Many lawyers have tried to build a bankruptcy practice in those days. Many make the fatal mistake of using outdated methods of evaluation of the practice from the ground, and end up being also-rans in their area. The competition is fierce, and lawyers are working smarter - not only more difficult - to be successful.
10 steps to building a successful failure practice
Join the National Association of Consumer Attorneys of failure: this is the largest national organization dedicated toNot the consumer debtor. With well over 4,400 members bankruptcy lawyer, is the best source of information and training for new and established operators alike. NACB also runs several very active mailing list members to exchange information. Buy the full Consumer Law Center, National Library - including the failure of the consumer book: NCLC presents the most comprehensive set of books on bankruptcy, consumer protection and related matters. Period. After trainingBankruptcy law for more than 14 years, I still have my books on an almost daily basis. If you go to a convention of the NACB, you will find books NCLC for sale with a significant discount. Try the software packages used to prepare the petition and what they like best: you can not practice bankruptcy law, without preparing a package of petitions. There are a lot of good out there - BestCase, EZFiling, Bankruptcy2010 and Bankruptcy Pro are among the best - but do not know what the bestfor you until you sample them. All provide a free downloadable demo to work through, so take the time before spending a dime.
Go to court: Find out where your court's bankruptcy hearings are held, and make plans to sit there each day for a week or more. You'll learn about the trustees as well as about the types of people who file for bankruptcy in your area. Once you know more about who files for bankruptcy you'll be in a better position to know their motivations and concerns.
Sign up for CM/ECF: Most courts require bankruptcy lawyers to file cases electronically via the court's electronic case filing system. You need to get a password and (in some places) attend a training to learn how to file cases.
Get a scanner: Bankruptcy is a paper-intensive practice area. If you don't start scanning everything into your system now, you'll get snowed under. I personally use a Fujitsu ScanSnap, and it's a life-saver (plus, it comes with a fully-functional copy of Adobe Acrobat).
Start reading bankruptcy blogs: There are a lot of terrific resources online to help you keep up-to-date on the latest issues in bankruptcy. Bankruptcy Law Network, BankruptcyProf Blog, and Bankruptcy Mastery are just a few substantive sites that can teach you a lot.
Learn how to write: Yes, you know how to write like a lawyer, but that's not what's important. You need to be able to communicate in a way that your prospective clients understand without a dictionary. Writing like a lawyer is OK for judges, but clients need you to make it easier.
Online legal marketing basics: Most people start their search for a bankruptcy lawyer by hitting a search engine, so it's important for you to know about the underpinnings of online legal marketing. Start a blog, set up Twitter, and consider if marketing your practice with video is right for you.
Start compiling forms: Your bankruptcy practice will require you to be organized, so things like intake forms and retainer agreements are critical. The best places to find these are other lawyers. If you're on the NACBA listservs, just ask and ye shall receive - there's no reason to pay money to get canned intake documents.
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