Starting Points

Solo and Small Firm Practice Resources

by Katie Merrill Brown

Introduction

Venturing forth into a solo legal practice or starting a small law firm is a significant undertaking. Aside from being well versed in the law, the new solo or small firm attorney must also be a master of all other aspects of running a small business. This guide gathers resources that can assist attorneys with issues such as creating a business plan, deciding on office location and space needs, technology investments, management of employees and finances, research resources and ethics considerations.

Starting a Solo Practice or Small Firm

Print Resources about Solo Practice & Small Firms

Doing the Dance Solo: Solo and Small Firm CLE (The King County Bar Association 2001).
KFW77.D65 2001 LAW-4th Floor
CLE materials with information on fee agreements, conflict checks, trust accounts, and malpractice and technology insurance. Includes forms.

Jeffrey R. Simmons, Flying Solo: A Survival Guide for the Solo Lawyer (Joel P. Bennett et al. eds., Law Practice Management Section, ABA 2001).
KF300.F59 2001 LAW-4th Floor
Detailed guide with information and advice from a wide range of solo practitioners. Subjects such as selecting a business organization, handling financial issues, choosing a location, investing in technology, marketing your business, and finding and managing clients are discussed.

GP Solo, (Chicago, IL: ABA).
LAW-Court Level
The ABA General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Section publishes this magazine eight times a year for its members. Each issue has a theme focusing on topics such as law practice or technology.
See also www.abanet.org/genpractice/magazine/archives.html

Jay G Foonberg, How to Start & Build a Law Practice (Law Practice Management Section, ABA, Law Student Division 2004).
KF300.F66 2004 LAW-Reserve
Comprehensive treatise for starting a law practice. Topics covered include: creating a business plan, choosing a location, buying equipment, finding and selecting clients, setting fees, law office management and professional responsibility issues. Includes checklists, forms and sample letters.

Small Firm and Solo Practice: Lessons from the Trenches for Those Starting and Maintaining Their Own Firm, (Washington Law School Foundation 2001). KFW77.S53 2001 LAW-4th Floor
CLE materials with information on client relationships, ethics and stress management.

Mia Ilene-Beth Frieder, Solo and Small Firm Success: Opening a Law Practice: With Forms, Checklists (Harrison Co. 1997).
KF318.Z9F74 1997 LAW-4th Floor
Presents a systematic approach to issues that must be considered when going solo. Topics include: choosing a business entity and location, start-up and marketing costs, and managing clients and expenses.

Up and Running: Operating Instructions for the Small Law Office (Washington State Bar Association, Law Office Management Assistance Program 2004).
KFW 77.U7 2004 LAW-Reserve
Covers the business plan, facilities, operations, client relations, financial management, technology, ethical considerations, personnel, marketing.

Electronic Resources for Starting a Solo Practice or Small Firm

My Shingle
Uses blog format to discuss topics of interest to solo and small firm practitioners. Features news feed from Law.com, links to other blogs and legal research sites, and searchable archives. Hosted by Carolyn Elefant, J.D. Content updated regularly.

The Practitioner's Guide: An Online Resource Center for Lawyers Serving People
Hosted by the ABA, this Web guide has links to books and other resources on such topics as client development, office management, lawyer support resources, and practice resources.

SOLOsez.net
Online discussion group or listserv for attorneys to find and share information. Postings range from personal to professional and include legal questions and law practice management issues. Homepage has information on CLEs, news and archives of the SOLOsez discussion list. Hosted by the ABA Standing Committee on Solo and Small Firm Practitioners. Password registration is required for listserv.

Law Office Management, Practice and Technology

Print Resources on Law Office Management, Practice & Technology

Law Office Computing (Costa Mesa, CA: James Pub).
LAW-Court Level
Periodical featuring legal technology news, product reviews and advice and opinion columns.
See also www.lawofficecomputing.com

Law Office Policy and Procedure Manual (Robert C. Wert and Howard I. Hatoff eds., Law Practice Management Section, ABA 2004).
KF318.R64 2004 LAW-4th Floor
Information on how to handle organizational structure, financial management, office policies, support staff and security issues.

Demetrios Dimitriou, Law Office Procedures Manual for Solo and Small Firms (Law Practice Management Section, ABA 2000). KF318.D56 2000 LAW-4th Floor
Covers personnel issues, employee compensation, holiday, sick leave, vacations, termination and supervision.

Law Practice (Chicago, IL: Law Practice Management Section, ABA).
LAW-Court Level
Periodical provides information and commentary on operating and managing your own law practice and delivering low cost legal services to clients.
See also www.abanet.org/lpm/magazine/mag_subscribe.shtml

Gary A. Munneke, Law Practice Management in a Nutshell (Thomson/West 2003). KF318.M86 2003 LAW-Open Reserve
Concise overview of law firm organization, human resources, financials and office systems.

