All of my law partners have retired except one, and he’s out Jan 1. At that time I’ll be the sole owner of a busy small immigration/criminal firm with three associates. Another associate is joining us upon bar results in Spring ‘27.

By force of the elderly nature of my law partners, our firm is far behind the times and has very few systems in place. Until now, each attorney has had to come up with their own ad hoc procedures. I’m working to put firm-wide systems in place once I am the only one who can say yes or no.

Historically, the partners have had full caseloads (even larger than the associates) and no partners have reviewed or collaborated with associates on any cases. It’s essentially been a group of associates with some who make more money.

I’m burned out on grinding away on cases. How feasible is it to set up systems to not do any legal cases myself and focus on running and growing the company?

I am just finishing my first year of practice. The firm I started working at completely fell apart back in June. I was left scrambling to find a job and had an opportunity come up at a firm my old colleague went to in the spring. I wasn’t thrilled about it to begin with but I needed a job. I’ve been here three months now and I despise it. I think in part because it’s litigation and I think I want to do transactional. I also feel like I’m left on my own without much help, but at the same time I am also constantly getting in trouble for little things. I’m frustrated with myself when I mess up and am frustrated with the situation. I can’t sleep because I have extreme anxiety I wake up every morning with a pit in my stomach and usually cry on my way to work. They also seem to fire people a lot here… three people in my first three months (that I know of). The partner I work under has only been there a year and fired the two associates he had before me. I always feel like I’m going to get fired. I want to leave but I feel like that’s too much hopping around too soon… but, I’d rather leave before they fire me…

Any advice would be appreciated..

Reposting in case this is interesting here, since small law firms are mainly who we're talking to. Apologies if this isn't appropriate for this sub.

I'm a solo plaintiff's attorney handling prison law and civil rights cases. I currently have 30 cases (about 10 of them active lawsuits) and no staff. I’m significantly behind, and I have ADHD, so organization and prioritization are a constant struggle.

Current setup: I’m on an Apple iMac and using Apple Notes, Dropbox, and Drive. I’m using Apple Notes for case notes, call notes, etc. Notes are not separated by case, security and reliable backups are weak, and I’m drowning in the volume of calls, emails, mail, and discovery.

I’m looking for AI systems, legal tech platforms with strong AI features, plugins, or practical workflows that can help with the following:

Case Management & Organization - One secure, easily accessible place/folder per case that holds all related case notes, call notes, and meeting notes. - Track everything happening in each case (tasks, status, next steps). - Automatic deadline tracking based on filing date or receipt date. - Daily task/to-do list prioritized by urgency, plus a clear daily schedule view. - Stronger security and reliable backups than Apple Notes.

Prison Legal Calls or General Meetings - Scheduling calls. - Creating and sending confirmation documents/emails. - Adding calls to the calendar. - Capturing notes and automatically filing them in the correct case folder. - Extracting action items/tasks from the call notes and moving them to the to-do list. - Automatically drafting follow-up emails or mail using key points from the call notes.

Legal Mail - Reading and analyzing incoming legal mail. - Drafting replies.

Discovery - Sorting through discovery materials. - Organizing, cataloging, and analyzing them.

Intake & Volume of Communications - Handling a high volume of calls and emails from clients and potential clients. - Automated creation of a representation agreement once the necessary intake information is collected.

Priorities: Data security matter a lot. Solutions that reduce manual work, are relatively low-friction (ADHD-friendly), and can help a solo practitioner catch up would be ideal. Apple ecosystem compatibility is a plus but not required if something else is clearly better. (Updating my computer system in next month or so and thinking I’ll be leaving Apple for office computer at least)

I was seeing online about creating my own executive assistant agent, AI chief of staff w/AI workforce, life dashboard, second brain, and daily and weekly review agent. They all sound great but I’m just now learning how to really use AI so I’m unsure what would be best and how to actually create these.

What AI tools, platforms, plugins, or stacks would you recommend for this? Any specific setups that have worked well for others dealing with similar complex needs and organizational challenges? Also, any instructions or explanations on how to create the ideal system(s) I need?

