Most lawyers who practice privately are almost always employed by smaller law firms, which are defined by having 20 lawyers or less and even said 20 work in even smaller law firms. On top of practicing privately, around 50% of all lawyers in private practices are also solo practitioners i.e., performing medical health, mental health, and other services. Being apart of or owning a smaller law firm does have its advantages.
The work in smaller law firms is usually more varied than it would be in larger firms. Instead of assigning a group of lawyers to one case and or a specific area of expertise, lawyers who work in smaller firms are more likely to be spread across a broad spectrum of unique expert areas. In some cases, smaller law firms as a whole will focus specifically on one area of expertise and they are otherwise referred to as ’boutique’ law firms. In turn, the element of being spread across different areas can also aid in getting new lawyers and paralegals more hands-on experience as well as experience in a faster-paced working environment.
New lawyers may experience more definitive tasks which may not be overseen with supervision, unlike bigger firms. However, because of tasks not being heavily looked over, it may lead to more errors that could put the law firm at risk unless safeguarding is implemented.
Being able to work for smaller law firms can aid in intimacy both between the lawyers and clients as well as firm colleagues. Associates in smaller law firms may conduct themselves with more freedom which enables them to have more client contact than those from larger firms as the contact with clients is frequently retained for the more senior members of the firm. The contact with clients may lead to better rapports being built between the firm and the client, however, it may not be ideal for lawyers who are a bit more introverted than others. As for staff intimacy, working in a smaller firm can enable better colleague relationships which can aid in better production and quality of work through teamwork and cooperation.
As beneficial as advantageous it is to work in a smaller law firm, it can also affect the flexibility element of lawyers. Being a part of a smaller law firm may not aid lawyers when wanting to make opposing arrangements as there are fewer hands to take the places of those who are potentially missing. Additionally, smaller law firms are likely to have a set of procedures and or rules applicable to everyone which can make it difficult for those who may want to partake in other activities outside of work. On the other hand, lawyers from private practices may be in a better position regarding flexibility as they can bounce between being a practitioner as well as being able to practice privately.
Whilst acknowledging the benefits of working for smaller firms, it is also worth acknowledging the disadvantages of smaller law firms. As aforementioned, working for smaller firms can often mean that there is more of a variation in workload, however, the mass variation of workload may not be reflected in the salary despite potentially having more to endure in comparison to working for a larger firm. Escorting that is also the little opportunity you may have to network due to limitations in attending a volume of networking events through a said firm which may obstruct future career plans for new paralegals and lawyers.
Conclusively, working in a smaller firm can be largely beneficial to new lawyers and paralegals due to being able to have hands-on experience working across several different areas of expertise which in some cases may be substantially unique to one another. Furthermore, being able to work in a smaller firm can aid in building better client relationships which can be adopted by less senior members of staff which enable differing rapports across the firm.
Additionally, the intimacy among colleagues can be largely beneficial to those employed by smaller firms as this could lead to better quality execution of tasks and ultimately a better working environment. However, the opportunities whilst at smaller firms may not be as frequent or present as those who work in larger firms; this may obstruct new lawyers and paralegals who may be opting for bigger career plans in the future. Ultimately, it is dependant on what presents itself to be the best opportunity.
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1 comment
Excellent piece!