D.C. Attorneys Launch Two Websites for Solo and Small Firm Lawyers

Sites serve underserved niche; many lawyers want to leave big firms to start their own practice, but need a helping hand

Washington, D.C., April 9, 2003: Washington D.C. attorneys Jonathan Bender and Carolyn Elefant announce the launch of two websites for solo and small firm lawyers. The sites fill a need felt by attorneys that want to strike out on their own, but lack the information and support to do so comfortably.

Both Bender and Elefant worked for large D.C. law firms before starting their own boutique practices, Bender in Internet law and Elefant in energy law. They met through a newsgroup for solo attorneys. Although the newsgroup was helpful, Bender and Elefant wondered at the lack of focused Web resources for attorneys in or seeking to start a solo or small-office practice. They set about to remedy the situation.

Bender's website, SOHOAttorney, http://sohoattorney.com, provides tips and commentary on leveraging technology and creativity to enable attorneys practicing from small offices / home offices (SOHO) to compete with large firms. The site contains several interactive features, including an online marketplace for SOHOattorneys to help them find or provide office space, equipment, and "virtual" support staff. The site also contains a growing database of links to other web resources; visitors to the site can add new resources and rate those already listed.

Elefant's site, MyShingle.com (http://www.myshingle.com) identifies and regularly posts legal news items from a solo and small law firm perspective, publishes press releases by solos and small law firms and offers advice on lawyer marketing and client management issues. MyShingle.com is also the home of the web's most comprehensive online guide to Creating a Law Practice which is of use to lawyers who dream of going out on their own or even those who seek to build a specialization within an established firm.

Elefant explains: "The media and legal trade press has long overlooked the needs and interests of solos and small law firms. As a result, solos and small firm attorneys do not get the exposure for their accomplishments that they deserve. Websites such as MyShingle and SOHOAttorney help cure this deficiency." Bender adds that "technology has advanced enough in the last five or so years that many of the economies of scale associated with big(ger) firm practice have disappeared. Not so long ago, many attorneys who had grown dissatisfied with big firm practice would have had to choose between changing practice areas to move to a SOHO practice, or staying unhappily at a big firm. Carolyn and I are getting the word out that these folks no long face that Hobson's choice."

Robert Ambrogi, former editorial director of the National Law Journal, author of "The Essential Guide to the Best (and Worst) Legal Sites on the Web" and himself the proprietor of a legal research website, legaline.com, applauds the sites: "These websites have tremendous potential . There are lots of sites out there that cater to people interested in starting and running a business in a field other than law, but until MyShingle and SOHOAttorney, there weren't any comparable sites for lawyers."    

For additional information, contact Jonathan Bender, Law Offices of Jonathan Bender, PC, jbender@ibusinesslawyer.com 202-466-0565 or Carolyn Elefant, Law Offices of Carolyn Elefant, elefant@myshingle.com, 202-297-6100
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