start my own law firm

...all the paperwork is ready. Have a business plan drafted, have incorporation, insurance, bank account, and tax forms filled out and ready to go…have a web designer lined up and waiting, financing is all set. Everything is ready to go…except the Bar results. Best as I can figure, I am sitting and waiting until November 3rd.

The wait is much harder than Tom Petty says.

I’m into the next stage and have a lot to do – final draft of the Business Plan and get all the financial nuts and bolts lined up and ready to go – health insurance, malpractice insurance, hire an accountant, apply for business licenses, draft articles of incorporation and/or partnership forms, etc.

I’ve decided to work out of a virtual office for the first 3-6 months to extend my capital a little further, so instead of identifying office locations right now, I want to put a little more work into the Marketing portion of my business plan. I’ve got some great ideas!

I am excited how much closer my goal seems now that the bar is over! But for the savings plan, and the need to save up as much startup capital as possible, I could be ready to start as early as November or December.

....to get past this Texas bar exam.

The next phase seems so much more intriguing right now…finalize my Business Plan, narrow my office locations to 3 possible leases, and get all the financial nuts and bolts lined up and ready to go (health insurance, malpractice insurance, hire an accountant, apply for business licenses, draft articles of incorporation and/or partnership forms.

That phase will last through August, and then from September until February, I move into the last preparatory phase, which is to assemble the substance of my practice – forms, documents, motions, library, approach potential partners from law school, etc.

The good news is that I have mentally resigned from my current position – I am representing my clients well, but am pushing the edge of the envelope and taking new approaches to case work and advocacy style to see if I can be comfortable with them in my own practice.

Now, if I could just take this darn exam, I could get into the fun stuff!!

Started planning in 1999. Graduated law school in 2003. Getting trial experience with a big “firm” through 2006. Next step…take and pass the Texas Bar in July 2006.