Solo Out of Law School: A "How Can" Guide to Starting a Law Firm as a New Attorney

There are plenty of books out there about the practical aspects of opening a law practice. This book is different. Solo out of Law School is a book for both law students thinking about a solo career and attorneys looking to open their own firms. It's about mindset, motivation, and viewing your solo career with perspective that allows you to see yourself and your work as something you can be proud of. It's not a "how to" guide to starting a law practice. It doesn't say anything about the tools you'll need or whether to open a brick and mortar office. Rather, it's a "how can" guide to developing the mental toughness and right mindset to succeed as a solo attorney. It's a collection of little lessons and simple reminders for when your choice to go solo in the first place come into doubt. Solo out of Law School is about finding the strength and motivation to keep pushing. By embracing the words on its pages, my hope is that you'll realize, no matter how much you doubt yourself or second-­guess your actions, you are good enough to be successful as your own boss.

Michael Brennan (University of the Pacific, McGeorge, JD ’10, University of Wisconsin-Madison, B.A. ’07) is a solo practitioner currently residing in Illinois. He operates a virtual law office serving clients throughout Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. His practice focuses on estate planning and legal issues commonly seen in the entrepreneurial and small business realm. Michael started The Virtual Attorney with little more than a dream and a computer. He learned how to operate a law firm by simply doing it. He hopes that, by sharing his story and the lessons he learned along the way, he can provide others with the tools they need to realize they too can make their dreams of working for themselves a reality.