Setting up an office isn’t just about unpacking
Like I previously mentioned, I did put some planning into going solo. For the three weeks before I made the move, I was using all my spare time to research different options for making my law practice more streamlined and efficient. I set up some different referral services, looked into a virtual receptionist, and started a couple of websites. I purchased some basic office equipment. I set up an email. I got a logo. I even started advertising. Here is a basic summary of what I am trying, or planning on trying. I’m not sure what will stick, nor am I advocating that what I am doing is what should be done, but it is what I am doing.
Lawyer networking
I’m a member of the ABA. I’m a member of the State Bar of Texas and the Texas Bar College. All of these associations have been helpful with different resources, lots of reading that arrives to my mailbox and inbox on a regular basis. I also am a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the Texas Trial Lawyers Association. These offer some great mailing lists and online resources that are pretty practice specific. That said, none of this provides much opportunity to talk to other lawyers.
I have been spending some time every week with members of the Jefferson County Bar Association. I think this has been a pretty efficient use of my time. I get lunch with a group of local lawyers on a regular basis, and we talk about our lives, our careers, and politics. It is nice to get together with like minded attorneys and shoot the breeze. These local lawyers have also turned into a pretty useful source for information on possible practice areas, potential office space, and client referrals. I don’t know if all local bar associations are this helpful, but I feel pretty blessed to have the support I’ve gotten from the local lawyers that I know while starting my own practice.
Another resource that I have found really useful, and completely a time-sink if I let it be, is an online group of lawyers using a Slack group. I’ve been a member of the Associate’s Mind “LawyerSlack” group for about six months. Being able to chat with lawyers about varying legal and non-legal topics from my cell phone, my desk, or my tablet has been a big help. I highly recommend that new lawyers or lawyers starting a new practice area find some sort of online legal group to bounce ideas off of if they don’t have accessible lawyers locally to talk with. Also, I’ve been able to use the group to get to know lawyers in other parts of Texas. A couple of months ago I was in Dallas for work and had lunch with a colleague that I met on LawyerSlack. Online networking is a huge help for encouragement with my new business, as well as advice on cases that I’ve never handled before – we certainly live in interesting times.
Referral services
A lawyer without clients won’t be a lawyer for long. One of my biggest concerns has been getting my name out there and getting new clients to call me. To deal with some of these concerns I’ve researched and tried to sign up for a couple of different legal referral services.
There is a service here in Texas called Texas Legal that offers legal insurance. Clients pay a monthly fee and get access to affordable, if not free, legal services. As a lawyer, you just fill out some forms, agree to take the rates that the service offers, provide a copy of your professional responsibility insurance, and Texas Legal starts sending clients your way. I signed up a few weeks ago and haven’t gotten any leads from the service yet, but the did send me a nice welcome package the other day.
I tried to sign up for a service called Unbundled Attorney. This service markets to the “pro se” client, who maybe just needs a lawyer to draft a pleading or review a contract, but doesn’t want to pay for full representation. The service is actually a pretty good idea and it seems promising. Unbundled Attorney charges the attorney per lead, and leaves it to the attorney to convert the lead into a client. I was excited to get involved with them, but I just couldn’t get on the same page with their sales guy. I might revisit this in the future, but for now I wasn’t willing to make the kind of commitment to try their services that they wanted me to make. I know a couple of people on LawyerSlack are trying this service and if they have great results I might be forced to revisit my willingness to commit to this.
Software and services I decided to pay for
I went ahead and got case management software right out of the gate. I’ve heard good things about different providers, but I decided to go with PracticePanther. I read reviews of the competitors and PracticePanther seemed to be the right one for me. I’m pretty happy with it so far, although I haven’t done the training session for it yet, so I am probably not getting everything out of it that I could. I have a training session set up for lunchtime tomorrow – I can eat a salad and learn to manage clients.
I got QuickBooks also. I don’t have a lot of income to track yet, although I have plenty of expenses, but I figured I should start the business with bookkeeping software so that I get used to using it now.
I signed up for a trial with a virtual receptionist service. The service works with my Skype phone and has bilingual receptionists to answer my calls. This helps when I am on the phone or with a client – people calling in always get a live human to talk to. I’m using a service called AnsweringLegal. I don’t know if they are any better or worse than their competitors, they are just the one I chose.
I also have a subscription for a service called Oconnor’s Online. They offer practice guides for multiple legal practice areas. I’ve found there service really useful for forms and guidance in multiple areas. I think they are Texas and California specific, but they also offer Federal guides as well. I haven’t had a chance to do much trial work yet, but I think Oconnor’s will pay for itself when I do.
I’ll have to continue this post tomorrow…
This got a lot longer than I was expecting. I’ll continue the steps I have taken to get started tomorrow. It is a cold December night in Texas and I think it is time to curl up with a novel on the iPad and turn in.