New lawyers ordinarily follow the traditional lawyer flowchart:

1. Intern at a law firm or other legal office while you desperately wait for your bar exam results.
2. Promote from intern to associate as a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, aspiring attorney.
3. Get a reality check as you put in 50 to 60 hours a week (minimum).
4. Pull a couple all-nighters at your desk.
5. Grind away at the office until your hairline recedes or turns grey—or both—at the ripe old age of 35.
6. Watch as the next generation of lawyers do the exact same thing.

But this isn’t always the case—well, at least not for me.

Roughly one year after starting my first job as an associate attorney I unexpectedly found myself at a crossroads in my professional career. As much as I wanted to catch my breath and take my time looking for new opportunities for work, I knew that time was limited. I initially had difficulty finding a position right after being admitted, so the prospect of finding a new job was nerve-wracking. With only a single year of experience under my belt, finding a firm who would hire me felt like an uphill battle—my main concern being that many associate positions are generally filled by interning graduates waiting for bar exam results. After a few days of discussing different options with my wife, my choice was clear: I would have to bet on myself.

Starting your own solo practice is a challenge for any lawyer. Doing so with one year under your belt is borderline reckless, but not impossible. The instant transition from an associate attorney to running your own practice is like jumping into Lake Michigan in March. If you’re a young attorney looking at breaking the mold, here’s three traits you should have and three challenges you will encounter, which I’ve learned after completing my first full year as a solo practicing attorney.

“The instant transition from an associate attorney to running your own practice is like jumping into Lake Michigan in March.”

Trait #1: You Must Learn and Adapt Quickly

Let’s face it—what you learn in law school is only the tip of the iceberg. When you open a private practice early in your career, you are forced to learn every aspect of business management at the same time you are trying to learn the law, providing chaos at every corner. Fortunately, we live in an age where anyone can access the world’s knowledge in seconds, so use that to your advantage.

Use free and readily available resources for your practice such as the ISBA’s legal research tools and the Indiana General Assembly’s online Indiana Code. Additionally, you can use the Indiana Courts' MyCase to find examples of pleadings and motions filed by other lawyers when you’re unsure how to properly draft one.

For understanding the business management side of your practice, there are plenty of online guides that will walk you through website construction, domain maintenance, bookkeeping, and marketing. YouTube is full of educational content that can help you learn these skills. Additionally, software providers like QuickBooks and Clio have guides that answer many questions that first time users may have.

Using artificial intelligence tools can assist in creative endeavors like website design and creating a brand identity, but be cautious when using them for legal work. AI, such as ChatGPT, is prone to using algorithms that use outdated or imitated information—such as using the 2021 Indiana Code instead of the most current version or making up citations that mirror appellate cases from other jurisdictions. However, using well-drafted prompts can help avoid this, such as requiring the AI to “exclusively use external resources and provide links from the websites that the information was gathered from,” forcing it to use more recent information than its older self-contained data model. Regardless, you should always verify all AI generated citations.

Trait #2: You Must Be Procedurally Organized

Note that I didn’t specify “physically” organized. More likely than not your workspace will be a jumbled mess of papers and boxes. Establishing a method to organize the way you want to run your practice is essential, otherwise you risk spiraling into disorganization once you begin to bring in clients. Creating a uniform document naming system is a powerful organization tool allowing you to quickly access your files. Quickly accessing your documents is as important as the content within them. You can’t use what you can’t find.

There is no correct way to organize, but having a system that is easy to teach to future staff or attorneys is an important foresight.

Trait #3: You Must Be Flexible with Clients

Flexibility can be very advantageous for a new attorney. There are people who need legal assistance but can’t find time to meet with an attorney. Not everyone can simply take a day off—often due to work or personal scheduling conflicts. Others, particularly the elderly, have difficulty leaving their homes. By opening yourself up to flexible scheduling, you’re showing dedication to your client by prioritizing their accessibility instead of asking them to disrupt their lives for your convenience. Just remember to set limits on your availability. Your job may seem like your entire life at the onset, but you must care for yourself as well.

“Just remember to set limits on your availability. Your job may seem like your entire life at the onset, but you must care for yourself as well.”

Challenge #1: Overcoming Perceived “Inexperience”

One of the most soul crushing experiences occurred a month into my practice. I was attending an event where I had an information table. During the event, a couple in their early 60s stopped at my table. After learning that I was in the legal field, they curiously asked, “Who is the attorney?”I have been told before that I have a babyface when I am clean shaven, so I chuckled and informed them that I am the attorney. They were visibly surprised by my answer and asked for my age. Thinking nothing of it, I told them that I had just turned 28 and was proud to say that I started my own practice. Their next words hit me like a freight train: “Call us when you’re in your thirties.”

As much as it hurt to hear, I understand their hesitation. But remember that there is a reason that bar exam scores aren’t published—a new lawyer is just as much as a lawyer as one with fifty years of experience. Be aware of your current experience, which may limit which cases you can reasonably take, while recognizing that your abilities will inevitably grow. Appreciate your clients who come to you for their legal needs in the early stages of your practice.

Challenge #2: Isolation

One of the greatest challenges, particularly for extroverts, is the substantial amount of time spent alone.

Being on my own required that I sacrifice everyday social interactions that you would ordinarily have at a firm. Additionally, you will have to deal with professional isolation. A solo practitioner’s opportunities to discuss legal questions with co-workers are essentially nonexistent. I discovered very quickly that cordial connections are critical to a successful practice. Even as a solo practitioner, you can’t do it alone, so find experienced attorneys who will mentor you. Although I don’t have a peer down the hall, I’m extremely thankful for the handful of lawyers who have helped me work through several challenges I’ve faced.

If you are looking to find a mentor, a great place to is your local/county bar association. Reach out to different attorneys and find an hour to have coffee. You may find that some lawyers are involved in volunteer organizations like Lions, Kiwanis, or Rotary. The most important step is taking the initiative to interact, even if it seems awkward at first. There are experienced lawyers who would be glad to help develop the skills of green lawyers.

Challenge #3: Overcoming Financial Pressures

Managing finances is a necessity for any business. What is more challenging is meeting your personal financial needs. You will likely not have enough revenue to pay yourself for months. However, underneath the balance sheet is a more concerning issue: Zealous advocacy can easily become milquetoast when you don’t know if you can meet your own needs. Overcoming this obstacle is not just a test of professional ethics, but evidence of a lawyer’s true character. This is perhaps the greatest obstacle you may face, and there are no easy solutions.

Conclusion

Not everyone can be on their own, and being newly admitted is challenging enough. Neither are easy, but both are possible. You will lose sleep. Your relationships will be challenged. Your self-confidence will falter, and feelings of imposter syndrome will occur. However, the experience and knowledge you gain are unlike any traditional career path, shaping you into the most authentic attorney you could ever hope to be.

Hayden C.T. Parsons is the founding attorney of HCTP Law—a general practice law firm based in Noblesville, Indiana—practicing primarily in the areas of probate, estate planning, business law, and contracts. Since opening his practice in June 2024, Hayden has met the legal needs of individuals and small businesses throughout Indiana and in other states.

Hayden earned his J.D. from the Michigan State University College of Law in 2022, and a B.S. in Political Science from Ball State University in 2019. He was admitted to the Indiana Bar in 2023. Hayden has a passion for helping military veterans and servicemembers, having proudly served in the United States Army Reserve for six years as a Paralegal Specialist, achieving the rank of Sergeant/E-5. Outside of his legal career, Hayden has served on the board of directors for a variety of non-profit organizations, and holds membership in his local Lions Club and Kiwanis Club.