Deciding on Areas of Practice

There's an old quote "Jack of all trades, master of none". These words of wisdom also hold true when starting a law practice. If you are starting right out of law school, you will not have enough experience or time to learn how to handle every case that comes your way, especially cases that are more complex. Focusing on one, two or three practice areas that are related will allow you to become a "Master" of your particular niche of the law. This does not mean that you cannot draft simple Wills or contracts for business owners if you primarily practice family law. It merely means that limiting yourself to one or two practice areas will help you build your practice faster and keep you out of trouble with the disciplinary board.

There are so many potential areas of practice, how do you choose?

Each one of us has our own strengths, weaknesses and comfort zones. If you the idea of defending a person accused of a crime terrifies or repulses you, you should probably cross criminal defense off you list. Some people enjoy working in the quite and comfort of their office and rarely stepping foot in a courthouse. These types of people might thrive in the areas of real estate, personal planning, tax or business formation. For some, the thought of pushing papers in an office all day long might cause them to feel intensely bored. These people might consider civil litigation, criminal defense or family law- all areas that allow you to present arguments in court on a fairly regular basis.

You some people, sitting with a pen and paper might not be helpful enough. Try to locate alumni from your law school or use your networking connections to set up informational interviews. Most attorneys are happy to help new lawyers and provide them with information and advice whenever they can. Ask if you can buy them a cup of coffee and ask some questions about the areas they practice. Ask about their experiences and what a typical day is like for them. Create a list of pros and cons for each practice area that you are considering. Continue to narrow your list of potential practice areas down until you have one or two solid options.