Solo Tips from the Trenches, Part III

In this last session, I’ll be giving you resources that were recommended to those of us seriously considering going solo, either by design or by default. Where I’ve had ‘contact’ with a source, I’ll give you my impressions, but these are not blanket endorsements of the resources. Do your own research. I’m just throwing mud at the wall… if it sticks (works for you) great! If it doesn’t, no sweat – just move on to something else.

I’ll start where the panel started:

General Books and Websites:

• Here in California, the State Bar Association has written a book especially for those looking to open a law practice in California called (appropriately enough) The California Guide to Opening and Managing a Law Office, State Bar of California 2008. See calbar.org to order.
• How to Start and Build a Law Practice, Jay G. Foonberg, American Bar Association (2004).  Having run a business before, the general business management information is absolutely SPOT ON, so I trust his information about the legal side would be just as accurate. It’s a big book, but it literally covers everything.
• $olo Contendere: How to Go Directly from Law School into the Practice of Law Without Getting a Job (Second Edition) Marc Garfinkle, Esq. (2010) Next on my list to read.
• Solo by Choice: How to be the Lawyer you Always Wanted To Be, Carolyn Elefant, Lawyer Avenue Press (2008). I ‘met’ Carolyn on twitter then met her in person at the ABA Techshow in Chicago in April. The woman KNOWS her stuff!
• Start Your Own Law Practice: A Guide to All the Things They Don’t Teach You In Law School About Starting Your Own Firm, Judge William Huss (2006)
• ABA Journal Articles on Solo/Small Firms: http://www.abajournal.com/topic/solossmall+firms/
• http://www.myshingle.com Fabulous site! TONS of relevant information!
• Solo Practice University (SPU) (founder Susan Carter Liebel) http://solopracticeuniversity.com/about/ This online school teaches lawyers & law students the basics of running a solo practice.  I’ve ‘met’ Susan on twitter. I like her, and I like the SPU learning platform a lot. I’m planning to sign up right after the bar. Besides, she had the good sense to hire as a writer a friend, colleague, and fellow 3L (oops! Recent grad as of Saturday!) Jack Whittington, J.D.

Contract Lawyering:

• The Complete Guide to Contract Lawyering: What Every Lawyer and Law Firm Needs to Know About Temporary Legal Services, Deborah Arron & Deborah Guyol (2004)

Marketing & Business Development

• How to Capture and Keep Clients: Marketing Strategies for Lawyers, Jennifer Rose, American Bar Association (2005)
• The Reluctant Rainmaker: A Guide for Lawyers Who Hate Selling, Julie Flemming, J.D. (2009)
• Bringin’ in the Rain: A Woman’s Guide to Business Development, Sara Holtz (2008)
• Business Development for Lawyers: Strategies for Getting and Keeping Clients, Sally J. Schmidt (2006)

Networking (Yes, that includes Social Networking!)

• How to Work a Room: Your Essential Guide to Savvy Socializing, Susan RoAne (Rev. 2007)
• The 6P’s of the BIG 3 for Job Seeking J.D.’s, Amanda C. Ellis, Esq. (2010) I’ve also ‘met’ Amanda on twitter (are you seeing a trend here?!?!) She’s knowledgeable and I recommend listening to what she has to say if you are at all “challenged” by the concept of networking.
• Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier, Carolyn Elefant and Nicole Black, American Bar Association (2009). I’ve already mentioned Carolyn, so now I’ll mention Nikki – who I also ‘met’ on twitter. These two are a formidable team on the subject of social media use for attorneys.
• Networking for People Who Hate Networking: A Field Guide for Introverts, the Overwhelmed, and the Underconnected, Devora Zack (2010)
• The Lawyer’s Guide to Social Networking: Understanding the Media’s Impact on the Law, John G. Browning (2010)
• The Opportunity Maker, Strategies for Inspiring Your Legal Career Through Creative Networking and Business Development, Ari Kaplan (2008). I met Ari through a seminar at school, and have kept in touch with him. He has a great way of putting information together so it seems like you’ve always known it, even if it’s completely new to you. He’s a terrific guy, and funny to boot!

