able to article at a large national firm in Toronto. After a brief period of working as a commercial counsel in an electronics and engineering multi-national, I decided I wanted to be my own boss for a change and I started my own practice in 2015.
Little did I know how much truth there was to that saying “With great power, comes great responsibility." So, to help all of you young (or not!) aspiring lawyers, sole practitioners or firm owners, here are 10 things I wish I had learned in law school before starting my own firm:
1. The ‘Business of Law’
Much like many other lawyers, I chose to enter this profession as I enjoyed helping people resolve complex problems. However, the reality of a career in law is that goodwill does not put food on the table! One of the primary challenges I faced in starting my own firm was the balancing of providing high-quality client-focused solutions with creating a financially stable and successful business. I quickly learned however that these are not necessarily mutually exclusive goals. By developing an approach to practice that involved truly understanding the client’s needs and goals, I have been able to organically grow our client base through word of mouth.
2. The Importance of Being Nice
With all the work and hours you are putting in, the lure of the bed/sofa accompanied by the latest binge-worthy Netflix show can be overpowering. However, after a few years of managing my practice, I have come to appreciate the importance of meaningful connections with my legal peers. While I was first starting out, through my network I was able to obtain referrals for legal services that my peers did not provide. In turn, I would also refer clients to my peers where I felt they were in a better position to add value to the client’s legal issues. Law can be a competitive business but completing these small gestures of goodwill can help build your reputation in a community that is surprisingly smaller than you might imagine.
3. Know the Rules
In my experience, law school was a very academic exercise. Learning about various legal principles, jurisprudence, binding case law, and dissenting opinions is, without a doubt, important. However, just as important is having a working knowledge of the Rules of Civil Procedure which govern the day-to-day requirements of litigation. The practice of law is very procedural and knowing how to serve statements of claim properly and on time is as important as substantive legal argumentation.
4. A Jack of All Trades
In law school, we are taught how to critically think, understand and apply the law. However, running a small practice also requires a lot of non-law knowledge. Through setting up my own business, I have accumulated a working knowledge of marketing, sales, website design and accounting principles. These are all important skills to understand and are key to maintaining a successful business. As such, if you are able to obtain some experience in these areas, this will effectively give you a head start in setting up your own firm.
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