I have owned my own law and consulting practice since 2001. However I started practicing in private practice part-time while working for Lexis Nexis as a home-based Legal Editor in 1999. I became suddenly solo in 2001 after deciding I wanted to practice law full-time and practice nursing and my other pursuits part-time.
I have been a licensed attorney since 1997. This year marks my 10th year as an attorney so I find myself again rethinking things. I am also a Generation Xer and think that maybe I am rebelling against myself a little now since I am self-employed.
I enjoy my law practice and I love most of my clients. However, I began to ask myself in 2006 after the 5 year mark in solo practice (which actually was the 8 year mark of some form of private practice) if this is what I see myself doing for the next 30 years. I am 36 years old and the answer is NO.
I am not burning out however I recognize the stress that solo practice places upon attorneys. I have also been so busy marketing, advertising, speaking, writing, and practicing nursing and law since 1998 when I left a large law firm that I haven't taken the time to really enjoy and reflect where I am in my law practice and consulting practice now.
I described my ideal law practice in my 2002 law firm marketing plan that I developed as being 30% licensure defense, 30% alternative dispute (mediation and arbitration), 30% consulting, and 10% nursing practice. My law practice as of today is 99% licensure defense and 1% nursing practice. My consulting practice is non-existent at this point.
My best cousin (I am a Southern Gal at heart) asked me if I still had a consulting firm today because all I talk about (besides my poodles, my son, and my niece and nephews) is my law practice. Her comment made me think long and hard because I always assumed that it would be my consulting practice that took off when in fact it was my law practice. Go Figure!
My ideal practice in 2007 would be: 10% licensure defense, 10% nursing practice, 20% alternative dispute, 20% Counseling and Advising Nurses in Workplace and Professional Practice Matters, and 40% TO BE DETERMINED.
What is your ideal law or consulting practice? What is your ideal nursing practice? Who are your ideal clients? Have you developed a marketing plan for your practice?
I started developing a handwritten marketing plan in 2002 and I keep my marketing plans together so that I can refer back to each year occassionally. I don't have my ideal practice which I consider to be a mixture of law, consulting, and clinical nursing practice however I will get there. I also want to start a non-profit that focues on nursing and law in the future. I eventually want to transition from home care nursing to more wound care nursing in home care.
Why did I label this post Attorney Burnout? If I continue to allow my law practice to dominate my time, I will eventually burnout. My law practice is my bread and butter at this time however with time, effort, and more marketing I will shift my practice into other areas. Maybe I can hit the lottery and work full-time in my own non-profit for nursing and the law.
Take charge of your practice and your career and avoid burnout (nurse, nurse attorney, attorney, etc.) at all costs. There are lots of consulting and employment opportunities for nurses, attorneys, and nurse attorneys.
I would love to talk about that. To avoid burnout I have two "right hands" who help keep me straight at the office and in between speaking, my show and representing nurses and other health care professionals I try to do my other things (writing, research) and my practice. My practice is about 30% federal including civil and criminal, 40% health law and assisting nurses and the remainder product and pharmaceuticals. For the first 3 years out I did nothing but medical malpractice and nursing home litigation. With tort reform in Texas that business has gone way down. I started my own firm in 2004 and have two other attorneys who work with me and support staff of 2 legal assistants and one receptionist. It's a small outfit but we are like family. It's hard out on your own and the recession has effected everyone. But creative marketing and speaking have kept the business coming in. Joe
Posted by: Joe Flores, RN,MSN,JD | June 22, 2008 at 02:51 AM