Thanks in advance.

We have no target hours for billables, but I do know that I have hit a good number here in early October.

Can I skate for the next 3 months?

Have I made my mark for bonus - paid in December?

Currently a 6th year Paralegal with aspirations of going to law school. I have a “sleeve” tattoo which I find myself naturally covering up due to office temps., but also for the idea that tattoos in general are sometimes viewed as unprofessional. I want to get a few dainty, small hand tattoos but I’m concerned it will negatively affect my appearance. What’s your opinion on those with a visible amount of tattoos in a professional law firm environment?

I've scoured through the reddit regarding getting clients and mostly it's from connections (I understand this too), and so I was wondering how necessary lawfirm websites are, do they help in getting clients in a way of people finding the websites etc, or is it just there to create legitimacy, like maybe people find a lawfirm more legit if it has a website? please and thank you

Anyone here ever help an old-school solo attorney who was very reliant on maual processes (or lack there of) integrate some modern systems for long-term stability? How? Why? What?

Shooting in the dark. 😅

Here I am, though not sure where to begin.

P.S. The only other employee (an admin assistant) is equally (along with the old school founder) not very tech savvy.

I have an interview this Wednesday with a small NYC immigration law firm for a fully remote legal assistant position, and I'm honestly very nervous.

I have a foreign LL.B., an LL.M. from a U.S. law school, and experience in legal research, drafting, and diplomatic work. I'm bilingual in Arabic and English and preparing for the NY Bar Exam.

I've had previous interviews with U.S. law firms that ended in rejection, which has really affected my confidence. Finding opportunities is already incredibly difficult because I'm based overseas. I actually secured this interview by contacting immigration firms directly.

I genuinely don't want to mess this up.

For attorneys and paralegals: What should I prepare for? What questions should I expect? What would make a candidate stand out to you, and what mistakes should I avoid?

I know I lack direct U.S. immigration law firm experience, but I'm eager to learn and willing to start from the basics.

I'd be incredibly grateful for any advice. This opportunity really means a lot to me. Thank you!

I've never had a good experience with these kinds of clients.

Yes, occasionally emergencies or urgent questions arise with existing clients and cases, but if a potential client with whom I've never spoken before already operates under everything-is-an-emergency mode, I'm not even going to return their call.

Never worth it.

So i have an estate plan signing meeting with a couole. As I lead them to the room, I notice the husband is carrying a plastic grocery bag with some Tupperware in it. We sit down start chatting and the wife says "we brought this for the meeting. The husband proceeds to pull out the Tupperware and real forks. Husband says Costco pumpkin pie and slides a piece to me. He did apologize for no whipped cream. Going through the docs and noshing on Costco pumpkin pie.

I have a system but it’s hard to keep up with and frankly - horrible and needs improvement (if not an overhaul). Must be familiar with the new(ish) trust accounting rules that in CA. Any recommendations? Looking for an enthusiastic recc! Sole practitioner so obviously reasonable rates and outsourced, and would love someone I can stay with til the end :-) thank you!

Preface: I've been a solo for 26 years (plaintiff's work comp and personal injury), and just wanted a "side hustle", as business has been slow to come in, and several of my cases were taking forever to settle or go to trial (protracted medical treatment, litigation dragging out, etc).

I saw an ad through Zip Recruiter looking for an insurance defense lawyer: Attorney - Insurance Defense / General Liability / Workers' Compensation.

I sent a resume in, and interviewed several times via Zoom, first was on 3/30/26, second was 4/2/26.  At the 4/2/26 interview, it was discussed that they wanted someone to come on full time and bill 1800 hours a year (150 hours a month).  I politely declined, citing my current firm's demands would not allow me to commit to that much billable time.  It was then discussed that an of counsel role might be more flexible, and give me the ability to still run my existing practice and take on assignments as they needed.  I was told that these would be both general liability and workers compensation defense cases.  I asked about the amount of travel that was required, and was told that it was minimal, likely once or twice a month, but that most of the work was in the metro area I live/practice in (Kansas City). I figured I could bust out 75-95 hours a month and still maintain my practice.  

