Small Law Firms

Part Of The Community

The feeling of being a part of the larger community is (yet) another reason why in spite of the often precarious nature of SmallLaw, it doesn’t take long before you can’t imagine doing anything else.

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One of the many great things about having a SmallLaw practice is the feeling of being a part of the community. A solo/small-firm law office is just another small business, and it’s hard not to feel a sense of kinship with other people who provide services directly to the public. The local community bank, the shoeshine shop down the street, the deli on the corner, the video/toy store, to name a few.

Sometimes I even delude myself into thinking they might see me that way. Certainly I get a different reaction when I tell folks I have my own practice than I did when I was part of a large firm. A lot of times shop owners will start talking about their struggles or any new regulations that are hurting their business. Or we’ll start talking about having a landlord, negotiating a lease, taking out insurance policies, and the like. When I was in Biglaw, it was rare that I could say to a small businessperson: “I know just what you mean. I’m one of 500 attorneys in a huge office building. We have a cafeteria, our own marketing department, and a guy who comes around to shine our shoes. So I can definitely relate to your experience running a small business.”

Large law firms are more of a closed environment, especially in the associate ranks, partly because you have to be there all time. Working all those hours chained to a desk, it’s hard to get out into the community much. Other than having lunch across the street, a lot of Biglaw attorneys might as well be in the Annapolis. And being force-fed work, there’s no real work-related reason to ever get out and meet the folks around the office.

Whereas eating what you kill encourages SmallLaw practitioners to get to know their neighbors and to join programs like BNI and other networking organizations, where you come into contact with other people trying to make ends meet doing their own thing. A CPA with her own practice, an interior designer, an architect — all are people who can completely relate to going out finding clients, and I’ve been amazed how incredibly helpful people can be in making introductions and telling me about interesting events and opportunities. There’s an almost palpable sense of the fact that we’re all in this together.

Most small businesspersons know that an attorney at a large firm is going to be prohibitively expensive, and frankly, probably won’t have any idea how to handle their matter. An attorney with his own practice, on the other hand, is someone they might be able to use. Back when I was doing triathlons, there was a person I regularly visited who, shall we say, got my body ready for the races (hardcore cyclists/triathletes can probably guess what she did). My four years of being a mediocre triathlete happened to span my time at Treasury, my foray back to Biglaw, and then starting my practice. She and I would generally make perfunctory conversation about my work, and then move on to more interesting things like grass growing. But the day I told her I was going out on my own, her eyes lit up, and she started talking about her future business plans and how with opening other stores there would be all kinds of legal issues I could help with.

The feeling of being a part of the larger community is (yet) another reason why in spite of the often precarious nature of SmallLaw (“Oh my God, I just wrapped up a big case. What am I going to do now??”), it doesn’t take long before you can’t imagine doing anything else.

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Gary J. Ross opened his own practice, Jackson Ross PLLC, in 2013 after several years in Biglaw and the federal government. Gary handles corporate and compliance matters for investment funds, small businesses, and non-profits, occasionally dabbling in litigation. You can reach Gary by email at Gary.Ross@JacksonRossLaw.com.

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