2L Need to Prepare to go Solo in 24 Months Forum

[Anonymous User]

Here's the deal, I know I am not in a good spot. Took scholarship $$$ to go to a TTT (didn't know about TLS until a couple months ago). I have recently become aware of just how terrible the legal market is upon discovering most of the 3Ls I know that graduated earlier this year with nothing or shitty prospects.

The good news: I will only graduate with about $35K in debt because I was able to meet my scholly stipulations. I have worked at a few civil firms already, and am currently working at a general civil practice firm in a secondary market (firm takes everything that comes through the door). I know that it's a longshot this will turn into an offer of any sort, and if it does I'm sure the pay will be shit regardless, so I am just working my ass off to get as much experience as possible to start my own firm.

Here's what I figure: I'm going to take the bar July 2014 and hopefully find out I passed in November 2014. I know grades are meaningless at this point. I have two years to become as prepared as possible to open my own firm. Let's be clear, I want to be successful. I'll accept 30K-40K net for the first couple years but I NEED to be one of those success stories. Life is too short and I will do whatever it takes. No wife. No kids. I have worked for some of the dumbest attorneys in my city and all of them are comfortably earning over 100K after taxes.

Does anyone have any advice or tips that they have seen work?

[red shirt guy]

Here's the deal, I know I am not in a good spot. Took scholarship $$$ to go to a TTT (didn't know about TLS until a couple months ago). I have recently become aware of just how terrible the legal market is upon discovering most of the 3Ls I know that graduated earlier this year with nothing or shitty prospects.

The good news: I will only graduate with about $35K in debt because I was able to meet my scholly stipulations. I have worked at a few civil firms already, and am currently working at a general civil practice firm in a secondary market (firm takes everything that comes through the door). I know that it's a longshot this will turn into an offer of any sort, and if it does I'm sure the pay will be shit regardless, so I am just working my ass off to get as much experience as possible to start my own firm.

Here's what I figure: I'm going to take the bar July 2014 and hopefully find out I passed in November 2014. I know grades are meaningless at this point. I have two years to become as prepared as possible to open my own firm. Let's be clear, I want to be successful. I'll accept 30K-40K net for the first couple years but I NEED to be one of those success stories. Life is too short and I will do whatever it takes. No wife. No kids. I have worked for some of the dumbest attorneys in my city and all of them are comfortably earning over 100K after taxes.

Does anyone have any advice or tips that they have seen work?

Take any class/internship/clinic, etc that will give you actual, practical legal experience. Almost any substantive law that you will be practicing as a young sole practitioner can be studied up on very quickly. Knowing what to actually DO as a lawyer is important and often ignored.

[Grond]

http://www.amazon.com/Practice-Career-S ... 1590312473

This book is a starting point. There are numerous guides of this type, lots of which are linked on that page as well.

[anon168]

Here's the deal, I know I am not in a good spot. Took scholarship $$$ to go to a TTT (didn't know about TLS until a couple months ago). I have recently become aware of just how terrible the legal market is upon discovering most of the 3Ls I know that graduated earlier this year with nothing or shitty prospects.

The good news: I will only graduate with about $35K in debt because I was able to meet my scholly stipulations. I have worked at a few civil firms already, and am currently working at a general civil practice firm in a secondary market (firm takes everything that comes through the door). I know that it's a longshot this will turn into an offer of any sort, and if it does I'm sure the pay will be shit regardless, so I am just working my ass off to get as much experience as possible to start my own firm.

Here's what I figure: I'm going to take the bar July 2014 and hopefully find out I passed in November 2014. I know grades are meaningless at this point. I have two years to become as prepared as possible to open my own firm. Let's be clear, I want to be successful. I'll accept 30K-40K net for the first couple years but I NEED to be one of those success stories. Life is too short and I will do whatever it takes. No wife. No kids. I have worked for some of the dumbest attorneys in my city and all of them are comfortably earning over 100K after taxes.

Does anyone have any advice or tips that they have seen work?

Need to know type of practice and the state you intend to practice in. PM me if you want.

But generally look at your local bar organization or state bar for resources. Many of them have "solo in a box" type of programs.

Good luck.

[eav1277]

i know you don't want to out yourself but would you mind stating what school you attend (in order to make those thinking of attending the school aware of current job prospects) keep posting anon if you'd like

[dextermorgan]

i know you don't want to out yourself but would you mind stating what school you attend (in order to make those thinking of attending the school aware of current job prospects) keep posting anon if you'd like

All TTTs have shitty job prospects.

[EdgarWinter]

.

[PickMe!]

Your ambition is admirable and I hope you make it but if you have to sacrifice a wife and kids to lead a loveless $100k lifestyle that would probably not be worth it.

-wife -kids =loveless $100k lifestyle? Hello assumptions!

