Tag Archives: Learning the Ropes

Choosing a Practice Area

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10-16-2013 4-34-22 PMIn my last post, I shared some words of wisdom from our If I Only Knew panelists at Learning the Ropes 2013.  This week I’m offering further advice from our panelists on how to choose an area of practice:

Business and Financial Considerations

  • In what businesses do you have knowledge and expertise?
  • Do you have special contacts in a particular field?
  • Can you identify a specific market for your legal services?
  • What is the competition like? 
  • Are there enough clients to warrant another practitioner in the geographic area? 
  • Can you provide better, less expensive, or more convenient service?
  • What are your cash flow considerations?

Personal Considerations

  • What area of law do you like?
  • What kind of clients do you want to represent?
    • Businesses
    • Individuals
    • High income – estate planning, business, real estate
    • Low income – poverty law, domestic relations, consumer law
  • What challenges you?
  • What gives you great satisfaction?

Other Considerations

Overall, do you prefer civil or criminal? If civil, do you see yourself as a litigator or transactional lawyer?  If criminal, how do you feel about court-appointed work?

Still Unsure?  Conduct Informational Interviews

If you are unsure about what area to practice in, talk with people who practice in the areas that you might be interested in. Take them out to lunch or to coffee and conduct an “informational interview.”

You’re Off and Running

Once you figure out what area you do want to practice in, try to develop your marketing niche.  This may be the practice area itself, or it may be a twist that differentiates you from someone else in your geographical area. Figure out your difference, and make sure that people know what it is.  Sample marketing plans, business development checklists, and marketing worksheets are available on the PLF Web site.

Parting Words

Practicing is a process, and changes are inevitable — what you choose may be a stepping stone to something else.

Learning the Ropes 2013

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Are you new to private practice? Then I have just the ticket for you!

Attend our three day conference – Learning the Ropes: A Practical Skills & Ethics Workshop – for a mere $65.  Attendance at the full program satisfies the MCLE requirements for new admittees’ first reporting period.

Choose from these concurrent sessions:

  • Domestic Relations or Criminal Law
  • Tort Litigation or Estate Planning
  • Civil Motion Practice or Bankruptcy
  • Creating a Firm or Joining a Firm

Can’t decide?  All tracks are recorded for later viewing at no charge.

Plenary sessions include:

  • How to Develop a Successful Practice and Avoid Legal Malpractice
  • Client Communication and Other Practice Management Survival Tips
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • The Ethics of Practice Management
  • Recognizing Child Abuse and Fulfilling Your Duty to Report
  • Negotiation Tips, Tricks, Traps, and Tools
  • Courtroom Do’s and Don’ts
  • Employment Law and Conscientious Communication
  • Bridging the Cultural Gap

Day 1 includes a “Meet the Judges” luncheon.  Day 2 features a networking luncheon with bar leaders and respected practitioners in the fields of Appeals, Criminal Law, Employment Law, Intellectual Property, Business Litigation, Debtor/Creditor Law, Estate Planning, Litigation, Business Transactions, Elder Law, Family Law, and Real Estate.

All meals, including the luncheons, are included in your $65 workshop fee.  The program is at the Oregon Convention Center November 6-8, 2013.  Register here or visit the PLF Web site > Upcoming Seminars (under the heading Loss Prevention – CLE).  Sign up early.  Space is limited!

Copyright 2013 Beverly Michaelis

Learning the Ropes 2012

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Are you new to private practice? Then I have just the ticket for you!

Attend our three day conference – Learning the Ropes: A Practical Skills & Ethics Workshop – for a mere $65.  Attendance at the full program satisfies the MCLE requirements for new admittees’ first reporting period.

Choose from these concurrent sessions:

  • Creating a Firm (featuring yours truly) or Joining a Firm
  • Tort Litigation or Estate Planning, Guardianships, Conservatorships
  • Domestic Relations or Criminal Law
  • Civil Motion Practice or Bankruptcy

Can’t decide?  All tracks are recorded for later viewing at no charge.

