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Are You a New Virginia Attorney? Tips For Starting Out
You went to law school. For 3 years you worked the hardest you ever had to in your life. You had to prepare and outline cases for class, conduct countless hours of research, read hundreds of pages every day, ask questions and getting a response that was a question (The Socratic Method – were you ever actually right?), watch friends drop out of school, pull all-nighters, and study for exams where, in most classes, that one exam grade was your final grade. But you graduated.
You studied for the Virginia Bar Exam. For months that one exam was the most important thing in your life. You had to learn things you would never use again in the real world (riparian water rights?). For two straight days you took the exam. You passed. You got sworn in as a Virginia Attorney. You did it. Now what?
Solo Attorney vs. Law Firm Associate
You have two main options as a Virginia Attorney: open up your own firm or join a firm as an Associate (sometimes called a “Junior Associate”). If you open up your own firm, you will need some capital with which to pay the office rent, malpractice insurance, court attire, office supplies, local bar membership dues, and marketing costs to name a few. This can get expensive but, if done right, you answer to no one except your clients and you get to decide which types of cases you want to take. You have control of your calendar and your destiny with no supervision. Of course, the catch is that there is no supervision and no one to turn to in the event you have questions. To the contrary, if you join a firm, you have access to a wealth of information and expertise. You do not have to worry about trust accounts, membership dues, marketing costs, or office rent. All you have to do is work. Indeed, you will be given unfamiliar and, many times, exhausting tasks. Your calendar may be filled with cases of which you did not sign up for. You may be asked to drop everything and work on something pressing while being asked to drop that pressing task to work on something else while still needing to finish that previous responsibility. Each option is yours to choose.
Virginia Attorneys Must Learn How to Practice Very Quickly
The court system is a machine. Its job is to hear cases expediently and make accurate rulings. The courts will not have time to wait for you to learn local procedures and, of course, the law. You are a Virginia Attorney and are expected to know what you are doing.
To get knowledge as quickly as possible, you will want to make friends with local attorneys. Ask them what they think about the merits of your case. Be polite and courteous to the court clerks. The court clerks have a wealth of knowledge as to the inner workings of that jurisdiction. They know the filing deadlines, a particular Judge’s temperament as to certain issues, and will help ensure your briefs and other filings make it to the Judge for their review. In addition, because they work behind the scenes, many clerks come into contact with Judges more often than you will. You want to be sure that, if your name comes up in a discussion, you are exhibited as a good attorney that is also civil and refined.
Additionally, you will want to go to as many continuing legal education (CLE) courses as you can afford (many jurisdictions have free CLEs as well). This will not only help you learn the law and local procedures quickly but to also give you a chance to chat it up with Judges and other attorneys who are also present. When you are first starting out, don’t be afraid to spend some money on CLE materials. Many are written by Judges and well-respected attorneys that will include a wealth of information.
How to Get Clients Quickly as a Virginia Attorney
Advertising starting out in Virginia is crucial to your success. Your strategy will depend on what area of law you are focusing on. For example, in Family Law and Personal Injury cases, the internet is a great method to get clients. Whether you advertise on Local Directories or Pay Per Click on Google and/or Yahoo, a cost-conscientious attorney can really gain a lot of new clients while not breaking the bank. In Criminal or Traffic cases, as above, the internet remains a good method to acquire clients. In addition, you can advertise through direct mail marketing to get new Virginia criminal and traffic cases. A company like Direct Legal Mail can help you with your direct mail marketing needs. Direct Legal Mail collects data on newly filed criminal and traffic cases and then can either send you this data for you to do the mailings from your law office or Direct Legal Mail can be the mailings for you from its factory. Either way, the net result should be that your firm gets more Virginia criminal and traffic cases through direct mail marketing.
Final Point – Your Reputation as a Virginia Attorney
Be the Court’s most trusted advisor. It has been said that it takes years to build a positive reputation and minutes to destroy one. Be the Court’s guide. When an opponent is being shady, do not reciprocate. Rather, take the higher road and you will be rewarded for it. At times where will come a time when you will be asked a question by the Court. Be sure they believe your answer because that one answer could be the difference whether your client is awarded custody of their children or whether your client is found not guilty of a serious charge. Be that trusted attorney and you will have decades of a successful law practice and, one day, you will be that senior attorney giving advice to the new attorney telling them that reputation is everything.