Many times, when I tell people that I run my own law firm, they respond by commenting about how great it must be to not have a boss. Of course, self-employed lawyers do not have supervisors like associates who work at law firms, and it is nice not to deal with annual reviews, office politics, and all of the unpleasant things that people who work for others need to endure. However, self-employed lawyers definitely still have “bosses” in the sense that there are still usually people to whom the attorney is accountable, and in many ways, this can be similar to the situations faced by associates who work for partners at larger law firms.
Clients
All kinds of lawyers are responsible to clients of course. Indeed, clients are the people who pay the bills, set the objectives of a representation, and who lawyers generally serve. However, when associates work in a law firm, they may not have too much contact with clients. Indeed, on larger accounts, a select number of senior partners may have direct contact with the clients, and associates almost never interact with the clients they serve. Of course, as mentioned in a previous article, this can lead to inefficiencies in the representation, but it also means that partners are the one who need to provide “white glove” service to clients and ensure that they are taken care of expeditiously when an issue arises.
Self-employed lawyers usually do not have any intermediaries between themselves and clients, and they usually need to handle client interactions by themselves. This can be a truly enriching experience. It is great to connect with clients on a personal level and to grow with clients as they reach their own goals. Very few things give me more satisfaction then telling a client good news after a hard-fought victory, and this is made more satisfying from the close connections I have with many of my clients.
However, clients often expect lawyers to cater to their needs at all times of the day and night and in all kinds of ways. I have had clients text me about legal questions at 11 on a Saturday night even though the matter could have provably waited until a more reasonable hour. Indeed, in order to provide concierge service, I have also personally traveled long distances (hundreds of miles in some instances) to discuss matters with clients that could have easily been handled over the phone. Of course, I am not complaining about any of this, it is a pleasure to provide top-rate service to clients, and I am happy clients feel comfortable reaching out to me at all times. However, people should not think that self-employed lawyers lose some kind of accountability when they go out on their own since they still need to be responsible to clients and other stakeholders of their representation.
Partners
Self-employed lawyers also have to deal with partners who may have an impact on the work and operations of the attorney. It is true, that solo practitioners do not need to deal with partners, and I had this freedom for the first six months of my self-employment. However, many people partner up to realize financial and administrative benefits, and I myself partnered with my brother, who is a lawyer, shortly after starting my own practice.
In any case, partners often have input in many decisions of a self-employed lawyers, both big and small. Indeed, partners decide on firm spending, cases to accept, employment decisions, and everything else that impacts a lawyer’s practice. In some ways, this can be more restrictive than working as an associate at a traditional law firm and having typical bosses. Associates can expect to earn a steady salary and have stability in their employment relationship. However, lawyers with partners may have different financial and administrative responsibilities depending on the input of partners. To be clear, I am extremely happy with my decision to partner up with my brother to run a law firm, and feel I am much better off this way. However, people should not think that self-employed lawyers do not have individuals to whom they are responsible when they work with partners.
Inflexibility
Another one of the “bosses” that self-employed lawyers often face is that they cannot be too flexible in their days off and manner of working. Some people may think that self-employed lawyers can call the shots, go on vacation when they want to, and have greater freedom in how they operate. This is often not the case. It may be difficult for self-employed attorneys to take vacations since someone may need to be minding the store back at an office and vacations can impact a firm’s cash flow. However, many associates have a set number of vacation days to which they are entitled, and they can use such days with few restrictions. In this way, associates who work for a firm might be more free than self-employed attorney since they have less administrative responsibilities.
All told, self-employment is awesome, and I highly recommend that people consider this lifestyle. However, individuals should not think that self-employed lawyers have no bosses since they actually may have more responsibilities than other kinds of lawyers.
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@rothmanlawyer.com.