The Practical Lawyer (Philadelphia, PA.: American Law Institute-American Bar Association, Committee on Continuing Professional Education).
LAW-Court Level
Periodical with advice and information on both the practice of law and the management of a law office.
See also www.ali-aba.org/aliaba/tpltoc.htm

The Survival Guide for Safe Computing (Washington State Bar Association Law Practice Management and Technology Section 2004) KF318.A2S87 2004 LAW-Reserve
Sponsored by the Law Office EXPO, Management and Technology Institute, this CLE includes information on security, software licensing, and technology and computer-related ethical issues.

Trial News (Seattle, WA: Washington State Trial Lawyers Association).
LAW-Court Level
Monthly periodical with tips, articles and columns about trial work and information about verdicts, settlements, and trends in the law.
See also www.wstla.org/TrialNews/TrialNews.aspx

Washington Law and Politics (Minneapolis, MN: Washington Law & Politics).
LAW-Court Level
Features articles on Washington law and lawyers, public policy, politics and business.
See also www.lawandpolitics.com/washington/default.asp

Washington State Bar News (Seattle, WA: Washington State Bar Association).
LAW-Reserve
Provides information on legal issues and the practice of law in Washington state.
See also www.wsba.org/media/publications/barnews/default.htm

Electronic Resources for Law Office Management, Practice & Technology

ABA Tech Show
Web site for the American Bar Association’s Tech show. Information on emerging technology for the practice of law.

Mac Attorney: Free newsletter for Macintosh Using Attorneys
Companion Web site to Randy Singer’s book Macintosh Software Guide for the Law Office. Up-to-date information for Mac users is available through the (free) MacAttorney Newsletter, details for subscribing are available on the Web site.

Washington State Bar Association Law Office Management Assistance Program (LOMAP)
LOMAP offers consultations on law office administration, software demonstrations, a lending library and a mentoring program. The Web site has links to useful resources and articles.

Washington State Bar Law Practice Management and Technology Web Sites
Features links to resources on law practice management and law firm technology.

Software for Law Office Management, Practice and Technology

Law Office Computing
Web site provides links for law practice and law office management information

Washington State Bar Association: Law Office Software Vendors
WSBA Web site links to software vendors for law office functions including legal research, time and billing, docketing, case and conflicts management.

Marketing and Advertising for the Solo and Small Law Firm

Kerry Randall, Effective Yellow Pages Advertising for Lawyers: The Complete Guide to Creating Winning Ads (Law Practice Management Section, ABA 2002). KF310.A3R36 2002 LAW-4th Floor
Provides tips and guidelines for effective marketing .

Louise L. Hill, Lawyer Advertising (Quorum 1993). KF310.A3H55 1993 LAW-4th Floor
Guidelines and historical information on permissible solicitations. Includes references to attorney advertising cases.

The Lawyers Guide to Marketing Your Practice (James A. Durham & Deborah McMurray, eds., Law Practice Management Section, ABA 2004). KF316.5.C65 2004 LAW-Reserve
Advice on attracting and keeping new clients and preserving existing client relationships through effective marketing and organization.

Hollis Hatfield Weishar, Marketing Success Stories: Personal Interviews with 66 Rainmakers (Law Practice Management Section, ABA 1997). KF316.5.W45 1997 LAW- 4th Floor
Guidance and advice on effective marketing practices.

Expenses for Solo Practice and the Small Law Firm

Frank Brennan, Focusing on Profitability: A Lawyer’s Guide to Approaching New Markets, Engaging New Clients, Capitalizing on Competitors, Improving Service, Structuring Fees and Billing, Adapting TQM to Legal Setting, and Other Strategies for Developing a More Successful Practice (General Practice Section, ABA 1994). KF315.B74 1994 LAW-4th Floor
Focuses on economic and financial matters, including law office management and marketing.

J. Harris Morgan & Jay G. Foonberg, How to Draft Bills Clients Rush to Pay (Law Practice Management Section, ABA 1995). KF316.M67 1995 LAW-4th Floor
Information on effective drafting and layout of bills, alternative billing arrangements and other time keeping and billing tips. Sample bills are provided.

Theda C. Snyder, Running a Law Practice on a Shoestring (Law Practice Management Section, ABA 1997). KF318.S69 1997 LAW - 4th Floor
Cost saving tips for time and money management, locating, equipping and staffing an office, and marketing and travel.

Solo Practice and Small Firm Client Relationships

Documenting the Attorney-Client Relationship: Law Firm Policies on Engagement, Termination, and Declination (Section of Business Law, ABA 1999). KF311.D63 1999 LAW-4th Floor
Guide to establishing attorney/client policies. Includes form letters for client engagement, termination and declination.

Jay G. Foonberg, How to Get and Keep Good Clients (Lawyers Alert Press 1990). KF310.A3F66 1990 LAW-Open Reserve
Advice on generating client referrals, client selection, cost effective advertising, and fee allocation.

Henry W. Ewalt, Through the Client’s Eyes: New Approaches to Get Clients to Hire You Again and Again (Law Practice Management Section, ABA 2002). KF311.E92 2002 LAW-4th Floor
Ideas and advice for approaching attorney client relationships. Topics covered include involving clients in the decision-making process, avoiding disputes, discussing uncertainty, billing effectively, and getting client feedback.

