Starting a New Law Practice
Checklist and Resources
Select a topic below:
Licenses and Notifications (what licenses you need to practice and who to notify of address changes)
Financial Systems (trust accounting, credit cards, and more)
Office Systems (policies and procedures for running a law practice)
Resource Guides and Articles
Unlock Your Potential
An ABA/YLD member service project, this 79 page guide is designed to help lawyers determine if they are ready to start a law practice.
Forms
A number of practice forms are available online from PMAP.
Free Law Books
SC Bar Book Exchange
Lists
Starting a Law Practice Web Directory
Prepared by the Oklahoma Bar Association Management Assistance Program
Listmania! Starting a Law Firm
On Amazon.com - a collection of books on starting a law firm.
Starting and Running Your Own Law Practice: A Selected Bibliography
List of books from Pat Newcombe, Western New England College School of Law
Technology
SC Bar PMAP Software Links
ABA Legal Technology Resource Center
Helping Lawyers Solve the Technology Puzzle
Join or Sign Up
Women Rainmakers of the ABA Law Practice Management Section
Solosez Online Resources for Solo and Small Firm Practitioners
South Carolina Bar Solo and Small Firm Section (members-only listserv to share questions and ideas, inclusion in practice area Directory, discounts on select CLEs, "first dibs" on free law books when available in the Bar Book Exchange)
ABA General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Section
ABA Law Practice Management Section
Note: The ABA has many of their section magazines and newsletters available online, free to anyone.
Helpful Web Sites
South Carolina Bar PMAP (Practice Management Assistance Program)
NewLawyer ABA GP Solo Division e-newsletter targets the needs and interests of attorneys in the first years of their practice, but with articles that appeal to lawyers at any level.
My Shingle
"Great things come in small practices" says Carolyn Elefant, the force behind this Web site for and about solos and small firms.
ABA Law Practice TODAY
Read articles on marketing, management, finance and technology from the best writers in the ABA Law Practice Management Section.
Starting and Developing a Consumer Law Practice
The Trueblood Law Firm of Los Angeles, CA, offers advice to attorneys starting a new consumer law practice.
Publications
South Carolina Bar Lending Library
South Carolina Bar CLE Publications Store
