AYLA: Solo Practice and Working Remotely in the Time of Corona

BY JESSICA MACCARTY

If you had told me a year ago that not only would I open my own law firm, but I would also do so in the midst of a life-altering, societyschisming pandemic, I would’ve asked how much you’d had to drink. I would’ve said I had no interest in opening a firm, and besides, who would be crazy enough to do such a thing in the middle of an almost-global quarantine?

As it turns out, the answer to my own hypothetical question is me.

Opening a law firm in general, particularly alone, is a monumental task. It’s a terrifying, expensive endeavor even at the best of times. Attempting to open one as COVID-19 scorches its way across the world has been an experience all its own, full of particular challenges as everyone attempts to conduct business as usual while abiding by the social distancing rules.

I’d therefore like to take a moment to share with you my tips and tricks for maintaining at least the faintest shred of sanity while operating as a solo practitioner or working from home during a literal plague.

Use this time in isolation to learn how to work with new platforms and applications as they become critical to functioning in the dawn of a new legal era.

CHECKLISTS ARE YOUR NEW BEST FRIENDS

Organization is critical for all attorneys, particularly for solo practitioners or those working from home. However, when forced to sit in your house all day devoid of interaction with the outside world, checklists and schedules become critical for organizing your day and continuing to build forward momentum.

When you have no client meetings, no depositions, and no networking events to attend, it can be tempting to simply sit around the house in your sweatpants and drown yourself in Netflix. Organization-—and checklists in particular—provide a mechanism to re-center on what needs to be accomplished while providing that dopamine hit of satisfaction when a task has been completed.

A WHOLE NEW (TECHNOLOGICAL) WORLD

As someone who is convinced that computers run on fairy dust, technology for me can be a bit intimidating. However, trying to build a law practice while shuttered inside all day has taught me I’m going to have to figure it out because remote practicing is here and will only expand in the future. Discussions on how to handle mediations via Zoom, attend hearings by conference call, and set up video depositions when no one can be within six feet of one another have dominated most of the conversations between attorneys online.

When this virus fades from the public sphere, attorneys and courts will have made huge strides in updating their technology and troubleshooting how to conduct business remotely out of necessity, and the chances that we return to the “old” way of doing things are slim. It is therefore imperative to use this time in isolation to learn how to work with new platforms and applications as they become critical to functioning in the dawn of a new legal era.

REMOTE NETWORKING: KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE… BUT NOT TOO CLOSE

When I started tinkering with the idea of going solo, I cornered everyone I’ve ever known who started a firm and picked their brains incessantly. The tenet they all repeated was that networking is critical and having people who will refer cases to you in the beginning is paramount. Networking is hard enough in person, but attempting to do it while under compulsory house arrest is a whole different ballgame.

The solution I’ve devised is to ask for help on every possible platform and advertise your firm anywhere you can. Join Facebook groups and other online hubs where you can ask questions and promote your availability for referrals. Ask people you know for the phone numbers of other attorneys in your practice area and call them for advice. And continue to harass your friends and drive them to the brink of insanity with your never-ending business planning and plotting. Because the friends who remotely lose their minds together, stay together.

JUST DO IT

Fun fact: There is no perfect time to shift to a solo practice or a remote-based system. There will always be complications, and whether they’re on a global, local, or individual scale, the outcome is the same—you just have to do it. Do your due diligence, outline as many new operating procedures and processes as possible, and when the time comes, embrace the ever-changing seas of life with open arms and enthusiasm.

Just don’t actually embrace anyone—you don’t want to get sick. AL

Jessica MacCarty

Jessica MacCarty is the founder of the MacCarty Law Firm which specializes in workers’ compensation, personal injury, and civil appellate cases. She has practiced in Austin for more than eight years and is board certified in workers’ compensation.