Starting your own law firm can be a rewarding next step in your legal career. It might seem intimidating at first, but a little planning goes a long way. For any law firm just starting out, you’ll want to know something about running a business, which goes beyond the skills necessary for being a good lawyer.
Once you’ve made the decision to start your own firm, or even if you’re still just considering, the resources on this page will help you get started—with everything from developing a business plan and getting your finances in order to finding a steady client base and thinking about the future longevity of your legal practice.
First steps to starting your own law firm
The first steps to starting your own law firm are critical. A passion for practicing law is essential, but beyond that, you'll also need to know how to run the business side of your firm. The more thought you put into these first crucial steps, the better you'll set yourself up for success in the long run.
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How to Write a Law Firm Business Plan
Failing to plan is planning to fail, or so said Benjamin Franklin. Here’s how to write a business plan for your law firm.
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How to Choose Your Legal Niche
In solo and small firm practices, niches can lead to riches. Here are some suggestions for identifying your legal niche.
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How to Calculate Your Hourly Rate
A lawyer’s hourly rate should be based on how much it costs to run a law firm. Learn to calculate an hourly rate that is reasonable and justifiable.
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How to Start Your Own Law Firm
Whether you’re just launching your legal career, or have been practicing for several years, starting your own law firm can be daunting. How do aspiring legal entrepreneurs cope?
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How to Start a Law Firm With No Money
Thinking of starting a law firm with little or no money? Willie Peacock shares his advice.
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7 Things I've Learned Since Starting a Law Firm
Are you ready to start a solo practice? Willie Peacock shares seven things he learned from starting a law firm. There are a few lessons—and a few surprises.
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11 Questions You Should Ask Before Hiring a Law Firm Web Designer
Thinking of hiring a web design company to design your law firm’s website? Ask these questions first.
Read Article 9 min
Getting your first legal clients
When you’re first starting a law firm, acquiring your first clients is a critical factor to achieving profitability. Putting together a strong marketing plan will help ensure you find enough clients to generate revenues. To do so, you’ll need to be up to speed on the resources and strategies available.
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How Do Clients Find Their Lawyers?
There are many ways a potential client may find you, but which channels should your law firm be focusing its marketing strategy on?
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10 Ways Lawyers Can Advertise Online For Free
Law firm marketing might be tricky, but it doesn't have to be expensive. We’ve got a list of ten online places where lawyers can list themselves that are absolutely free.
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Business Development Strategies for Law Firms
Is your law firm’s business development lacking? Whether too focused on looming deadlines or uncertain of the best development approach for their area of law, many law firms do not focus enough energy on building…
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The Do’s and Don’ts of Social Media For Lawyers
Knowing how not to use social media is just as important as what you should be doing. Find out what potential pitfalls and ethics violations lawyers face.
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The Quick Guide to Law Firm SEO
Stumped when it comes to SEO for your law firm website? Check out this quick guide to law firm SEO.
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The Lawyer's Guide to Marketing Your Firm Online
With so many restrictions on the advertising of legal practices, the good news is that there are still ways to market your firm and make it known to potential clients. What’s even better is that…
Managing your law firm finances
The financial status of your legal practice is a reflection of the overall health of your business. When first starting your law firm, it's best to get your books in order early. With the right systems in place, you'll be able to get the information you need to achieve your firm's goals.
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Your Guide to Year-End Law Firm Accounting
Are your firm’s finances in shape? Follow these law firm accounting best practices to set yourself up for success in the new year.
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Better Bookkeeping for Law Firms
Find better clarity and peace of mind in knowing the overall health of your firm's financials. Learn how bookkeeping goes wrong for law firms.
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5 Steps to Easy(ier) Legal Accounting
Every lawyer knows that money matters. That's why it pays to take account of your accounting systems. With the advent of new technologies and legal accounting software, it's time for lawyers to move beyond boxes…
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6 Top Lawyer Tax Deductions
What are the top tax deductions you should be claiming on your tax return as a lawyer? Read on to find out.
