2008 Midyear Meeting Recap

Each year at the ABA's Midyear Meeting, the General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Division hosts the Solo & Small Firm Lawyers Breakfast Caucus to allow members and local attorneys contribute to the development of the ABA membership initiative for solo and small firm practitioners.

This year's event included a panel discussion on the top five issues of concern to solo and small firm practitioners: income fluctuations, managing all aspects of practice, lack of practice assistance, isolation from colleagues, and the inability to bounce ideas. Moderated by M. Joe Crosthwait Jr. and James M. Durant III, this year's lively and productive panel featured Karen J. Mathis (ABA Immediate Past President), H. Thomas Wells, Jr. (ABA President-Elect), and Henry F. White Jr. (ABA Executive Director).

Patricia A. Sexton, Chair
GP|Solo Membership Board

In addition to its myriad responsibilities of recruiting and retaining membership for the GP|Solo Division, the Membership Board engaged recently in a project to stimulate future main street lawyers. The board initiated a program to jump-start young law students' careers, entitled “How to Get a Job in a Small Firm.” This program was presented at the GP|Solo 2007 Fall Meeting in Philadelphia at Temple University's Beasley School of Law on October 4th, 2007.

The program was such a success that the board reprised the event at the ABA's 2008 Midyear Meeting in Los Angeles on Thursday, February 7, 2008 at the UCLA School of Law. The expert panel members were Keith McLennan, James Durant, Laura Farber, Elio Martinez and Patricia Sexton, with Anthony Alvarado steering the moderation of the discussion.

Listen to the Panel (Feb 7, 2008 – MP3, 19MB)

There were approximately 80 eager students in attendance. At the beginning of the program, the UCLA students were provided various written information; including material about the GP|Solo Division, the ABA and an article containing tips on interviewing.

Anthony Alvarado moderates the panel discussion at UCLA School of Law, with Patricia Sexton, Laura Farber, James Durant III, and Elio Martinez pictured.

The program consisted of the moderator asking questions to the panel for an hour, with the students then asking their questions of the panel for the remaining 45 minutes. The questions involved where to look for a job in a small firm; how to approach small firms about clerkships or permanent positions; what the firms are looking for in recruits; and what the students should be looking for in the firms. The enthusiasm of the students prompted an immediate follow-up after the discussion. Many students approached the panelists for a more private one-on-one consultation. As the hour drew late, the panelists were quite helpful in accommodating the students.

Following the event, the students were asked to complete and return an evaluation form. The overwhelming majority of the evaluations were extremely positive. The students also provided some good advice in terms of ways the GP|Solo Division may want to enhance the program in the future. The event was capped off with a wine-and-cheese reception, and many of the students stayed and continued discussing the excitement of the challenge before them.

“How to Get a Job in a Small Firm” was a very successful and well attended event. It was quite welcomed by students and highly supported by the UCLA faculty. The GP|Solo Division intends to present the program four times this year, including the events in Los Angeles and Philadelphia. The Membership Board has already planned for the Spring Meeting in May, 2008 in New Orleans at Loyola University New Orleans's College of Law, and is in the process of planning a program for the ABA's 2008 Annual Meeting this August in New York City.