The American Bar Association is now offering assistance for the nation’s largest law practice demographic with its new online Solo and Small Firm Resource Center. The Web site is the product of the ABA Presidential Task Force on Solo and Small Firm Membership Development. ABA President Bill Robinson III appointed the task force in August to focus the association’s efforts on the value ABA membership brings to this practice segment.
“Solo and small firm practitioners have unique needs because they don’t always have the same resources as large firms,” Robinson said. “We are therefore excited to launch the ABA Solo and Small Firm Resource Center for all lawyers, free of charge, to level the playing field with online information for lawyers in small practice settings.”
Of American lawyers in private practice, about 70 percent work in solo offices or law firms with 20 or fewer members. It is estimated that the United States has about 435,000 solo law practitioners (comprising about 48 percent of private-practice lawyers) and about 200,000 lawyers in firms of between two and 20 lawyers (about 22 percent of lawyers in private practice).
The Solo and Small Firm Resource Center provides online articles, CLE programming, a discussion list for solo and small firm lawyers and other information from groups throughout the ABA, including the ABA General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Division and Law Practice Management Section. The Web site offers practice management advice, business development strategies, career guidance, advice for handling problem cases and clients, technology reviews, networking events and more.
The Solo and Small Firm Resource Center can be accessed at ambar.org/soloandsmallfirms.