« Policing Plagiarism = Fair Use | Main | Globalization of Law Practice, In Ways We Don't Expect »

The Poster Child for Solo Practice

For two years now, I have had the honor of sharing blogging duties here at Legal Blog Watch with Washington, D.C., lawyer Carolyn Elefant. Carolyn and I alternate days posting here and we each write our own blogs, Carolyn at MyShingle and me at LawSites and Media Law. Well before we started blogging here, I had admired Carolyn's writing about solo practice -- her own and the broader issues facing all solos. Her writing has shown her to be the solo lawyer's best advocate and best critic, all to the betterment of lawyers and clients alike. She has distilled much of this in her recently published book, "Solo by Choice: How to Be the Lawyer You Always Wanted to Be."

Carolyn's road to solo success is profiled this week by writer Debra Bruno in the Legal Times article, " Balancing Act: Carolyn Elefant Wants to Be the Voice of Solo Lawyers." "In multiple ways," Bruno writes, "she's become a poster child for solo practice." Yet, ironically, she started out her career pursuing partnership at a larger boutique. When it became clear that she and the firm were not the right fit, she sought work elsewhere before deciding to hang her own shingle. Even then, it took several years of criminal appointments and other work before settling into her  niche handling energy regulatory matters.

As she tackled the multitude of issues raised in starting and building a solo practice, Elefant joined and helped build various networks of other solos. These networks helped her and encouraged her to help others. That led to her blog and then to her book. Along the way, she has found success in law and achieved balance between her career and her family. That may be Elefant's main message, Bruno writes: "Going solo isn't just about taking control of your career. It's about taking charge of your life."

Posted by Robert J. Ambrogi on March 26, 2008 at 09:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Comments

Post a comment