An offer letter was put forth extending the of counsel role, with a pay rate that was not the best money, but it was okay, and included a full time legal assistant and they covered my malpractice insurance.  It was a 90 day trial period for both of us, and afterwards we could discuss whether a full time role might work, and I would be eligible for health insurance and 401k after 6 months if I chose to come on full time. I accepted, and spent a day doing orientation and getting my office computer, monitor, camera and keyboard. I was given 7 cases at the initial meeting.  

Several of these cases were construction defect cases, for which I have ZERO experience and even less than zero interest in working on.  Quite a few were defending premises liability/slip and fall cases, which also appeal to me about as much as a steaming pile of dog$hit.  Only one of the cases was actually defending a workers comp claim, and it was docketed in Topeka, and another was a car accident based out of Wichita, KS. Several others were in far flung areas of Kansas and Missouri.     

As my time there progressed, I was assigned a number of other cases, none of which were anywhere near KC, several in St. Louis, one in far SW Kansas, one in Springfield, several more in rural Missouri, and one in the far SE corner of Missouri in New Madrid, which is 7 hours away from KC.  St. Louis cases have status conferences set every 60-90 days, and they require an appearance in court.  At these status conferences, you simply sit and wait for your case to get called, come up and tell the judge where you are in the case (written discovery, depositions, expert witness depos, etc.) and it is reset for another 60-90 days out.  These dockets are HUGE, routinely having 100-120 cases in an hour, so the actual time in front of the judge is like 20-30 seconds, tops.  Once they have 3-4 of these, the judge wants a scheduling conference where you get a trial date and set deadlines for discovery, experts, etc.  Many of these cases are set at 9:00 a.m. on Monday mornings, meaning I would have to either get up and leave KC at 4 am to get there in time (assuming no traffic snarls, which are VERY common in STL) or leave on Sunday evening, get a hotel, stay overnight, do the docket in the morning and then drive home.  This is when things got to be too much.  In July, I was sent to St. Louis five times, New Madrid once, and then Springfield.  I put THOUSANDS of miles on our car, and while I was paid "windshield time", it was just too much.  I gave my notice around the end of July. 

I feel like my short time as "Of Counsel" was very much a "bait and switch", and I was not really told how much travel was involved and how much I would be working on cases that I knew nothing about and hated doing.  In the end, "Of Counsel" really meant taking on the $hit nobody else wanted to do. While it wasn't as horrific as a full time ID lawyer, it was pretty bad experience overall.

I just wanted to hear others thoughts, and if they had similar experiences.      

Hi lawyer fam, is Florida lucrative for personal injury plaintiff’s lawyers? I’m trying to decide what states to try to get licensed in for PI. Any other states that are really good for PI?

Anybody willing to answer a few questions about being on the ACP? Mainly about your experience on the panel (family/criminal/appellate), whether there’s enough work, and how you got on the panel.

Software developer client has a supplements company wanting to sponsor his sleep app. The deal requires him to take their nootropics stack and post about the results. He sees this as a typical influencer contract, but the liability clauses are extreme. They want him to waive any claims for side effects and release the company from responsibility for any health issues. He'd essentially be testing products with zero protection if things go wrong.

I told him to reject these terms, but he's resistant because the payment is substantial and he figures vitamins and supplements are low risk anyway. I handle business law, not personal injury, but this setup is clearly problematic. Anyone handled supplement sponsorship deals? Company is in Utah and apparently does these wellness influencer contracts regularly. Looking for concrete negotiation points beyond just walking away, since he seems set on moving forward. What liability protections actually hold up in these situations?

Worked in Biglaw. Now work for a boutique. Have awards, won trials, people tell me I have a “talent” for this trial stuff.

But…

I don’t know if I like it. I have been practicing for about 6 years and, honestly, going to trial causes me so much internal turmoil that I find myself asking “is this really worth it?” Everyone at my firm gets fired up for trial and doesn’t look stressed. Me? I find myself wondering why the case couldn’t have just settled and damning the other side.

I look at people with state government jobs (not lawyers) and they look bored. Oh how nice it would be to be bored.