How to Start a Law Firm in 2023
Thousands of lawyers will be starting their own firm in 2023—including, perhaps, you. Starting your own firm can be an exciting journey that is both financially and emotionally rewarding—when done the right way. Fortunately, Clio created the industry’s most comprehensive Guide to Starting a Law Firm.
Clio’s free Guide to Starting a Law Firm has been referenced by more than 30,000 legal professionals, and is packed with advice from legal experts and founding partners on everything you need to build your firm the right way.
A quick summary of the contents follows. We definitely encourage you to read the guide in its entirety: you can read each chapter online, or download a free PDF of the complete guide. If you prefer watching videos, then we recommend you check out the recordings from Clio’s popular Building a Successful Law Firm series. It also covers many important aspects of starting your own firm.
Chapter 1 - How to create a business plan
A passion for practicing law is essential, but you’ll also need to know how to run the business side of your firm. That is where your business plan comes in.
Chapter 2 - How to create a law firm budget
No matter how much money you currently have, what practice area you’re in, or how long you’ve spent practicing, you’ll need a budget to help your law firm succeed. The basics of a law firm budget include startup costs, recurring expenses, and projecting revenue.
Chapter 3 - How to get clients for your law firm
While you’re busy juggling your legal and administrative tasks, you’ll also need a plan to generate a steady flow of new clients.
Chapter 4 - How to make it official
Starting your own law firm isn’t as simple as launching your business and offering your services. In addition to the fun parts (naming your firm and designing a logo), you need to take care of the paperwork required to officially start your law firm.
Chapter 5 - How to set up your law firm’s processes and systems
With the right systems and processes, you can create a solid foundation that will make starting and running your own law firm easy. Firms using technology to streamline their workflows averaged a higher volume of casework, up to 21% more than firms that weren’t using technology.
Chapter 6 - How to create your law firm’s online presence
Having an online presence is crucial. How your law firm appears online not only influences whether or not a client will choose to hire you, but also shapes their overall impression of you and your law firm.
Chapter 7 - How to set up your new law firm workspace
With so many things to focus on, setting up a proper workspace is frequently overlooked when starting a law firm. But working on the dining table or the couch may not be the best idea long term, especially when there are so many other options available.
Chapter 8 - Staffing, networking, and getting support when starting your own law firm
Starting your own law firm involves a lot of research, planning, and work. It’s a good idea to build up a reliable support network of friends, family, colleagues, and mentors that will help lead you on the path to success.
We hope you find these resources helpful and wish you the best of luck in starting your firm!
This content is advertising.
