Private Practice Lawyer
Of all the lawyers in the United States, over ¾ of them are in private practice. Attorneys in private practice work can work in a law firm with two or more attorneys, or in solo practice. Full partnership status is described as lawyers who work in law firms as partners, sharing the firm’s profits, risks, and associates. Most new graduates start out as associates in these law firms until they’ve reached full partnership status.
Private practice lawyers work among many other legal professionals including law clerks, IT personnel, legal secretaries, litigation support professionals, law firm administrators, marketing personnel, file clerks and legal nurse consultants.
Solo Practice vs. Law Firms
Solo practitioners oftentimes offer legal services in a broad range of practice areas, while practitioners who work in law firms generally specialize in one particular area of law such as tax, criminal, bankruptcy, family or appellate law. When it comes to ones salary, it might seem like solo practitioners make more (and they do have the potential since they are able to set their own fees and prices) per year than partners in firms, but actually, because of the additional time spent researching, preparing and presenting cases hourly pay can decrease as the hours add up to an additional 10-20 hours per week, equally less pay per hour.
Private practice lawyers who are working in law firms must keep a continuous record of time spent working in order to bill their client correctly. Law firms usually impose high monthly and yearly billable hour requirements upon partners, associates and paralegals, making law firm employment among the most demanding legal practice environments. Solo practitioners do not necessarily need to keep such detailed records of time spent working, as they are able to charge a set or flat rate to their clients if desired.
Regardless of where you choose to work, lawyers of all kinds can guarantee themselves long hours. Law firms are more notorious for requiring long work hours from its employees to help raise revenues. Each law firm is unique with its rules and work requirements, however many law firm employees average 50-80 hours per week. Ironically, most solo practitioners start out working in small and/or large law firms before starting their own practice.
Large Law Firms vs. Small Law Firms
Of the ¾ of nationwide private practice lawyers, only 14% of them are employed in large law firms. Large law firms employ as many as 100 or more lawyers at once but are considered ‘large’ when employing at least 20 individuals. Small law firms can employ anywhere from 2-20 private practice lawyers at a time. Large law firms are also known as Big Law or mega-firms. Below you’ll find the benefits and drawbacks to working in a large versus small law firm.
Benefits to working in a large law firm include:
- High salaries
- Well-credentialed colleagues
- Challenging work
- Large, diverse client base
- Endless resources
- Luxurious offices
- Well-developed training programs
Drawbacks to working in a large law firm include:
- Long hours
- Competitive environment
- High billing quotas
- Irregular hours
- Overnight travel
- High expectations
- Strict academic and experience requirements
Benefits to working in a small law firm include:
- Flexible work schedules
- ‘Hands-on’ experience
- Highly varied work
- Significant client contact
- Informal and relaxed environment
- Little competition
Drawbacks to working in a small law firm include:
- Moderate salaries
- Limited firm resources
- Small support staff
- Modest office space
- Fewer benefits
- Limited formal training programs
- Local perspective
- Little, if any prestige
Job Outlook for Private Practice Lawyers
Even though most new graduates go into private practice, the job outlook is still good for prospective lawyers. Fortunately, there will always be a need for private practice lawyers, especially since many lawyers start their own practices each year. When this happens, not only are there job openings in the smaller, new firm, but also openings in the firm in which that individual lawyer left. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, over the next 10 years, job growth is expected to increase 13% as the demand for legal services in such areas as healthcare, intellectual property, bankruptcy, corporate and security litigation rise. New graduates who go into private practice should try to continue their education by devoting time to learn more about a particular area of law.
