If you’re a law firm (solo, small, or medium) that is looking for ways to grow your practice and income during this difficult economic time, then you may want to consider an option that more and more progressive small and medium sized firms are pursuing; inviting “suddenly solo” attorneys who have an established client base to join their practice.

For many attorneys, part of finding that balance between work and life includes taking time off to have children and take care of newborn infants.  Traditionally, balancing work and a new baby means maternity leave (and, sometimes recently, paternity leave, after the enactment of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993).  Recent articles and blogs, however, suggest that a new solution to this work-versus-baby issue is on the rise:  just bring your baby to work.  And these stories are not talking about on-site daycare, but full-time parenting in the office. 

Critics and proponents are divided on whether such programs are a good idea overall, but programs that allow parents to bring newborns to work offer several benefits by:

It's not everyday that you get to be 5 years old again. The anticipation building over time, until you get to unveil your costume to everyone at school. Competing early on to win bragging rights for most authentic action figure or prettiest princess.

As the Total PMA team searched for a group costume that fit our collective sense of humor and personalities, Emily Dixon our Member Concierge came upon Tetris.

An article on the ABA Journal website talked about the recent trend of attorneys moving from large law firms to solo law offices and small firms. The article also hit on which attorneys are making that move, why they are doing it, and how they are easing the transition to solo offices or small law firms. Here are a few highlights and tips I pulled from the article:

• One of the biggest challenges for attorneys leaving a large law firm to go into solo practice or a startup small firm is the transition from an office with tons of resources to one without. Take advantage of specialized services that assist solo and small firms, such as accounting services and database management services.
• D.C.-based solo law practitioner Carolyn Elefant started her home practice in the early ‘90s, relying on frequent visits to the law library, limited access to Lexis, and client calls made on a pay phone, but today’s resources and technology make it much easier for attorneys to run a successful home or virtual law office. Home-based attorneys can use virtual assistants to handle everything from answering phones to developing websites, freelance paralegals are available for research at hourly rates, and the internet hosts an endless supply of resources for research, marketing, and practice management advice.
• Alabama-based solo attorney Craig Niedenthal credits much of his success to his blog, LinkedIN and Twitter. Create a blog to inexpensively gain exposure and street credit with potential clients, and use social networking sites to meet other lawyers and foster business relationships.
• Founder of the website Solo Practice University, Susan Cartier Liebel recommends that solo attorneys take courses designed to develop expertise and introduce attorneys to new areas of practice in order to become more adaptable in the face of changing market conditions.
• Be realistic about income. You may be juggling work in your chosen practice areas with other, unrelated jobs just to pay the bills while you are setting up your new law practice. On top of your legal work, you also need to take into consideration the expenses of starting a new practice. Ashley R. Dobbs, a former intellectual property and litigation attorney opened her own office in July of 2009, and plans to specialize in advocacy work that includes nonprofit organizations focused on animal welfare. In the meantime, she is living off of her savings account, taking on contract work and doing pro bono to expand her network and knowledge in her new field.

To view the full article, check it out here on the ABA Journal website.

Total PMA’s next Blog Talk Radio session will be on Thursday the 15th at 3:00pm (C.D.T), with Kevin Chern and Damon Cheronis discussing: The Art of Closing. Be sure to call into (347) 857-1419 and join the discussion as the guys will be discussing their popular session from last year’s Get A Life™. Conference. Whether you were there the first time or new to the topic this is a session definitely worth attending.

Having Blog Talk Radio as a means to connect more of our members with the valuable insight our experts have is an aspect of Total PMA which we are very proud of. It is another tool we have to develop our member’s strengths while also growing their businesses.

Sessions like the one on Thursday have the best results when members actively participate in them. When talking about the art of closing it is always good to have multiple impressions on what works and what doesn’t. This is an interactive session designed to show listeners what some of the best in the industry see as winning tactics.

Drink green tea.

I’ve heard some of the benefits of drinking green tea, but until I really looked into it, I didn’t realize how beneficial it can be! I’ve always enjoyed relaxing while drinking a cup, but check out what health conditions you can be improving while you are simply chilling out drinking green tea:

• cancer
• rheumatoid arthritis
• high cholesterol levels
• cardiovascular disease
• infection
• impaired immune function

In fact, green tea can even promote weight loss! The leaves of the green tea plant can help raise metabolism and increase the amount of calories burned in a 24-hour period!

Tomorrow’s BlogTalkRadio session with featured expert Tim Ryan is going to be very interesting. Tim will be talking with our hosts, Ed Scanlan and Kevin Chern, on Recruiting and Selecting Talented People. As the economy is considered to be stepping out of the recession, according to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernake, firms around the country will continue in being cautious in their hiring spree. But, there is no doubt firms will continue to hire as needs arise. The important part for them will be hiring the right person, who fits into their culture, and does not become a liability. This is where Tim’s session will benefit listeners the most!

Stretching is such a great activity where you can find immediate satisfaction. Not only will stretching increase flexibility, it can also help ease aches and pains throughout your body.  Stretching is also a great stress reliever because it feels so good. Take a few minutes to try these stretches below. You’ll find that it can improve blood circulation and help your concentration at work.

Try these out…

There are moments in your career that stick with you, this is one that taught me a significant lesson, and shaped how I manage myself and those around me for the better.

Late one evening, after an unusually long and frustrating day I was leaving the office and boarded the elevator with our CEO, Ed Scanlan. "How are you?" he asked... a sigh of exhaustion and dark circles under my eyes answered for me. Before I could speak he said; "You should take some time off , we do not want to see you getting burned out."

"I know I should" I replied, and explained like an excuse; that there was too much work to be done, and who would take care of things in my absence?

He looked at me and said; "Everyday when you come into work, you should try to do no work at all."