A few weeks ago, I was listening to a purported expert on the legal profession discuss recent trends in the legal industry. This person discussed how many lawyers and law firms are specializing in order to stay competitive in the legal marketplace. This individual suggested that attorneys need to pick a specialty so that the lawyers could attract additional business and build a more robust practice. However, this advice did not seem aimed at small-firm lawyers, who comprise the vast majority of attorneys within the legal profession. Small-firm lawyers usually need to become generalists for a variety of reasons, and lawyers looking to start or expand their own practices should keep this in mind.
One of the reasons why small-firm lawyers become generalists is because this makes it easier for them to generate business. Handling all manner of legal issues can help a lawyer originate all types of business that can keep a lawyer busy with work. For instance, when I first started my practice, I handled all types of legal issues. I worked on parking tickets, wills, closings, and basically anything else I could sink my teeth into and generate business.
Even after my business was well-established, I still tended to be a generalist. Most clients just want one lawyer or law firm to handle all of their legal issues. It is usually easier for a client to deal with one point person rather than multiple people so that the clients’ legal issues can be more easily managed. When clients work...
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