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6 Reasons You Should Increase Your Hourly Rate
How much you should charge for your legal services? Start by looking at the value your services provide.
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How to Manage Your Trust Accounting With Clio
The problem with most accounting programs is they're not designed to keep records in the unique manner required of law firms. Legal-specific software tracks individual client and matter ledgers as liabilities separate from your firm's…
Leveraging technology for lawyers
Technology is revolutionizing the way we do business, and the legal profession is no exception. Starting your firm in the digital world means working more efficiently with better, more secure access to all the information at your firm. Learn more about the tools available, and how to apply them to your new legal practice.
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5 Time Management Tips for Lawyers
For many lawyers, 12-hour days are not out of the ordinary. Here are a few time management tips to help lawyers stay balanced and get the most out of their day.
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Why Law Firms Are Moving to the Cloud
Today's lawyers work more and more from home, client offices, hotel rooms, on the road, and in court. Cloud-based software gives you access to the information you need, when and where you need it—without dealing…
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What Technology Does Your Law Firm Actually Need?
How do you choose the right tech for your law firm? What benefits can you expect? What if you just want the basics? Learn about what technology your law firm actually needs.
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Meet Clio: The Easiest Way to Manage Your Firm
You want to manage your law firm better—with less time and effort. And with Clio, you can. Recognized by over 50 bar associations in the United States and worldwide, Clio’s legal practice management software simplifies…
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The Mobile Revolution: What Law Firms Need to Know
A healthy work-life balance is becoming less about separation and more about integration. Having remote access and flexible hours can help us get more done in a day, while also keeping more of our personal…
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Apps for Preventing Lawyer Burnout
In the legal profession, burnout can creep up on you faster than you think. These three apps can help you stay refreshed and recharged while managing your time wisely.
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26 Best Apps for Lawyers
How much time do you spend on your phone every day? (Be honest.) If you find yourself spending more and more time on your mobile device (and we’re betting you do), it could be worth…
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Planning the future for your law firm
Starting a law firm is only the first step. Maintaining a profitable business is a task that will be ongoing. As you grow your client base, your revenue, and maybe your team, improving efficiency and keeping track of all your firm information will become even more important.
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How I Doubled My Law Firm's Revenue (and Where We're Headed Next)
How does a law firm double its revenues year-over-year? Chris Trebatoski of Treblaw LLC shares his advice.
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12 Data-Driven Ways to Improve Your Legal Practice
Being data-driven doesn’t need to be overwhelming. Start with these 12 tips from Mary Juetten and Sam Glover to make your legal practice more efficient.
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Solo Practice vs. Building a Team—What’s Right For You?
Should you have a solo practice, or team up with other talented lawyers to grow your law firm? Hear from lawyers on both sides.
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15 Ways to Level up Your Solo Practice This Year
With the everyday pressures of running a solo practice, it’s hard to prioritize long-term change. Here are 15 ways to invest in your firm’s future, today.
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What to Do in the Event of a Malpractice Claim
The financial costs of a malpractice claim can be enormous. Here's what to do.
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Automate Your Law Firm: Work Smarter, Not Harder
Lawyers are working more than ever before. Hours of billable time are spent doing tedious tasks such as client intake, invoicing, and document creation. You can save hundreds of hours each year by integrating a…
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The Pre-Vacation Checklist for Lawyers
Taking a vacation? Follow this checklist to ensure your law firm keeps running smoothly, and that you return refreshed and recharged.
Read Article 9 min
Starting your law firm is only the beginning
When you make the decision to start your own law firm, know that you don't always need to get everything right the first time.
Every decision (and every mistake) is part of the journey to finding and sustaining your success. The trick is to know where you want to take your firm, and identifying the key milestones that will get you there. This is where a little planning can go a long way.
Part of any legal start-up plan should take into consideration how you’ll manage the administrative side of your law firm. Storing case and contact information, setting up billing workflows, keeping track of your calendars and communications are all integral to running a legal practice. The better prepared you are to manage these functions, the more time you’ll have to work with clients.