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The business of law

January 2007 | Volume 43, Issue 1

To start your own practice, start planning now
Diane Breneman

Thinking about making the leap from a law firm to your own practice? Solid preparation can make the difference between success and failure, so before you make your move, take time to plan for it. One lawyer who opened a private practice a year ago shares her hard-won knowledge about what to do—and more important, what not to do—for a successful switch.

Strategies for small-firm success
Mark R. Jundt and Jerry W. Blackwell

Over half of all new law firms don’t make it. The chief reason? Lawyers’ failure to run the firm as a business that provides legal services. To help your venture succeed, you’ll need a strategic plan, a marketing strategy, a plan to manage profitability, and a solid business philosophy.

Care and feeding of your network
Paulette Chapman

Maintaining a solid network of contacts in your chosen field is crucial to your professional success—especially if you’re a relatively new lawyer looking to build your practice. Even if your time and resources are limited, you can find ways to meet and mingle. Here’s how to make the best use of meetings, conventions, committee assignments, volunteer work, and social situations to nurture your network.

Weave a Web site that attracts clients
Daniel J. Siegel

A surprising number of small-firm and sole practitioners have no Web presence at all—yet recent surveys find that many people search for legal services on the Internet. Don’t miss out on this huge pool of potential clients: An attractive, informative Web site is a powerful marketing tool that you can set up without spending a bundle.

What’s your backup plan?
Jeff White

Could you get copies of your correspondence, client files, and other important documents if you faced a major disaster—like a flood, fire, or total computer meltdown? You could if you have a backup plan that consistently saves and stores your computer records, and you follow it religiously. New software makes it automatic, and there’s a program to fit every law firm size and budget.

Feature

Birth asphyxia and cerebral palsy
Dov Apfel

As part of its effort to prop up tort “reform,” the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) claims vociferously that there is no connection between asphyxia during labor and delivery and cerebral palsy in newborns. But ACOG relies on questionable studies and half-truths. Worldwide, studies have confirmed that asphyxia and hypoxic-ischemic injury are preventable causes of cerebral palsy.