Observe! Observe! Observe!

I cannot say this enough: If you want to be a successful solo practitioner, observe other attorneys as often as you possibly can.  During the first 6 to 12 months of your practice, you are probably not going to be consistently busy with work.  It can be difficult during those times where you have little business to keep up your momentum and spirits.  Use that time wisely.  How can you use that time wisely?  Observe other attorneys.

Go to a courthouse that you practice in on a regular basis or hope to practice in on a regular basis and take a seat.  (Hint: you may want to look online or call ahead of time to see what the day's docket looks like).  You will see great lawyers and not so great lawyers.  Take notes.  Talk to the attorneys afterwards and if appropriate, ask questions.  At first you may feel uncomfortable just sitting in the courtroom when you don't have a case but it's normal.  Every attorney who is successful has observed attorneys in the past and likely still do so when possible.  Whether it was a senior partner or an attorney mentor, we've all done it.

And don't just observe the lawyers.  Observe the judges; this is especially true if you want to practice regularly in that courtroom.  First of all, the judges will get used to seeing your face in the courtroom, you'll get used to seeing them in the courtroom which will make your first few appearances in front of them a little less intimidating.  Pay attention to which judges ask a lot of questions (hot bench) and which judges just listen (cold bench).  If there is an opportune time, introduce yourself to the judge.  Even better, if you know an attorney in the courtroom well, ask that attorney to introduce you to the judge before or after their case gets started.

Aside from observing and learning from different attorneys and judges by watching, being at the courthouse is good for you and good for your practice.  You will slowly learn to mingle with the attorneys, which means more business contacts and more confidence in yourself.  You may even find a mentor in the process.  Many people say, and I certainly agree, you get business when you are in the courtroom.  It may not be your perfect golden case, but people who are appearing in court and need an attorney often ask other attorneys in the courtroom to take their case (before accepting their case, read this article, specifically about representation letters).

And in case you haven't heard yet, December is notoriously a slow month for just about all attorneys nationwide.  So take this slow month and make the best of it by learning and observing while you have the time to do so.

If you have opened your own firm or are considering "flying solo" and would like to talk about the process and experience, please contact us at (804) 447-0146 or clbaudean@baudeanlaw.com.