Going Solo?

On February 26 I participated in a teleseminar call Suddenly Solo. The seminar was sponsored by the Law Practice Management Section of the American Bar Association. It was a response to the increase in the number of lawyers who are losing their jobs as a result of the economic turmoil of the past year.

My task was to discuss the question, What characteristics should a person look for in themselves if they are thinking about trying solo practise?

If I have learned anything in 10 years as Practice Management Advisor, it is that solo practice is not for everyone. A lawyer can no longer expect to be able to start a law practice by opening a small, low-overhead office and doing “whatever comes in the door.” A head for business is an absolute prerequisite. Those who have one succeed. Those who do not may have difficulty covering their overhead.

In other words, the most important single factor for solo success is not money, legal ability or luck, but temperament. It takes a particular (I almost wrote peculiar) set of personality traits to thrive in solo practice, and if you are considering this option, you should reflect very soberly on whether it’s right for you. Here are some questions you should ask.

1. Do you like business?

A solo practice is a professional legal services business. Successful solo practitioners are entrepreneurial. They wear the many management hats comfortably - production, marketing, personnel, finance, technology, systems and visioning. They understand and accept, at a deep level, that profitability is an appropriate measure of their success. They love to market. If you don’t like the business aspects of law, if you ‘just want to practice law’, you should look for a job in an organization where someone else likes the business.

2. Have you ever started anything?

Think back on your life. Have you ever started a club, a committee, a band or a business? Have you ever personally initiated change in the direction of an organization? Have you ever taken an issue by the horns and become a catalyst for change? If not, it is probably not a good idea for you to start with something as complex as a solo law practice.

3. Will you be comfortable at the pointed end of an organization?

Most people do not want to be ultimately responsible for the organization in which they work. Will you be comfortable taking responsibility for the actions of others who are under your control? Will you thrive on the pressure of making decisions with a significant impact on others who depend on you? Will you be able to lead? If taking this much responsibility and control sounds like an excess of ego, you should think twice about solo practice.

4. Are you goal-oriented?

Do you like to immerse yourself in the flow of things? Or do you hold yourself above the flow so you can direct it toward your desired outcomes? Success as a solo requires being goal-oriented.

5. Is it important to you to be liked?

To succeed as a solo, you need to be strongly self-confident and self-motivating. If you have a deep need for someone else’s praise or push to get you going, you will find yourself drifting and unhappy in solo practice. Not surprisingly, given the need to focus on goals more than feelings, successful solo practitioners often score ‘moderate’ on interpersonal skills.

6. Are you future-oriented?

When deciding what to do next, whether on a case, in your career, in your business or in your life, do you feel pushed by what has already happened? Or pulled by your vision of the future? Successful solo practitioners tend to be much more concerned about where they are going rather than where they have been. Are you driven by the past or drawn to the future? Are you doing this because you do not think you have any other options (you do), or because you are deeply committed to a mission?

7. Are you a planner? And do you implement your plans?

In other words, do you intuitively—even compulsively—create written checklists and systematically work your way through them? Do you set and stick to priorities?

8. Can you tolerate risk?

In other words, will you be able to handle uncertainty and unpredictability in work demands and cash flow? Will you be able to make decisions when you don’t have enough information to know if they are right?

If you are considering solo practice, call my office for a Start-up Kit. You should also obtain a copy of Flying Solo, 3rd Edition, published by the ABA Law Practice Management Section (http://www.abanet.org/lpm).

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