Check to see if there are any states where you can be admitted to the bar without further examination if you already are a member in another state. The list changes from time to time, and with the use of the National Bar Examination new areas may be opening up.
If you are going to start by opening your own office, remember that a law practice is based on people. The more people you know who think of you as a lawyer, the more clients you will have. If you have a big family and many friends somewhere, give serious consideration to opening up there. You will have a built-in referral system that should pay off fairly quickly, and the familiar surroundings will require less personal adjustment.
When I first looked for a place to practice in California, far from my original home, family and friends, I sent a detailed resume of my background to the presiding judge of each superior court in the state, along with a letter asking about the opportunities for practice in the county. Surprisingly, I received a personal response from each one of them, some fairly long, giving much valuable information. Some judges gave me a run-down on the various firms, a few suggested places where there might be job openings, and one even told me of an office for rent where a recently deceased lawyer had practiced for over twenty years. The most interesting was from a judge who wrote that a young lawyer starting out could do very well in his county "if there was a willingness to compromise oneself and be a whore for the lumber industry."
Additionally, I studied Audit Bureau of Circulation reports, chamber of commerce publications, census records and telephone yellow pages at the library for detailed background on the various places in the state. I traveled around so I could physically inspect areas and cities and personally talk to practicing lawyers and other persons in the communities: storekeepers, teachers, clergy, police officers, elected officials, and others.
You never know what you are going to run into. I once visited a beautiful mountain agricultural area with only 1,500 people living in the county seat. At a big ranch where I stopped to chat, I was invited to lunch. The rancher and his wife were delightful, well-educated people. They told me that this particular small county had about 40 percent college graduates and about 10 percent had advanced degrees. In their opinion, a new lawyer would have a difficult time because most of the moneyed people in the community used lawyers in a large city about one hundred miles distant.
I asked about their cultural interests. They replied that evening, for example, the county amateur symphony society was meeting in their barn; he played the bassoon and she played the cello. There were two book discussion groups every month, a scientific forum, and lots more. This place sounded so good that I almost forgot that I would have to make a living, and I gave it serious thought for awhile.
Within a couple of weeks, I began to get a feeling of where I would probably settle. Finally, everything merged, and four cities stood out as ideal locations. I picked one, and over the years, was extremely satisfied that I had made a proper choice. Later on, when I was doing well, other lawyers in the community often suggested that neophytes looking for a place to light see me for ideas. Whenever I could make the time, I would talk to them. Many lawyers will do the same. It is a chance to relax for a few minutes and extend the hand of friendship to a new member of the fraternity.
One such visit was with a young lawyer who was single and free to go practically anywhere. We talked about the two hundred lawyers in my court "trading area," the most common types of practice, usual overhead expenses, and fees charged, chances for success, and so on. We also discussed the cultural activities available, organizations he might consider joining, nearby recreational activities, and the like. Our conversation turned to a dam scheduled for construction in about six months. It was up in the mountains, some 30 miles from nowhere. The only businesses at the moment were a crossroads country store and a bar. A survey crew living in a couple of trailers added to the small population. But once work on the dam started, there would be thousands of construction people in the area. I suggested he consider renting a small piece of ground and building a two-room law office up there, right outside where the main gate would be. Neither of us knew whether it would prove to be any good, but he left the meeting intrigued with the possibilities.
Doing most of the work himself, he erected an Abraham Lincoln-type wooden shack, complete with porch and a swinging sign bearing his name and the word "Lawyer." For four or five months, as expected, he did not get much business. Even during that period, however, he did pick up some small contract work and drew a will for one of the local farmers and then came the inundation. Work on the dam started. Overnight, thousands of construction workers passed his office every day. He was the only lawyer for miles around. And all his clients had ready cash.
A few years later, as the dam was nearing completion, he stopped by my office to tell me he was moving away to a neighboring state and was going to get married. I asked why he did not bring his bride down here instead. With a chuckle, he replied, "They're building a new dam up there."
While it is nice to be able to start practice with a fine library, leather furniture, and a top-notch secretary, it is quite possible to get along with less. Many of today's successful lawyers started practice without even the proverbial nickel. If they had no books, they put up law school casebooks. A few may have told their clients that they practiced "unwritten law." Others may have suggested that they never let the authorities prejudice their viewpoints. Most probably said they were just starting out and did their research over at the county law library at the courthouse. For the bookshelves they did need, they used stained boards propped up on cinder blocks. For furniture, they got secondhand pieces and refinished them at home. Many did their own typing until they could afford to hire someone.
When I was going to New York University just before World War II, the Great Depression was still on, and I had a chance to observe the most extreme shoestring law practices in operation. Sad though it is to reflect upon, it does illustrate how some enterprising individuals in the worst of times were able to continue to practice law and manage to squeeze out a living for themselves and their families. About 50 lawyers hung around Grand Central Station all day--that was their office. Each had cards printed up with name, post office box number, and the telephone number of a pay phone in the station which always had an "Out of Order" sign hanging on it. When a call came in, the nearest lawyer would answer, "Law offices." When the client gave the name of his lawyer, that person would be called to the telephone. After talking to his client, the lawyer would go to his file, a cardboard box kept in a dime-a-day luggage locker. He typed his letters and pleadings on a rental typewriter nearby.
I hope such severe challenges to legal ingenuity will never again arise. But the point to remember out of all this is that even if you start small, if you have the desire to practice law and the fortitude to hang in for a while, there is a good chance that you will succeed.
Today, with computers and applicable software, and an answering machine to take your messages, it is fairly easy to start a do-it-yourself law office. Law book companies are happy to give you a line of credit if you want to fill the shelves. Be careful, however, that you do not overbuy because the monthly payments seem so low.
There are many sources of leads on jobs, association possibilities, and places to practice. For example, at county seats throughout the country the little newspapers specializing in real estate and court news contain legal notices, court filings and calendars, and often advertisements for legal positions. In the large cities there are legal newspapers loaded with columns of ads for lawyers wanted, not only in those cities, but all over that state and other areas as well. Many students and graduates will, of course, use the law school placement office. But they also graduated as undergraduates from a college. Recently, I spoke with a new lawyer who neglected this resource because there was no law school where she got her B.A. When she checked back with them, she found that several alumni were looking for lawyers who had gone there. She wound up on the legal staff of a fairly large computer corporation whose president was a fellow graduate.
Generally, the bigger the city the better is the possibility for a high salary. The centers of industry and commerce attract the larger law firms and create the volume of business which allows more money to be paid to new lawyers.
In the smaller communities, several established firms usually control most of the good law practice in the area. They represent most of the larger businesses and wealthier people. The senior partners in these firms have long-established, interlocking, rooted family connections. They are the lawyers who pull the power strings, work behind the scenes, and control the policies of the major governmental and other institutions in the community. But there is always room in these places for a good young solo practitioner to handle cases against the establishment firms. A few victories in court, or well handled negotiations, will soon make the older lawyers aware of fresh talent in town, and quite often, when they have something which they cannot handle in their own offices, they will refer a client to someone whom they can trust to reflect favorably on their recommendation.
