Many lawyers told us that they continue to practice law because it pays better than anything else they can do and they have certain financial needs that can only be met by continuing to make their current level of income or more. We also have a disturbing tendency to live beyond our means and to engage in subtle forms of self sabotage in money matters. We overspend our income based on expectations of ever increasing compensation. We are then in no position to take advantage of opportunities that come our way, opportunities that might make us happier, unless they immediately pay more than our current compensation levels. Gaining control over one's finances is the first step.
Every law practice is a solo practice.
In law firms, departments or agencies, the solo practices are joined together for some period of time. In every case, though, the individual lawyer is starting and building a solo practice. Yet, very little career design is being done by individual lawyers or their firms. Recognizing that a law practice develops in certain fairly well defined stages is the first step to designing a career that will be successful for the individual lawyer. Stage I is the introductory lawyer.