Second Opinions

Leaving Mega Big Firm for the Country

Editor's Note: This month, an extra bonus: A report from Dan Coolidge, who actually moved to the country and still earns a living practicing law!

A frequently asked question: I've had it with my big firm, and the high pressure, urban life. I've decided to move to the country and go solo. What technolology will I need? I've made enough money at Mega Big Firm L.L.C. that I can afford to buy the best. I am practicing intellectual property, and taking enough clients with me who don't care where I live.

* * * *

Article by John Mellitz
CONGRATULATIONS on your upcoming promotion to solo law practice. You already know the good news. The bad news is that you are going to have to make practice management decisions heretofore handled by a committee.

* * * *

Article by Dan Coolidge
THIS question hits home. Literally. I live in a bucolic and idyllic rural community in central New Hampshire. I recently switched firms, and I now practice patent law at a prominent intellectual property law firm. Unfortunately, it's a two-hour drive away in Boston.

* * * *

Article by Eric H. Steele and Thomas Scharbach
LET'S MAKE some assumptions: You will be working from a home office with plenty of space. You will not have a secretary or paralegal. You will need to be mobile at least part of the time. You are familiar with the software Mega Big Firm L.L.C. uses to support your practice. You can afford the best, but what do you really need?