What every Pakistani lawyer should know! How to make a living as a lawyer in Pakistan

By Yasser Latif Hamdani

I am a lawyer with six years of experience who is now in a position to make some what of a living from the legal profession. It is in this capacity that I would like to give all lawyers and law students advice.

To begin with if your dad is not a judge or a leading lawyer or extremely well connected in the power circles of Pakistan  and you have decided to pursue a legal career in Pakistan, know that you are a hero, most probably a tragic hero but a hero nonetheless. You don't need to read this article. You are beyond help. If on the other hand you are a budding law student working towards a law degree - you need to read this article to make a more informed career choice.

How to establish a successful legal practice?

How to build up a successful law practice?  This article answers the question.

Building A Successful Solo Law Practice
By Joseph R. Jacques, CMC

Before commencing a solo law practice, one must ask the question: Why! Your answer may fall into one of two categories: (1) you have to, or (2) you want to. Those falling into the first category may simply be unable to obtain employment as lawyers, or the options available may not allow them to utilize their legal training and skills. Faced with this situation, they must either start their own practice or obtain employment outside of the field of law.
The main advantages of solo practice are freedom and independence, limited only by economic needs and responsibilities assumed to clients and the courts. Lawyers who choose to go into solo practice should be prepared for a few years of lean earnings, non-billable time, and perhaps more than a few frustrations. If you who can manage to get through the first two or three years, have utilized good public and client relations techniques, and provide the highest level of client service and work product, you should be on your way to a fulfilling practice. Lawyers contemplating such a practice also need to be aware that only a very few sole practitioners ever become wealthy from the practice of law. Most will survive economically, but, on the average, sole practitioners are at the bottom of the earnings ladder. Surveys of law practice economics almost universally report that the larger the organization, the more individual lawyers in those firms earn. Any lawyer contemplating solo practice would be well advised to be alert for prospective affiliations, either another lawyer joining you, or your joining another group of your fellow practitioners.

The Secrets To Getting Rich Quick As A Lawyer

Found this interesting blogpost by Brian Tannebaum. 

My sole purpose in writing this post is to see the traffic that comes here as a result of the title.
The Google searches are getting out of hand.
"how to make money as a lawyer"
"are lawyers rich"
"making money lawyer"
Those are just a few.
Lawyers can make a lot of money, and they can also starve.
Law is a high calling, a profession that calls its members "officers of the court." But don't let me digress.
Appliance salesmen can make a lot of money, and so can electricians. My electrician drives a BMW, when he's not driving his Porsche.
But you want to make money, get rich quick, as a lawyer.
If you want to get rich quick as a lawyer, I, as a 15 year practitioner, will give you the secrets that the scam artists all over the internet will try to sell you. Here they are:
[1] Create a website and find an "Search Engine Optimization (SEO - I can get you on the first page of Google) expert.
[2] Create a brochure. Buy lists of potential clients and send them out pursuant to solicitation rules of your local Bar.
[3] If you are a young lawyer (less than 10 years out) do not say, on your website or brochure, when you graduated from either college or law school. Leave no evidence of how long you've been practicing.
[4] Find a creative writer that can make you appear more experienced than you are without crossing ethical lines. Use words and phrases like "aggressive," "experienced," "fight for you," and "in your corner."
[5] Emphasize that you take credit cards (big pictures of the credit cards) and that you have "flexible payment plans." Remember, the key is to get rich quick.
[6] Undercut the market. Charge less than most in your field. Emphasize the fee.
[7] You will get busy very quickly. Do not worry. Find young, unemployed and less experienced lawyers to do the work. Your clients are paying little money so it really doesn't matter who does the work.
[8] Find cheap office space and encourage clients to fax in their documents and pay by credit card over the phone. Tell them you'll meet them in court or somewhere in the city.
[9] Attend no Bar events, networking events, or other charity type or community events. These are time suckers and are only attended by lawyers looking to create referral relationships for the purpose of getting nice cases. You are not looking for this, do not waste your time.
[10] Demand referral fees on any case you refer, no matter how small, and no matter who the lawyer may be. Your practice is not about relationships, it's about transactions and money. Stay on focus.
[11] Resist the desire to become a "good" or "great" lawyer. This may make you rich at some point, but not right now. The goal for you is money, now, period.
Did I miss anything?