Finding Your Legal Niche

Finding Your Law Practice Niche

In law school we took classes that related to particular areas of the law. Yet, when we graduated, most of us didn’t know what we wanted to do, what area of law was the best fit for us. Often, an attorney’s area of practice and career path is determined by that first job. I can’t tell you how many lawyers I have talked to who took a great sounding job only to find that they didn’t like the practice area they were in.

You have invested a significant amount of time and money in becoming an attorney, wouldn’t it be a good idea to invest a bit more effort to proactively choose the area of the law where you will spend your career?

First. think through questions such as: “What do I want out of my life? “, “What do I want out of my career?” and “What Are My Talents, Skills and Interests?” is great way to start the process. But you then need to determine what your options are. It may be possible to rule out those areas of law that you know are not a good match and you may be able to refine your search based upon such factors as where you will be living, your spouse’s career path, how you did in law school, financial requirements, etc.

Next. Home in on the best practice area fit. You need a plan, a systematic approach that sets out the specific steps to take to make that determination.

Your Challenges. You haven’t done this before, you don’t know how to go about it and stuff just keeps getting in the way. It is easy to procrastinate, to focus on your current work and tell yourself that you will get around to it later or to do a little bit of investigation here and there. That won’t work.

How I Can Help. In my 25 years of law practice I handled cases in a number of practice areas and, since 1997, I have coached attorneys in many more practice areas. My personal legal experience and the knowledge I have gained from coaching other attorneys is invaluable. I will work with you to prepare a written plan to conduct the initial research and support you through the investigation and analysis of the legal niche areas you develop. Through regular coaching sessions and accountability I will keep you on track to achieve your goal: finding your practice area, your niche in the law.

“If you are thinking about a career change, or just a tune-up, Dan can help you turn your day dreams into reality. Dan helps you identify and articulate what you really want out of a career and then he guides you through the exciting and sometimes scary process of moving toward your goals. Looking back, I can’t believe the progress I’ve made working with Dan. I went from not having a clue to what I wanted out of a career to having an array of incredibly exciting options. I can’t recommend Dan more highly.”    ~J.R. California