Ethics , ABA, and Other California State Resources

• ABA Solo Lawyer Resources: http://www.americanbar.org/portals/solo_lawyers.html
• State Bar of California Solo & Small Firm Section: http://solo.calbar.ca.gov/
• State Bar of California Ethics Resources (including Ethics Hotline): http://ethics.calbar.ca.gov/ethics.aspx

General Career Development Resources

• Maximize your Lawyer Potential: Professionalism and Business Etiquette for Law Students and Lawyers, Amee McKim (2008)
• The E-Myth Attorney: Why Most Legal Practices Don’t Work and What To Do About It, Michael E. Gerber (2009?) I read this book last summer while in D.C. for an internship. This book is an adaptation of Mr. Gerber’s E-Myth book tailored in detail to the legal industry. I found it telling that he need to educate people that although they might be great attorneys, that is not an indication that they are qualified or skilled to run their own business – in law or anything else.

Practice Area-Specific Resources

• http://www.jamespublishing.com
• http://www.ceb.com
• http://www.americanbar.org store

I hope you find these resources useful. Keep in mind these are meant to be a starting point for your own research and study, and not meant to be an exhaustive list.

Happy Growing!

Solo Trip from the Trenches, Part II

In this second segment, we’ll be looking at more tips gained from seasoned solo practitioners, and then in Part III we’ll be looking at the recommended resources every lawyer who is even thinking about a solo practice should be reading.

One question that came up during the question and answer session was whether a lawyer should still be using yellow pages for advertising. The concern was that we are increasingly moving towards online resources and the yellow pages seem outdated. The attorneys unequivocally said yes, especially of you are doing elder type law. The younger crowd will look to the internet, but the older target audience still heads to the yellow pages to do their research. One attorney said that even if your target audience IS the younger crowd, they seem to look to the yellow pages to confirm the legitimacy of your law firm. All were in agreement that you need to be listed under your law specialty with your (law firm) name bolded in order for potential clients to find you easily.

The next question was about how to assess the potential client when they come in for the initial meeting.  The entire panel agreed you must investigate the client and the client’s story in order to better prevent a malpractice suit.  Ask questions.  Get all the information you can. Trust your gut instincts. Don’t be afraid to decline to take a case if you feel there’s a serious issue. One issue they pointed out was if the person says you are the second, third, fourth…lawyer they’ve hired. That’s a real red flag. Why did the other lawyers stop being involved in the case? Have the potential client sign a waiver so you can talk to the other lawyer. (Be wary if they decline.) They also unanimously agree that everyone who comes to your office gets either an engagement letter or a non-engagement letter. If you are sending a non-engagement letter, you shouldn’t say specifically why you aren’t taking the case, just explain that you have a conflict, or that there are various reasons why you can’t take on the case.

That line of questioning naturally evolved into a discussion about what to do if a client doesn’t pay you. The bottom line is: If they don’t pay you, they don’t really want you as a lawyer – so don’t work for free.  Cavet: when you sign on to represent a client, you are (in the eyes of the court) signing on for all the court fees. Remember that YOU are in the most control of this relationship at the beginning. Ask for a retainer (and get it). Explain that if accepted as a client, client must pay on time or you will withdraw as their attorney. Try to send bills the same day the service is rendered; the longer between service and billing, the less likely client will pay on time.  If you have a long-term client, you may need to be flexible in order to ensure the relationship lasts if the client experiences temporary cash flow problems.

That led to a lively discussion about what is a “retainer”? The attorneys agreed that the term is misused which contributes to the public’s confusion. The real meaning of a retainer is the keep a lawyer “on-call”.  Most use it to mean a pre-payment pool of money where the initial outlay goes into a trust account. As the case progresses and the funds are used for court fees and payment to the attorney for time, the client should be expected to replenish the account to the previously agreed upon amount. Make sure your agreement has the correct wording for “retainer with replenishing funds” per your state’s bar rules.

The argument for using a retainer is that it acts as a screen… If the client isn’t willing to put up the retainer, they aren’t really interested in the case. The retainer shows that the client and the attorney are working as a team together on the matter. You want the client to be as serious about the case as you will be – even in contingency cases. The retainer gets the client “invested” in the process and makes them less likely to quit – and you will have a warning system if they begin to delay or fail making the replenish payments. We asked about what else should be in the client agreement relating to client expectations. The consensus was that you need to have provisions for when you can fire a client: for non-payment, for bouncing a payment, and/or for not being honest.

The panel then gave us advice on how to CYA when dealing with clients.  They can sometimes be your worst enemy – and can sabotage their own cases.  No matter what comes into the office, make copies and cover letters – send to clients ASAP. Send bills at a minimum of once a month, but send interim bills when service is rendered. Make the bills interesting and readable so they know what you’ve done on their behalf. The bill is your “report” to the client and evidence of your efforts on their case.  It answers their questions and provide evidence for you if you later get sued. Ask yourself: What kind of bill would I like to read? If you’re still in doubt, ask the client what kind of bill they want to read.

