A Day in the Life of a Solo Practitioner: Let Technology and Mobility Be Your Friend

• Publication year: 2017
• Author: By David J. Lee

A Day in the Life of a Solo Practitioner: Let Technology and Mobility be Your Friend

By David J. Lee

David Lee is an employment law attorney. His practice is dedicated to the representation of employees for various employment and labor claims, mostly wrongful termination, retaliation and discrimination. David is a litigator and a problem solver.

It is 6:00 a.m. and the alarm goes off. It is time for court. I pop a Claritin and fix Nespressos for my sleeping wife and me. I turn on the Dark Knight Rises soundtrack on my Apple. I wash up and I am looking for my favorite Boss suit and Tom Ford tie. I kiss my wife and dogs (Mini & Cooper) goodbye. I am in the uberPOOL on my way to the Stanley Mosk courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. I have five court appearance assignments from other attorneys and I have to rush because I do not want to let them down. I get to my shared office space by 11:00 a.m.

I start preparing for my afternoon client meetings. I spend the afternoon meeting clients and returning phone calls and emails. No time for lunch today. By 7:00 p.m., I am in the uberPOOL again on my way to Souplantation to have dinner with my wife. I get home around 8:00 p.m. and spend the evening drafting settlement demands and complaints. I pass out to red wine and classic jazz. Next thing you know, it is 6:00 a.m. again...

Stepping back in time, exactly six months ago, I left a small litigation firm and started my own employment law practice. I feel in control of my life and so much more freedom to build a business and a life. I signed a lease for shared office space in the Paul Hastings building. The rest is history.

I also got rid of my car and started taking uberPOOL full-time. What has this done for my law practice and me?

• I put myself into a situation to converse with three to six people every day;
• I save at least $700 per month since I no longer have to make car and insurance payments, or pay for parking fees and gas;
• I do not want to waste my life stuck in traffic, one to two hours every day doing nothing. Now I get to rest, spend time with my wife and dogs, talk with clients, and work everywhere I go in the uberPOOL avoiding "hands free" cell phone laws and accidents. I am like Matthew Mcconaughey in the movie Lincoln Lawyer, which was also based in Los Angeles!

As far...