Home Office Lawyer

Faculty Announcement - Carolyn Elefant

This is exciting, my friend and fellow blogger Carolyn Elefant has been named to the faculty at Solo Practice University™.

Carolyn Elefant is a lawyer, author and blogger. She will teach a course entitled ‘Starting Your Own Bar Association’ at Solo Practice University™.

Carolyn is founder and principal attorney in the Law Offices of Carolyn Elefant (LOCE). Prior to founding LOCE, Carolyn worked as an associate attorney for the law firm of Duncan and Allen, a national energy boutique located in Washington D.C. from 1990-1993 and served as an attorney advisor with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from 1988 to 1990. In addition, from 1994 through 1997, Carolyn held an adjunct faculty position with the University of Maryland University College Paralegal Studies Program where she taught contract law.

Carolyn’s law practice is focused on energy work, including emerging renewable energy development and compliance/enforcement issues, appeals, and civil rights litigation. To learn more about her law practice, visit her website, Law Offices of Carolyn Elefant, the trade association that she co-founded and for which she serves as regulatory counsel Ocean Renewable Energy Coalition and her law firm blog, LOCE Offshore Wind and Wave Energy Blog. In addition, she also blogs at American Law Media’s Legal Blogwatch.

Solo by Choice: How to Be the Lawyer You Always Wanted to Be

Carolyn is the creator of MyShingle.com, a popular weblog for and about solo lawyers and small law firms. MyShingle was the first of the now dozen or so blogs by other solo and small firm lawyers who generously offer their wisdom on a range of issues like starting a firm, working from home, maximizing use of technology and share their own personal experience of the process of going solo.

MyShingle lead to a book deal and in January 2008, her publisher, Decision Books released her book, Solo by Choice: How to Be the Lawyer You Always Wanted to Be . The first major book on solo practice in five years, Solo by Choice is a why to book that explores the benefits of starting a law practice, as well as a how to book on leveraging 21st century trends like outsourcing, social networking, alternative billing and the Internet to start and create a successful practice.

Source for Post Solo Practice University™.

New Design Over at Home Office Warrior

We have a new design up over at Home Office Warrior. So, don't panic when you visit and it doesn't look the same. Hope you like it.

My Law Practice on a Treadmill Desk

Lisa Solomon posted about her new home office desk on her blog Legal Research & Writing Pro Blog. You have to check this out.

A contract lawyering practice is very conducive to working from home. When you work from home, you can arrange your office to suit your needs. You can also wear what you want.

My continuing quest to get into better shape, along with the time limitations of a busy professional and personal life, have led me to put together this treadmill desk.

Lisa states, "the treadmill (which I bought in 2003) has been gathering dust in the family room since 2004. I already had the laptop and extra monitor. The cart next to the treadmill is used during the summer to ferry food from the kitchen to the patio for barbecues."

This is not Lisa's full time desk, but it is a great idea on how we can work and doing something to get off our rear-ends at the same time.

Source for Post Legal Research & Writing Pro Blog.

Legal Services, Technology and the Virtual Office

This is a new post today from Virtual Law Office Technology, LLC which gives some brief details what the ABA is up to with the question of "the delivery of legal services." Stephanie also provides a way for you to get a copy of her new eBook where she discusses in detail using Web 2.0 technology and delivering legal services to your clients.

The ABA’s Standing Committee on The Delivery of Legal Services will hold an online hearing on Friday, September 26 from 12:00-2:00pm eastern time to examine the use of technology to deliver legal services online. The Committee will listen to technology providers and attorneys regarding the technologies used and any policies that govern its use. The Committee will determine from the hearings whether the creation of policies is needed to assist practitioners in providing online legal services.

VLOTech plans to submit to the hearing committee its ebook entitled ‘Practicing Law Online: Creating a Web-Based Virtual Law Office.’ The ebook discusses in detail the Web 2.0 technology used by VLOTech attorneys to practice law online and discusses ethical considerations and best practice tips recommended for providing online legal services.  If you would like a copy of the ebook, please email Stephanie Kimbro at skimbro@vlotech.net. If you would like to view the online hearing, details about the presenters and schedule will be posted on The Standing Committee on The Delivery of Legal Services’ website.

Source for Post Virtual Law Office Technology, LLC.

Working from Home Benefits the Client

Build a Solo Practice, LLC has a great post this morning called, When going home to go to work benefits the client.