Most of us then wanted to turn towards expenses and employees. Our panel offered tips on how to keep expenses down, some of which related to employees.  They recommended using a billing program. Quickbooks came up as a frequently used program. Excel can be used initally to keep track of billing calulations and letter drafting.  RTG was mentioned as an alternate because it is specially made for attorneys, does quite a bit, and is inexpensive to boot! All agreed that no matter what you use, what the client sees has to be paramount – ahead of your needs. The program has to be good for them: consistent and readable. Use apps or programs that record the exact time spent for each client.  Do your homework on legal research options. Lexis and West offer many different plans. Use free sites, and if you get your malpractice insurance through Marsh, you’ll get Versuslaw and Loislaw included in the price of your insurance.

In taking on employees, look to outsourcing until you absolutely have to take on someone. Use staffing agencies when you need limited or occasional workers. (You might even find one you want to hire permanently.) Make sure you set them up properly – they can be a profit center rather than a money pit. Let them do the work that doesn’t require lawyerly training: copying, filing, cleaning, or updating books. Consider using students (high school, Jr. College, College, Law School). If you chose a student, be a mentor not just an employer. Help them understand ethics and confidentiality concerns.

The last topic before we moved on to resources for new solos was what it really means to “be your own boss.” You are “the business” 24/7/365. You do everything for the business: CEO, finances, sales, office manager, janitor. It can be easy to get carried away doing everything BUT being the lawyer. Keep your eye on the ball; hire temps when needed. There’s always a dynamic between needing to find clients, and having too many clients. Depending on your specialty, your work might be cyclical – cater to that cycle. Your days might be long, and not all of it will be billable hours. Be realistic about what you can and can’t handle (and still have a life). Be disciplined in your personal life so you take care of yourself. Decline cases if needed. You became a lawyer to have a life, protect that.

Nest session: Resources for Solos….

Solo Tips from the Trenches, Part I

Our school hosted four of our alumni for a training session giving advice on how they went solo.  I found their information helpful and wanted to share with all of you.  What I’m giving you is not an endorsement of any opinion, book, website, product or service; just sharing.

The first issue they talked to us about was doing an honest self assessment to see if you have what it takes to go solo. If you don’t have what it takes, going solo will be a waste of your time and your money.  So if you are a perfectionist, a control freak, disciplined with a high level of stress tolerance; can roll with the punches, have to be happy driving yourself to do things, and have an attitude that can enjoy the change around you rather than fight it – You could do well for yourself going solo, even better if you pick an area of law you are passionate about doing. Remember though – It’s not for the meek.

They said that the biggest challenges they faced were: 1) Mechanics (office space, tools, equipment, etc.), 2) Logistics (getting & understanding bank accounts, payroll, taxes,etc.), 3) Learning there is a difference between “running a business” and “practicing law” (the two scopes of being a solo practitioner), and 4) Learning what to do… (ie: budgeting).

Let’s start with mechanics first.  They said you have to decide if you want your own office space or if you want to share with someone else. There are pros and cons either way. If you go it alone, you wont have someone to bounce ideas off of, someone who will prevent you from having tunnel vision about your case.  If you are alone, you won’t have the congeniality of another person to talk to. There are financial benefits also: they can share expenses of an office.  If you do decide to have your own office space, try to rent space next to, or near another lawyer. They just love to talk to, and help new lawyers because they get to look like the expert.  And be sure to use your local bar association to build a support group for your practice.

Other mechanics include: Resources and Court Rules.  There are a host of unwritten rules that you may have to learn by trial and error but before you go that route, ask around. Other lawyers may let you in on the unwritten rules. Get Practice Guides, your state rules, and your local court rules.  If there are rules for drafting, FOLLOW THEM! Courts pay attention to the little details like how to format the memo and will form an opinion about your quality as an attorney based on whether you follow the local rules.

Then there’s logistics to consider: You can purchase Lexis at a daily rate (you don’t have to buy a monthly research plan if you know you aren’t going to need it often). Just group and do all your research for all clients on the same day. Consider using a virtual office at first. Many cities have office space rental companies that will let you “use” their address, phones, and receptionist for a low monthly rate. And you get limited use of a conference room to meet clients. This can be an affordable way to have an “office” and not give clients your home address.  Be honest though. Ca you work from home and be productive, or do you need to get up and “go to work” every morning? If you’re the later, you might want to opt for the office space.