[rad lulz]

i know you don't want to out yourself but would you mind stating what school you attend (in order to make those thinking of attending the school aware of current job prospects) keep posting anon if you'd like

All TTTs have shitty job prospects.

Apparently not

--LinkRemoved--

[Anonymous User]

OP here. Thank you to everyone who contributed.

Take any class/internship/clinic, etc that will give you actual, practical legal experience. Almost any substantive law that you will be practicing as a young sole practitioner can be studied up on very quickly. Knowing what to actually DO as a lawyer is important and often ignored.

Thanks for this. This was actually one of my ideas too and my school offers a few of these classes.

http://www.amazon.com/Practice-Career-S ... 1590312473. This book is a starting point. There are numerous guides of this type, lots of which are linked on that page as well.

Thanks, I'll definitely check this out and read it over break this winter.\

Need to know type of practice and the state you intend to practice in. PM me if you want. But generally look at your local bar organization or state bar for resources. Many of them have "solo in a box" type of programs. Good luck.

Thanks, I guess I need to pay them a visit and check out what they have. What does "solo in a box" mean?

i know you don't want to out yourself but would you mind stating what school you attend (in order to make those thinking of attending the school aware of current job prospects) keep posting anon if you'd like

All TTTs have shitty job prospects.

^This.

[Anonymous User]

Your ambition is admirable and I hope you make it but if you have to sacrifice a wife and kids to lead a loveless $100k lifestyle that would probably not be worth it.

-wife -kids =loveless $100k lifestyle? Hello assumptions!

OP here. I did not say I am going to sacrifice having a wife and kids to reach a $100K lifestyle. Even though I also agree that it is a false assumption to say that having neither means I will have a "loveless $100K lifestyle," I do eventually want to have a family. But I am still young, in no rush, and would prefer to become financially stable before I even enter into a serious relationship at this point. What I meant is that I CURRENTLY do not have a wife or kids and therefore no support obligations to anyone but myself. Thus, I can focus all of my resources and attention towards starting and building my own law practice. Sorry for being unclear.

[bizzybone1313]

As I am sure you have heard, a lot of people complain about how they are going to get the seed money to start their solo. If you need seed money, come over here to my hometown area of West Texas (Odessa/Midland) and work in the oil field. You can probably make $60kish in a year. We have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. Save all of this money and go start your firm somewhere.

[BeautifulSW]

Re: Midland/ Odessa. The area is exploding economically. I used to live in the New Mexican corner of the Permian Basin; it was allegedly on its last legs back then. This was clearly wrong. If the OP is willing to head out to West Texas and the South Plains, there will be law work and money and it might not even be necessary to hang a shingle.

Now. The problem is, actually LIVING in the Oil Patch is...difficult. You are a million miles from anywhere, it's ugly unless you love derricks and pumpjacks, and it often smells bad. Really bad. Occasionally even fatally bad. But a six figure income as a lawyer is quite possible if that is the goal.

[rad lulz]

i know you don't want to out yourself but would you mind stating what school you attend (in order to make those thinking of attending the school aware of current job prospects) keep posting anon if you'd like

All TTTs have shitty job prospects.

^This.

Apparently not

--LinkRemoved--

Though I guess it depends on how you define "shitty."

[TooOld4This]

Here's the deal, I know I am not in a good spot. Took scholarship $$$ to go to a TTT (didn't know about TLS until a couple months ago). I have recently become aware of just how terrible the legal market is upon discovering most of the 3Ls I know that graduated earlier this year with nothing or shitty prospects.

The good news: I will only graduate with about $35K in debt because I was able to meet my scholly stipulations. I have worked at a few civil firms already, and am currently working at a general civil practice firm in a secondary market (firm takes everything that comes through the door). I know that it's a longshot this will turn into an offer of any sort, and if it does I'm sure the pay will be shit regardless, so I am just working my ass off to get as much experience as possible to start my own firm.

Here's what I figure: I'm going to take the bar July 2014 and hopefully find out I passed in November 2014. I know grades are meaningless at this point. I have two years to become as prepared as possible to open my own firm. Let's be clear, I want to be successful. I'll accept 30K-40K net for the first couple years but I NEED to be one of those success stories. Life is too short and I will do whatever it takes. No wife. No kids. I have worked for some of the dumbest attorneys in my city and all of them are comfortably earning over 100K after taxes.

Does anyone have any advice or tips that they have seen work?

Need to know type of practice and the state you intend to practice in. PM me if you want.

But generally look at your local bar organization or state bar for resources. Many of them have "solo in a box" type of programs.

Good luck.

I'll add to the bolded. Many local bar associations have student memberships and offer formal(ish) mentoring programs. Get hooked into that network now. Also see if there is an Inn of Court near your schools and whether it is possible to seek nomination for membership.