One more reason to move your law office home. It works, really. While I agree with Susan, it is not for everyone. Don't discount it until you have given it some series research and thought.

By the way, while you are over at Build a Solo Practice, LLC, make sure you sign up for updates to the upcoming Solo Practice University.

Lawyers Can't Work from Home

I bet that got your attention. Especially since it was posted on the Home Office Lawyer. Well, Jay Fleischman certainly got my attention when he posted this, Why Consumer Bankruptcy Lawyers Can't Work from Home.

This is a great post by Jay which really nails it why some attorneys will not practice from home. "Fear of the unknown, fear of changing the way you think about your world. Fear of how people - your clients, your colleagues, your judges - perceive you."

However, Jay takes it a step further and gives the one reason no one wants to hear. "Because you have no confidence."

Go over to Jay's POST and get the "rest of the story."

Leveraging Your Time - Part 2

The Virtual Lawyer put up a followup to How can lawyers leverage their time this week, called Leveraging Your Time - Part 2. In his post, Roger, the "V-lawyer" mentioned one tool I do use and that is a virtual assistant. Take a look at Roger's post HERE. It is a good one and I hope just the 2nd in a long series of leveraging your time.

Solo or not to Solo, that is the question

Only you can say if solo practice is right for you. That is a recent post on Build a Solo Practice, LLC.

Susan makes one statement in her post that really struck a nerve. "There are plenty within the legal profession (and without) ready to dash your dreams as they impose their own fears and agendas upon you." Oh how true. But, I truly think there is more and some of it worse.

First, while some do have fears. I think there are just as many who are really jealous. Yes, I said it. They are jealous that those of us who go solo, actually had the gonads to do so. They are jealous they are still working for a firm or a partner in a firm and because of that, have to answer to someone or something.

Next, there are those who simple can't put their big firm echo aside and actually think someone working in a solo firm, god forbid in a home office solo firm is actually practicing law. And we do. I would venture to guess those of us in solo or small firms, do more practicing of law than some in the big law firms. We are actually representing Joe Public. And, believe it or not big law, we represent businesses, corporations and government entities. And we do it well.

And, there are those who actually feel you should not practice as a solo. Early in my legal career, I was attending a CLE in Wichita, Kansas. While attending the CLE, the director of our state ethics bar actually said in public, "no one should practice as a solo." I only wish I would have had available to me than the same technology I have available today. I would have recorded those comments and made them a permanent mp3 on this blog. But, it is comments like that which shows just exactly what causes some to never chance their dream of being a solo attorney. Don't listen to them.

Instead, read blogs like Build a Solo Practice, LLC. And subscribe to her E-zine for continued information about solo practice.

Home Office - The Right Location can make a difference

Separating the home office from the rest of the home, or the family activities can be a challenge at best. You have to create some sort of division between your home office and the rest of the home to maintain some form of productivity and to ensure your success as a home office professional. If you have the same option that I had, you should try to find a room that is as isolated from the rest of the house as possible. I use a room in my basement. Some others I know, use the attic, a spare bedroom, or a converted back room of the house. Still others use a room in the garage and even an outbuilding completely separate from the main house structure. The smaller the home, the more of a challenge it will be.

Personally I am not in favor of trying to use a room for your home office and also for other family functions. And I don't believe you can be productive if you use dividers in an attempt to separate yourself from the rest of the house. As they say in the movies, "get a room." And have a door you can shut.

In my home office and even though it is in the basement, I have a separate outside entrance to my office. Not that I make it a practice to meet my clients at my house. But it it nice to know if I do, they don't have to interrupt the rest of the house. Having a separate entrance may be important to you. This can also be a consideration as to where in the home you will put your home office.

Get organized!! If you use files, try to have the room for as many file cabinets as you might need. I scan as much of my files as I can. Two reasons. One, saves on the necessity for square footage. Second, if I leave the office I have my files with me and when I am in the office, I don't have to look for a file folder. It is all on my computer. How much space you have available in your home office may decide for you whether you will be a paperLESS office or not.

The main concern in deciding whether you are going to be a home office professional or not is will you have enough room. Enough room to be comfortable, to do the work you need to do and to store and organize the things you need.

Fear Holding You Back -- Get Over It!!

Chuck Newton has hit the nail on the head again with his post called, I Think It Is Fear. Chuck brings up one of the reasons for not putting your office in your home, FEAR. And he is also right when he says it is a mindset issue. While I usually don't agree with Chuck on political issues. We tend to almost agree on issues surrounding the home office.