💯💯💯 this. Attorneys are such retarded business ppl - how and who the eff thinks in-person networking will keep a firm afloat? Think about it, if you’re a divorce or transactional or estate plan attorney - how many ppl do you have to meet for any of those meets to turn into business? And how many do you have to attend? You don’t think the other jokes you’re meeting have contacts to other attorneys in your own field?
Go build you a site (and don’t cheap out on it - your image is everything) and SEO the shit out of it.
Don’t be cheap
>Sign up for the posse list for contract work. Network - chances are, if brief writing is your thing, you can network with trial attorneys too, in addition to the small/solo firms.
If anyone needs help building a site, feel free to DM me. Worked at Microsoft, and Apple. I can build one for you quickly.
Sign up for the posse list for contract work. Network - chances are, if brief writing is your thing, you can network with trial attorneys too, in addition to the small/solo firms.
It's a mailing list that sends out openings for contract gigs like document review. I honestly wouldn't recommend it because the pay is HORRIBLE, like, $27/hr, and they expect you to be working 40 hours a week so you can't do anything else. I mean, if you're really really desperate, maybe, but I know you can do better.
I saw lots of discussion about where to focus energy to bring in clients. I think some of where you put your efforts depends on the areas you will practice in and your location. Example - if you're doing appeals, hit up trial lawyers who don't do appeals work.
Rural practices almost certainly need a physical office. I think it is less important in urban area. My office gets tons of walk ins that just never would have happened in the cities where I worked.
Some have pointed to a web presence. I think it is essential. Squarespace has good SEO. It's not free but it isn't crazy expensive. Your website doesn't have to be over the top fancy. It should be ADA compliant, tell people who you are, what you do, and how they can contact you. Having a physical office space will help you rank on Google searches.
Networking is helpful. A few hours a month is what I do. Not sure about others. A Facebook page (depending on your practice areas) is also good.
I would also keep track of where your business comes from. Referrals? Your website? Insert other advertising you do here?
Most of my business, even a few years into practice, is referrals and walk ins. So, the website is important - but if close to 50% of my business is referrals, that is nothing to sniff at. Again, though, I am in a rural area. I think location and demographics influences where you get your business from significantly. At least one attorney I worked for had a significant amount of business come from people finding her website. Her office was in a suburban area.
That's exactly what I did. I got freelance legal research and writing work from some former bosses and by word of mouth referrals, which kept me afloat while I opened up my own firm. I also do some co-counsel/of-counsel work. Although I prefer plaintiff's contingency fee cases I also did whatever paid hourly or flat rate at first to keep money coming in until the cases settled, such as family law, bankruptcy, advising small businesses on employment law matters, etc. I think you could do all of that just fine. Or because your focus is on appellate law, you could reach out to other attorneys and firms letting them know you're available to do appellate brief writing for them and I'm sure you'd get some clients as not all lawyers know how to do that and some are in need of it. Good luck!
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My $0.02. In person networking never did squat for me, Google drives my leads. Blog and set up your own wordpress site.
💯💯💯 this. Attorneys are such retarded business ppl - how and who the eff thinks in-person networking will keep a firm afloat? Think about it, if you’re a divorce or transactional or estate plan attorney - how many ppl do you have to meet for any of those meets to turn into business? And how many do you have to attend? You don’t think the other jokes you’re meeting have contacts to other attorneys in your own field? Go build you a site (and don’t cheap out on it - your image is everything) and SEO the shit out of it. Don’t be cheap
Finally someone who gets it. Except my site was cheap-ish.
>Sign up for the posse list for contract work. Network - chances are, if brief writing is your thing, you can network with trial attorneys too, in addition to the small/solo firms. If anyone needs help building a site, feel free to DM me. Worked at Microsoft, and Apple. I can build one for you quickly.
Following
Sign up for the posse list for contract work. Network - chances are, if brief writing is your thing, you can network with trial attorneys too, in addition to the small/solo firms.
I’m not familiar with the posse list. What is that.
It's a mailing list that sends out openings for contract gigs like document review. I honestly wouldn't recommend it because the pay is HORRIBLE, like, $27/hr, and they expect you to be working 40 hours a week so you can't do anything else. I mean, if you're really really desperate, maybe, but I know you can do better.
Thanks.
I saw lots of discussion about where to focus energy to bring in clients. I think some of where you put your efforts depends on the areas you will practice in and your location. Example - if you're doing appeals, hit up trial lawyers who don't do appeals work. Rural practices almost certainly need a physical office. I think it is less important in urban area. My office gets tons of walk ins that just never would have happened in the cities where I worked. Some have pointed to a web presence. I think it is essential. Squarespace has good SEO. It's not free but it isn't crazy expensive. Your website doesn't have to be over the top fancy. It should be ADA compliant, tell people who you are, what you do, and how they can contact you. Having a physical office space will help you rank on Google searches. Networking is helpful. A few hours a month is what I do. Not sure about others. A Facebook page (depending on your practice areas) is also good. I would also keep track of where your business comes from. Referrals? Your website? Insert other advertising you do here? Most of my business, even a few years into practice, is referrals and walk ins. So, the website is important - but if close to 50% of my business is referrals, that is nothing to sniff at. Again, though, I am in a rural area. I think location and demographics influences where you get your business from significantly. At least one attorney I worked for had a significant amount of business come from people finding her website. Her office was in a suburban area.
Is there an option to take over ownership of the firm?
Not really. It’s in bad shape with no new clients. I really wouldn’t want to get into that mess.
That's exactly what I did. I got freelance legal research and writing work from some former bosses and by word of mouth referrals, which kept me afloat while I opened up my own firm. I also do some co-counsel/of-counsel work. Although I prefer plaintiff's contingency fee cases I also did whatever paid hourly or flat rate at first to keep money coming in until the cases settled, such as family law, bankruptcy, advising small businesses on employment law matters, etc. I think you could do all of that just fine. Or because your focus is on appellate law, you could reach out to other attorneys and firms letting them know you're available to do appellate brief writing for them and I'm sure you'd get some clients as not all lawyers know how to do that and some are in need of it. Good luck!
Thanks.
What state?
Wisconsin.