Many
people
start
their
own
law
firms
because
they
want
to
enjoy
the
freedom
and
flexibility
afforded
by
self-employment.
Indeed,
self-employment
can
be
extremely
rewarding
and
can
permit
lawyers
to
practice
law
the
way
they
want
to
without
the
hassle
of
having
a
law
firm
boss.
Although
attorneys
may
not
think
about
long-term
career
consequences
associated
with
opening
a
practice,
starting
a
firm
can
have
negative
career
consequences
that
lawyers
should
consider.
Difficulty
Leaving
It
is
difficult
to
close
a
law
practice
and
accept
other
career
opportunities
once
a
lawyer
opens
up
a
law
firm.
If
a
lawyer
handles
litigation
matters,
they
cannot
be
discharged
from
those
matters
without
court
approval.
This
can
be
time-intensive,
and
some
courts
take
every
excuse
they
can
to
keep
lawyers
assigned
to
cases.
Even
if
a
lawyer
handles
non-litigation
matters,
it
might
be
difficult
for
the
lawyer
to
withdraw
from
a
representation
in
the
middle
of
a
deal
and
find
substitute
counsel.
Of
course,
many
lawyers
can
bring
their
clients
to
other
law
firms
that
employ
them,
but
some
career
opportunities,
like
government
jobs,
require
lawyers
to
be
free
from
client
responsibilities
associated
with
their
own
law
practice.
I
personally
know
several
lawyers
who
have
struggled
to
find
new
work
since
they
had
difficulty
leaving
the
responsibilities
of
their
law
practice
behind.
In
several
instances,
lawyers
tried
self-employment
for
a
few
years
and
then
realized
that
they
could
not
make
a
living
running
a
law
practice.
These
lawyers
attempted
to
join
other
law
firms,
but
some
of
the
lawyers
had
contingency-fee
cases
and
other
matters
that
were
not
desirable
to
the
new
law
firm.
In
several
instances,
I
have
been
approached
about
taking
lousy
cases
from
such
lawyers
so
that
they
could
pass
these
matters
onto
other
lawyers
and
have
an
easier
time
leaving
for
a
new
law
firm.
This
phenomenon
is
especially
bad
for
solo
practitioners
and
small
firm
lawyers
who
cannot
easily
pass
work
to
someone
else
at
their
firm.
I
think
court
rules
should
be
changed
to
make
it
easier
for
such
attorneys
to
withdraw
as
counsel
to
take
career
opportunities,
but
that
should
be
the
subject
of
a
whole
new
article.
In
any
case,
lawyers
should
be
aware
that
work
they
perform
for
their
own
practice
can
impede
them
as
they
move
through
their
careers.
Prestige
As
I
have
discussed
in
prior
articles,
the
legal
profession
is
addicted
to
prestige.
Where
you
go
to
law
school,
and
how
prestigious
that
institution
is
perceived
to
be,
can
have
longstanding
consequences
on
a
lawyer’s
career.
In
addition,
the
prestige
of
working
at
a
fancy
law
firm
or
government
position
can
help
propel
lawyers
to
new
heights
in
their
careers.
Some
lawyers
have
told
me
that
they
are
fearful
of
getting
off
a
kind
of
prestige
escalator
in
their
careers,
and
take
positions
that
are
less
regarded
since
they
may
have
difficulty
getting
back
on
this
escalator
and
have
difficulty
snagging
prestigious
positions
later
in
their
careers.
Starting
a
law
firm
is
not
considered
prestigious
to
many
lawyers.
Indeed,
there
is
oftentimes
a
stigma
around
people
who
start
law
firms,
and
some
might
erroneously
believe
that
individuals
who
start
law
firms
had
no
other
options,
and
this
is
why
these
attorneys
took
the
plunge
to
launch
their
own
practices.
As
a
result,
running
a
practice
might
significantly
impact
a
lawyer’s
resume
and
make
it
difficult
for
self-employed
attorneys
to
pursue
other
opportunities
later
in
their
careers.
All
told,
there
are
many
reasons
why
people
choose
to
start
their
own
law
firms,
but
lawyers
need
to
carefully
consider
this
option.
Starting
a
law
firm
can
have
short-term
financial
and
vocational
consequences
and
can
also
impact
attorneys
for
years
as
they
move
throughout
their
careers.
Jordan
Rothman
is
a
partner
of The
Rothman
Law
Firm,
a
full-service
New
York
and
New
Jersey
law
firm.
He
is
also
the
founder
of Student
Debt
Diaries,
a
website
discussing
how
he
paid
off
his
student
loans.
You
can
reach
Jordan
through
email
at jordan@rothman.law.