Plenary sessions include:

  • How to Develop a Successful Practice and Avoid Legal Malpractice
  • Client Communication and Other Practice Management Survival Tips
  • The Ethics of Practice Management
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • Recognizing Child Abuse and Fulfilling Your Duty to Report
  • Courtroom Do’s and Don’ts
  • Negotiation Tips, Tricks, Traps, and Tools
  • Bridging the Cultural Gap
  • Employment Law and Conscientious Communication (a new addition in 2012!)

Day 1 includes a “Meet the Judges” luncheon.  Day 2 features a networking luncheon with bar leaders and respected practitioners in the fields of Appeals, Criminal Law, Employment Law, Intellectual Property, Business Litigation, Debtor/Creditor Law, Estate Planning, Litigation, Business Transactions, Elder Law, Family Law, and Real Estate.

All meals, including the luncheons, are included in your $65 workshop fee.  The program is at the Oregon Convention Center October 31, November 1, and November 2, 2012.  Register here or visit the PLF Web site > Upcoming Seminars (under the heading Loss Prevention – CLE).  Sign up early.  Space is limited!

Copyright 2012 Beverly Michaelis

Learning the Ropes

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On October 7, 2010 the newest admittees to the Oregon State Bar were sworn in at a ceremony held in Oregon’s state capitol.  If you are among this group, or new to private practice, consider attending our annual three-day conference, “Learning the Ropes.”

Held on November 3, 4, and 5 at the DoubleTree Lloyd Center Hotel in Portland, Oregon, this conference meets new admittee MCLE requirements for the first reporting year.  For $65, or the meager sum of $4.12 per credit hour, attendees will hear presentations on the following topics:

  • How to Develop a Successful Practice and Avoid Legal Malpractice
  • Client Communication and Other Practice Management Survival Tips
  • Multigenerational Communication
  • Recognizing and Representing Clients with Mental Health Impairments
  • The Ethics of Practice Management (featuring yours truly and colleagues Dee Crocker and Sheila Blackford)
  • Courtroom Do’s and Don’ts
  • Recognizing Child Abuse and Fulfilling Your Duty to Report
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • Negotiation Tips, Tricks, and Tools
  • Bridging the Cultural Gap

On Day 1 of the conference, attendees will choose from concurrent sessions:

  • Tort Litigation or Criminal Law
  • Domestic Relations or Estate Planning, Guardianships, and Conservatorships
  • Civil Motion Practice or Business/Real Estate Transactions
  • Intellectual Property or Employment Law

(Don’t worry – all sessions are recorded.  If you choose “Tort Litigation,” and want to hear the concurrent presentation on “Criminal Law,” you can order the recorded program at no charge, provided you are a lawyer in private practice in the state of Oregon.)

On Day 2, choose “Creating a Firm” and attend my presentation on “Setting Up and Running a Law Practice,” followed by “If I Only Knew, Practice Tips and Advice from Practitioners.”  If you are an associate in a firm, or looking to join an existing practice, choose “Joining a Firm” and attend “Practice Management Tips from Lawyers Joining Firms” (with my colleague Dee Crocker), followed by “Success Tips from Associates and Partners.”

As you can see, this conference covers a lot of ground.  Registration includes breakfast all three days and two luncheons:  Meet the Judges on Day 1 (November 3) and Meet the Bar Leaders on Day 2 (November 4).  Both luncheons are invaluable networking opportunities.  Where else will you get the opportunity to talk to a judge informally and ask questions?  Or speak to two or three bar leaders hosting tables in the following areas of practice: Appeals, Business Litigation, Business Transactions, Criminal Law, Debtor/Creditor, Elder Law, Employment Law, Estate Planning, Family Law, Intellectual Property, Litigation, or Real Estate.

To register, visit the PLF Web site.  From the home page, select Upcoming Seminars under the Loss Prevention heading.  If you are new to Oregon, newly admitted, or new to private practice, I hope you come.  I also extend a cordial invitation to all Oregon lawyers to attend the Resource Fair scheduled for November 19 at the Oregon State Bar Center.