Try to have a credit card for larger business expenses so you don’t have to pay cash all at once upfront. You’ll need to maintain cash flow.  Speaking of cash flow, understand the difference between transactional law and litigation in terms of how soon you can expect to be paid. If you are just starting out, you may not be able to float a litigation case for three years till it settles. You have to have cash flow to stay in business.  You’ll need to set up bank accounts, including at trust account.  You don’t have to have Malpractice when you first start out; but you opt to go “naked”, remember that you do have to tell client you don’t have malpractice ins. They said it’s really affordable your first couple of years starting out because you (in theory) don’t have many cases.

They urged that you should have a referral network before you go solo which will include referrals (from other lawyers, and then adding referrals from clients); and internet sources. Once you have an office, you have to decide if it’s cost effective to do everything yourself, or if you will have someone else do it. If someone else, will they be full or part time?

So how do you find, get, and keep clients? You get them by referral. If you have a website, you’ll also get them by having good SEO (Search Engine Optimization) in place leading to referrals. Be active in your community like Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, etc. Once you have clients, always do a good job for them. Bill in detail, and always encourage billing questions, and never bill for the clients asking billing questions. Another thing that helps is to find the corollary law to your practice and let them overlap.

So how else do you get clients? Marketing.  Always remember: Your value is in your NAME and Reputation. Think about how to add value to your name. If you have a website, you’ll also get clients by having good SEO (Search Engine Optimization) in place leading to referrals. Be wary of “referral ” websites like Attorneys.com; Lawyers.com; Findalawyer.com.  They thought AVVO.com is better of the referral sites.

Blogging can be another way to get clients, if you take the time to do it right. Use titles like “Can I do my own divorce?”  If people type in this question into Google, they will find your blog post.  Blogging, being on LinkedIn, and Twitter – all this helps improve your SEO and makes you rise to the top of the search page when people look for attorneys.  And, always be circumspect as to who you get as a client… don’t even trust a referral from another atty  because they may not have taken time to quality that prospective client before referring them off to you.

Stick around!

Part II will deal with: What about yellow pages? How to assess a potential client? What to do if they don’t pay you, what to charge, what’s a retainer, and how should I bill? Should I be paperless? What should I put in an agreement?  How do I control employees? How to keep expenses down? I’m the boss – What does that really mean? How do I “cover my butt” with my client?

Part III will deal with suggested readings,websites,and other resources these solos and our career resource center suggested.

Spring Break? What Spring Break!?!?!

It’s a ritual.  It happens every year.  Thousands upon thousands of college kids make a mass exodus from institutions of higher learning all over the U.S. to descend up on whatever fantasy land they think will be the most fun at the moment.

I missed that in undergrad.  No, I didn’t say “I miss doing that.” You see, I never got to do spring break.  In undergrad, I always had to work straight through spring break so I could pay enough tuition to enable me to stay in classes for the rest of the school year.   Now that I’m in law school, my previous three spring breaks have been all about going home to check on my parents and catch up with friends I left behind.

This year was a bit different.  With graduation looming quite large on the horizon, I spent the first four days at the Law Student Division Spring Board of Governor’s Meeting working on resolutions, training the new circuit governors, and taking part in the elections for the National Officers who will take over the reigns from us in August at the Annual Meeting.  I’m confident that our new governors are as conscientious about their duties and responsibilities as the out-going governors were.  And the National Officer Elects are an impressive group of people.  I can’t wait for you to meet them in August.

The rest of my spring break has been spent twice driving to a town 70 miles away. I meet some incredible people in town. The doctor who has been acting as my “matchmaker” is quite a business entrepreneur! I think he has his hands in at least three different industries. His wife just started a new business and is already thinking about how to expand.  I meet with four attorneys – three from firms and one solo.  Each gave me great advice and the benefit of their wisdom.  That alone was worth the drive.  I am already putting some of their sage words to work.   I was also fortunate to meet a couple of local councilmen and hear their take about how they are trying to keep the city on it’s feet and transition into the next phase of the city’s life.