Stanley S. Clawar, You and Your Client: A Guide to Client Management Skills for a More Successful Practice (American Bar Association 1996) KF311.Z9C53 1996 LAW-4th Floor
Discusses client behaviors and effective responses. Tips on communication techniques, training staff and image projection.

Associations and Organizations for Solo Practice and the Small Firm

ABA General Practice Solo and Small Firm Section
Hosted by American Bar Association, this section Web site provides timely information for attorneys in solo and small firm practice. Access to publications including: GP Solo New Lawyer, Technology eReport, and GP Solo Magazine. Also has information on CLEs, legal news and resources.

King County Bar Association Solo/Small Firm Law Office
The KCBA Solo/Small Firm Law Office Section Web page posts information on technology and marketing training sessions and the time, location and agenda for monthly meetings. Section also maintains a listserv [kcbasolo@yahoogroups.com] and a solo attorney referral site.

Washington Defenders Association
Directed toward the criminal defense bar in Washington, provides information on research resources and publications, CLE and training materials, employment opportunities, and listserves for defense specialists.

Washington State Trial Lawyers Association
WSTLA provides members with access to briefs and court documents, Trial News and other publications.Has information on CLEs and seminars.

Washington Women Lawyers
WWL is dedicated to the integration of females into the legal profession. Provides members with networking, research, and training information.

Creating a Law Library

Print Resources on Starting and Managing a Law Library

Ken Kozlowski, The Internet Guide for the Legal Researcher: the Complete Resource Guide to Finding Legal Information on the Internet (Infosources 2001) KF242.A1M3 2001 LAW-Reserve
Annotated bibliography of legal research resources with plain language explanations of basic terminology and concepts. Guide includes Web address and password for updated content.

Kendall F. Svengalis, The Legal Information Buyer's Guide and Reference Manual (Rhode Island LawPress 1996). KF1.S84 2004 LAW-Reference Desk
Tool for making acquisition decisions for a law library. This manual focuses on the cost of texts in various legal subject areas and is a useful resource for identifying the most important treatises for a particular area of law.

Julius J. Marke and Richard Sloan, Legal Research and Law Library Management (Law Journal Seminars-Press 1990-to current) KF240.M24 1990 LAW-4th Floor
Covers the major aspects of running an efficient library. Topics included are: evaluating and purchasing texts, journals, microfilm, online materials and equipment, hiring a librarian or librarian consultant and compliance with copyright law.

Choosing an Online Legal Database Provider

Gallagher Law Library
The Gallagher Law Library Web page provides links to several low cost legal research databases. Also contains links to reviews of the databases and information on cost and content.

Legal Information Alert (Chicago, Ill. :U.S. Law Information Alert Inc.) LAW-Court Level
The November/December issue of this periodical contains an annual review of Westlaw, Lexis, Loislaw and Versuslaw.

LLRX
The Law Library Resource Exchange focuses on technology resources for legal professionals. Includes articles and reviews of law practice and legal research tools, news features on emerging technologies and reviews of legal databases and vendors.

Resources at Local Law Libraries

Gallagher Law Library at the University of Washington: Internet Legal Resources
The Gallagher Law Library’s Internet Legal Resources Web page has links to free sources for federal and state cases, statutes, and administrative law. Also has numerous subject specific legal research guides.

King County Law Library: Research Links
Provides links for local legal research resources, Washington research resources, Federal research resources, a self-help resources page and a reference tools page. KCLL also provides live online research assistance.

Seattle University Law Library
The library’s research portal provides online access to the catalog and legal information databases. The portal also includes links for case law, statutes and administrative law at both the state and federal levels and features in-depth topical legal research guides which provide an excellent starting point for legal research.

Washington State Law Library
The Washington State Law Library Web site provides online access to the state law library catalog, research guides and brochures, as well as contact information for reference inquiries and other library assistance.

Free Web Resources

Findlaw
Web page for legal professionals includes articles on distinct legal topics, links for court and transactional forms, directories of legal service providers, and free access to state and federal cases, statutes and administrative regulations.

The Legal Information Institute (LII)
Hosted by Cornell Law School, the LII has links to constitutions and codes, court opinions, laws by source or jurisdiction, information on basic legal citation, topical libraries, directories, and other publications.

Lexisone
The last five years of case law from state and federal courts and the complete file of US Supreme Court decisions are available for free (registration required). Also includes links to state and tribal resources.

Martindale Hubbell
Provides free access to the Lawyer Locator directory which is searchable by name, geographical location, area of practice or law school. Also includes access to articles (registration required), career information and professional resources including small firm resources.

National Center for State Courts: Court Web Sites
Links to court information for all state courts and selected federal, tribal and international courts.

This bibliography was prepared by Seattle University School of Law student Katie Merrill Brown in consultation with librarians Barbara Swatt and Kara Phillips to complement the Solo Practice Exhibit (May 2005).

Last Updated: February 20, 2007