- Why do attorneys choose to launch solo practices?
- What is the best area of law to practice for solo attorneys?
- How to choose the right area of law for yourself
Q: What is the best area of law to practice as a solo attorney?
A: As a solo attorney, one of the biggest determinants of your success is your ability to specialize. That said, choosing the right area to specialize in requires a bit of context and critical thinking. This article explains everything you need to know to make the right decision for your solo practice.
Like all industries, the legal field is changing rapidly.
With the enormous increase in remote work over the last few years, we’re now seeing almost every field shift towards more autonomous work setups. Companies are increasingly offering their workers the option to work from home.
But it isn’t just employees that are making the shift. The legal industry is seeing a sharp rise in solo attorneys, many of whom operate remotely.
The secret to success for a solo attorney is finding the best area of law to practice. Specializing allows independent legal professionals to differentiate themselves and quickly attract clients.
However, finding your niche can be difficult, especially if you’re new to running your own firm. You need to understand the current market, look at future projections, and develop or refine an area of expertise.
We know that can be stressful, which is why this article will give you all the tools you need to find your specialty and grow for the future.
- The rise of the solo attorney
- Why do attorneys choose to launch solo practices?
- The best area of law to practice for solo attorneys
- How to choose the right area of law for yourself
The Rise of the Solo Attorney
The legal industry has been heavily impacted by the pandemic.
As we’ve already stated, there’s been a major shift to remote work within the industry. Social distancing guidelines meant endless legal professionals had to learn to work from their homes.
In many ways, this led to the increase in solo attorneys. Upon being forced to operate remotely, a herd of legal professionals realized they didn’t need their firm as much as they once thought.
As a result, these entrepreneurial lawyers and attorneys decided to go into business for themselves.
Why Do Attorneys Go Solo?
The underlying reason behind the solo attorney trend is a mixed bag. Let’s break down some of the motives for this new movement.
1. There’s the financial aspect
Any time you work for someone else, you’re paying for it somehow.
When legal professionals realized they could work just as well without their firms, many decided they’d rather take on a bit of extra work in exchange for more economic opportunity.
2. There is a big change in the legal industry just beyond the horizon.
According to Forbes, the pandemic highlighted our ability to automate many parts of the legal process.
Experts predict that the future of legal professionals will be much more varied. They’ll likely switch focuses more than previous generations have, with technology becoming an integral component of their work.
Attorneys who realize this might want to distance themselves from larger, slower firms so they can capitalize on emerging trends.
3. There’s the desire to specialize.
Maybe you’re at a firm where you’re forced to focus on one of the most competitive areas of law, making it harder for you to land new clients. Maybe you just want to switch focuses to one of the highest-paying fields of law.
Whatever the reason, being able to choose the area of law you focus on is a huge benefit of going solo.
If you’ve decided to take the plunge and launch your own solo practice, your first piece of business is finding the best area of law to practice.
The Best Area of Law to Practice as a Solo Attorney
Despite what some sources may tell you, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer.
While some areas of law, like intellectual property and real estate, are certainly growing faster than others, that doesn’t automatically make them the best choice for you.
You see, the key to your success as a solo attorney isn’t having the absolute widest appeal, but appealing to a niche that can keep your client roster full.
While a wider market can help, it can also hinder you.
Bigger markets can mean more competition, meaning you have to have extremely strong credentials and marketing to win clients.
Instead of just gunning at the biggest market, you should instead take a moment to consider the nuances of your approach.
The first thing to focus on is what areas are likely to provide work long-term. With the rise of technology and AI for small business, there’s a strong chance that many legal areas will see sharp declines in the future.
On the flip side, choosing an area that’s likely to remain stable will set you up to be an expert in that field when the market shifts, helping you edge out your competition and remain profitable.
Speaking of expertise, it’s a good idea to leverage your preexisting knowledge when deciding on the best area of law to practice.
If you already have an extensive understanding of the criminal defense, you can use that to better appeal to potential clients.
That said, you should also consider where your passion lies. If you’re leaving a firm where you worked primarily on projects you disliked, make a switch.
Just make sure you do your homework. Your track record is an important part of your marketing strategy. Winning cases and having positive outcomes for clients is crucial to your future success.
If you’d like to transition to a new area of law, consider sticking with the area you already know while you study up. You can then slowly transition away from your current area, allowing you to study up on the new domain of law while staying profitable.
Finally, consider the potential client you’d most like to work with.
Building a personal connection with people is a fantastic way to differentiate yourself as an attorney. With public trust in many authority figures declining, there’s plenty of room for you to win new clients.
If you find you can find a group of people you resonate with on a personal level, you can market yourself to them using their legal needs as a guide.
This will help you keep your work enjoyable while increasing the return on investment of your marketing strategies.
Conclusion
As a solo attorney, targeting a section of the market that allows you to differentiate yourself from the competition is the key to growth.
Further Reading
- Fields of Law
- Three Steps To Developing A Successful Legal Niche
- Retaining Customers Can Be Easy! 4 Strategies to Implement Now
- Return to Office Makes a Big Difference for Budding Lawyers
The best area of law to practice depends on your expertise, your interests, and the clientele you most connect with. Considering these things and using them to pinpoint your niche will allow you to win clients and keep your solo practice growing into the future.
If you’re looking to launch a solo practice, a virtual office from Alliance Virtual Offices can help. You’ll gain access to a virtual office address you can use to register your practice, establish credibility, and start practicing law in a way that works for you.