I really like the town.  It’s in a tough place due too the economy but aren’t we all?  The amazing thing is, I could really sense the town and its leaders are fighting to keep the town alive with everything they’ve got.  That’s the kind of spirit I like. Never say die. Never give up.  If this was a first date, I’d say things went really well.  I’m eagerly looking forward to being asked out on successive dates.  Let’s hope that in the next several months as I investigate more fully working/living there that one or more of them sees value in my skills and likes me enough to bring me on in their firm, or has enough confidence in me to pass on their overflow work to me.

Sometimes, it’s just sheer determination!

I was involved in a running dialog on Twitter the other day about getting a job.  It was posited “it’s who you know” that is the most important factor in getting a job after graduation.  While I agree that sentiment is true when you’ve been in a geographic area for quite some time, but what if you are brand new to a city, don’t know a soul, and need a job?

I faced that exact scenario as I moved across country to attend law school.  I relayed very concisely (because you only get 140 characters in Twitter) that I had found a job by sending exactly 10 resumes, and exactly 10 days later I was offered a position as a file clerk in a law firm.  I piqued the interest of @knowingsomeone who asked me if I could write up my thoughts on that experience.  Well, of course I can!  If this can inspire someone to shake off their fear and do something similar, they might also end up with a job!

So, here’s how it went.  I arrived in my school town in the middle of July 2007. (Disclaimer: yes, that was before the whole economy burst, but it should still work to find the hidden job market out there as the economy improves) I took my first two weeks in town to get my furniture delivered, get my utilities turned on, get my apartment in order, and find the law school.  At the end of those two weeks, I started investigating what there was for legal or law firm work.  The date was Wednesday, August 1, 2007.

Being so new to the area, I didn’t even have phone books yet, so I went online to locate a library or college that might be closer to me than my law school.  Libraries ALWAYS have resources and the nicest people who answer questions!  The local undergrad campus was an easy drive from my apartment and only 4 miles away.  My law school was 7 miles away and I was still getting lost every time drove to campus, so I went to the college.  The library staff was most helpful in loaning me the local phone book and showing me a map of the area.  They also explained which areas of town were good and which were not-so-good.  They explained the freeways and which ones could be nightmares at certain times of the day.  With my newly acquired intel on the city, I turned to the attorney section of the phonebook.  I already knew I wanted to practice in intellectual property, so I searched for any and all firms that said they specialized in intellectual property.  I found exactly 10 that fell within a comfortable driving distance from my apartment AND were in the good areas pointed out to me by the library staff.

Ten law firms, ten addresses.  Nine were downtown and one was a mile from my apartment.  My next step was to look up each firm online to see what I could find out about the firm, the firm’s interests, and locate the name of the managing partner or hiring manager.  Armed with that data, I crafted ten different cover letters and adapted my resume to fit each firms needs.  I mailed all ten at the same time (Yup! Snail mail!) on Friday, August 3, 2007.  Then, I waited.

I didn’t have to wait all that long.  On Monday afternoon my phone rang.  It was the law firm just a mile from my house.  Their current file clerk  had just announced that morning she was quitting to go back to get her master’s degree and would be leaving for the east coast on the 17^th of August.  My resume hit their desk that afternoon.  What a coincidence!  They called me late Monday afternoon: Could I come in for an interview on Tuesday to meet with one of the partners and the office manager?  I did, and they liked me.  I got a second interview on Thursday morning to meet the other partner and the Of Counsel attorney.  On Friday, they called to offer me the part time job.  If you’re keeping track, that’s was Friday, August 10^th.  Ten law firms, 10 resumes, 10 days to get the job offer!

I started my new job on Monday, August 13^th, 2007 – Which was also my first day of law school!  I found out that one of our Deans worked with the attorneys at my firm and was impressed that I would be working with his former colleagues.  I stayed with the firm until the following fall when it became a victim of the economy.  One of the attorneys has become a great mentor and resource for information over my law school career.  I’m rooting for her to get appointed to the federal bench so I can (hopefully) go clerk for her, but I have also made incredible connections with amazing local attorneys stemming from that job.

While I would rather be introduced to a potential job employer through someone who knows me, I have no qualms about sending out some well crafted (note: well researched!) cover letters and resumes that convince people I’m their candidate.  You shouldn’t be afraid to send your information out either.  You just never know what will happen!

What’s Watson got to do with it?

