The New Lawyer Experience
By Jim Calloway, Director, OBA Management Assistance Program

The month of February brings a semiannual ritual that many of us recall not very fondly and some of us have managed to suppress from our memories entirely. No matter what bad happens to you this month, just be thankful that you don’t have to take the bar exam this month.

But after waiting for a few months that seem much, much longer, the majority of those test-takers will learn that they have passed and will be admitted to the bar. For many, that means starting at a new job or not losing the job where they have been working pending the bar results. For some, that means opening a law practice or joining some other association of practicing attorneys.

One criticism leveled at law schools has been that they teach the theory and logic of law without much emphasis on the actual day-to-day running of and managing of a law practice. Law schools have been doing an improved job of offering law practice management training over the last several years. Those who go to work in certain types of practice setting, like judicial clerkships, really have no need for most types of law practice management training, at least at that time.

But many lawyers still find themselves opening a law practice with inadequate preparation or training. Not all of these are new admittees. Some may have practiced for several years in a setting where they had no management responsibilities.

The Oklahoma Bar Association is providing a new service to assist lawyers in “hanging out a shingle.” It is a full-day program called The New Lawyer Experience, and the inaugural program will be held April 25 at the Oklahoma Bar Center. Preregistration is required. You can view program information and register here. There will be no charge and no CLE credit. Lunch will be provided by Oklahoma Attorneys Mutual Insurance.

After this trial program, there will be feedback solicited from the attendees. Hopefully the program will be improved. The tentative plan is to have four versions of this program annually, with it being held in both Oklahoma City and Tulsa after each lawyer swearing-in ceremony.

To save costs, there will be no written materials provided. But there will be written materials online for downloading in advance of the program. (In fact, they are available now.) First of all, we announce the new Starting a Law Practice Web Directory, which is now online at www.okbar.org/members/map/practice.htm. This resource groups together several papers from the OBA Management Assistance Program (some of which are being made available for free download for the first time) as well as links to many other online resources for starting a law practice.

We also recommend that lawyers opening a new law practice purchase the books “How to Start and Build a Law Practice” by Jay Foonberg and “Flying Solo, 4th Edition,” K. William Gibson, editor. A limited number of these will be available for sale at the program. But those who wish to be certain they will have the books can prepay to reserve the books in advance and pick them up the day of the program. These are two really great resources. You can reserve “How to Start and Build” for $52 and “Flying Solo” for $70 to be picked up the day of the program.

We’re excited about this new free voluntary program to help lawyers open their law practices. We hope that the new admittees will share our enthusiasm. They will receive a special invitation by mail. But if you know any of them, encourage them to attend.

Originally published in the Oklahoma Bar Journal February 11, 2006 - Vol. 77; No.06