Solo/Small Law Firm Committee News
by Ronald Scott
Kaniuk, Esq.
Hi! My name is
Ron Kaniuk, and I
am the 2016-17 Chair
of the Solo/Small
Law Firm Committee
of the Palm Beach
County Bar Association.
According to The Florida Bar, there
are 102,783 attorneys – this number
includes 85,038 lawyers who are active
and in good standing, 4,210 lawyers
who are ineligible but in good standing
(Military, Non-Resident, Judges and
Others), and 13,535 lawyers who are
ineligible (delinquent in dues, noncompliant with CLE requirements,
inactive, suspended or other).
Almost two-thirds of these lawyers
– or approximately 64,000 – practice in
firms of five attorneys or less. Our Solo/
Small Law Firm Committee focuses on
attorneys practicing on their own or in
firms of four attorneys or less.
For the large number of attorneys
who are either on their own or at a small
December 2016
firm, we are both attorneys and business
owners, and are dependent upon a steady
stream of new clients in order to grow and
thrive.
These clients can be drawn from a
variety of sources – advertising, repeat
clients, new clients through client referrals
and more.
The Bar Association can be an
excellent source of referrals through
Networking and through the Lawyer
Referral Service.
Networking can be the most daunting
task for new – and established – solo
and small firm practitioners; however, it
is also one of the most important things
we must do. Strong referral relationships
take time to build and must be nurtured.
Being active in the Palm Beach County
Bar Association, and in the Solo/Small
Law Firm Committee, is a great way to
network and build close and authentic
personal relationships that are essential to
a healthy referral network.
Our next Lunch and Learn program
will be held on Thursday, January 26 from
11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Bar Office.
The topic will be Best Practices and
Challenges for Solo/Small Firm Attorneys.
Be sure to pre-register and join us!
These Lunch Programs provide
an invaluable opportunity to network
with your fellow practitioners, gain new
perspectives, and grow your resources
of and education. Whether you are new
to the small firm world, or have been
traveling this road for a while, I hope you
will join us and be a part of building our
connections.
In addition, I’d be remiss if I didn’t
promote the PBCBA’s Lawyer Referral
Service. If you are an attorney in good
standing with The Florida Bar and
have maintained professional liability
insurance, you are eligible to join the
PBCBA’s Lawyer Referral Service. LRS
Members refer the public to call the LRS.
PBCBA Staff screens potential clients
for you. LRS is inexpensive to join ($150
annually).
I invite you to get involved with the
Bar Association, our Solo/Small Law
Firm Committee, and the Lawyer Referral
Service.
Page 17