I just finished reading Carolyn Elefant’s “Bepoke or Begone: Lessons from the eDiscovery Trenches.”  http://myshingle.com/2011/03/articles/client-relations/bespoke-or-be-gone-lessons-from-the-e-discovery-trenches/

Carolyn Elefant raises some very interesting issues that may change the face of lawyering for us all.  As computers become more adept at mimicking human thought processes, their adaptation to the law becomes more useful. And with that usefulness, comes a more efficient and less costly (potentially) process which will reduce the number of legal professionals needed to do the e-discovery portion of a case.

But what does that really mean? What are the real-world ramifications if we, as attorneys, could analyze all the discovery documents to a big case more efficiently with better results than hiring paralegals or law students to do the work?  Many in the industry pointed immediately to a mass reduction of the need for a large amount of people required to do the work on a case which would further impact the unemployment rates in the industry.  Carolyn Elefant takes the thought process a couple of steps further.

If the cost of accessing justice goes down for the plaintiff, the number of cases litigated should rise.  More plaintiffs should be able to start the legal process because their investment in the discovery portion of the lawsuit will be drastically reduced.  More and more cases could end up going to the courtroom because the current incentive to settle at the discovery portion of the case could be reduced or removed.  This expected increase in the number of cases will further clog an already overwhelmed court system.  Arbitration before going to trial is currently on the rise. Will arbitration become more prevalent in the future? Will courts order all cases to go through mandatory arbitration ahead of trial? Will courts move to offering or ordering binding arbitration? How will that change affect plaintiffs in acquiring much needed justice?

On another note if there are more cases being litigated, isn’t that a good thing?  Don’t we want to open access and allow more people to seek justice they deserve?  There are already far too many people who never effectively even have access to the court system and as a result, they are never compensated for injuries they’ve incurred or wrongs they’ve endured.   Yes, it might also make it easier to file frivolous lawsuits initially, but consider this: frivolous cases could be resolved in a much quicker manner without extortion-like settlements due to this better discovery. It will show them for what they really are much earlier in the process. Surely that can’t be a bad thing.

On a more important point to new attorneys; if there are going to be more cases that means there will be more need for attorneys skilled in this new technology.  And who will be the positioned to take advantage of the circumstances? That’s right, the newest attorneys because they will have come-of-age in this new technology.  Who else? It will be the attorneys who become the most adaptable to changing environments.  It has become clear to me that this industry is going through some major shifts in how it operates, and things will never be the way they were.  Darwinism and the survival of the fittest still reigns.  If your skills are outdated, take note:  You must adapt, or get left behind…. Unemployed and unemployable.

Just to get you thinking about it: The ABA Techshow is being held in Chicago April 11-13.  Sign up here:

http://www2.americanbar.org/calendar/TECHSHOW/Pages/default.aspx

See you in Chicago!

Ann vs. The 30 Page Research Paper

I signed up for this.

I have to keep reminding myself that I voluntarily chose to go through the challenge of writing a 30 page research paper by taking the Advanced IP Seminar class.  I deliberately, and calculatedly, picked this path.  I had a strategy that will benefit me later on down the road.  Operative word: “had.”

Right now, it just seems like torture.  I have a draft due on 3/15 with the final draft due mid-April.  Horror!  I recently dumped  some 40 cases of research because I realized I was WAY off track with what I wanted to write about.  I ended up reading a lot of material on IP licensing in bankruptcy and section 365(n) of the bankruptcy  code.  If you need a synopsis, call me!  What I really want to discuss is the valuation of intangibles and how they are treated in bankruptcy, especially in small and medium companies.  I’m relieved to I think I’m on the right track now.  While I’m glad I realized in time that I was off track, it’s not much comfort since I still don’t have a “controversy.”  Plus, I don’t have any cases.

Last night’s class discussion helped.  We talked about how to argue the reverse of conventional thinking.  I think I know how I’ll flip a position to create one.  Now I just need to find the time to go downtown to the city legal library to get the industry books written on the subject.  With half a million volumes in our law school library, you’d think we’d have them!  But – NO!  It’s a good thing I know how to speed read.  (I wish I read as fast as Dr. Reid on Criminal Minds!)  I’m sure I’ll be blowing the better part of a roll of quarters on photocopying what’s there, since I won’t be allowed to check out anything I find.  Even if I could check them out, I don’t think I would – I might not get them returned on time.  Later, it’ll be time to hop on Lexis to do new research on the right subject.

Good thing for me, once I have a handle on the issues the paper will flow pretty easily.  And then there’s editing – now that’s a whole different animal!  Horrors!  At least I’ll have something to show at the end of the all this…  which was the strategy and the goal all along.