When most people picture a lawyer, they envision a tired, overworked associate at a Biglaw firm, putting in long hours and late nights just to potentially secure a future as a partner (though data shows this now takes an average of 8+ years, an increase of 136% over the past decade). And while this isn’t the only way to practice law, it’s long been the most common.
Your career at a traditional law firm
Of course, working at a traditional law firm has merit. First of all, at many big firms, you’re often working alongside some of the world’s most accomplished and respected lawyers at respected institutions. This can mean there are more opportunities for mentorship. Additionally, while it can take quite a while to grow at big law firms, there is room to do so.
The challenges of a traditional law firm
There are, however, quite a few challenges that also come with practicing law at a traditional firm.
Many lawyers at traditional law firms share a common complaint: burnout.
In October 2021, a survey of over 3,000 lawyers conducted by the New York State Bar Association cited “the feeling of being on call” as one of the biggest stressors attorneys face today. At many traditional law firms, this is considered par for the course. But what if we told you there was a less stressful way to practice law?
Because most traditional law firms run on a billable model, there’s the added pressure of being able to bill as much as possible–which leads to late nights, long hours, and limited work-life balance.
Working at a traditional firm might afford you valuable career benefits down the road, but it’s often a long road paved with lots of demanding work.
Introducing the alternative: co-counseling
Defined by FindLaw as “an attorney who assists in the shares and responsibilities of representing a client,” co-counseling is a method of practicing law that has gained popularity in recent years for the significant benefits it offers lawyers. Simply put, co-counsels share responsibilities on a case with other lawyers or law firms.
What’s in it for you: how co-counseling can help your practice
Co-counseling has a number of benefits. First and foremost: it can save you time. When you’re effectively collaborating with a firm or another attorney on your case, you’ll likely complete tasks more efficiently and get things done faster.
Process efficiency isn’t the only benefit of practicing law as a co-counsel: there’s an opportunity to unlock financial efficiencies as well. As a co-counsel, you typically won’t be shouldering the burden of case costs, from travel to printing expenses and beyond, on your own–you’ll be saving money by splitting that often hefty overhead with the attorney or firm you’re co-counseling with.
When you co-counsel with another attorney or with a law firm, you also have ready access to a much larger client base than you might on your own. The more clients you have access to, the easier it can be for you to increase revenues, which means you might make more as a co-counsel than you would as a solo practitioner or at a firm.
Co-counseling also has protective and strategic benefits. The more eyes you have on documents, data, and case strategy, the better-positioned you are to avoid mistakes and achieve the best possible case outcome.
For example, if you’re an Employment lawyer working on a wrongful termination claim, co-counseling with a Civil Rights lawyer means you’ll both be bringing relevant, but differentiated skill sets to the table that could mean a more successful defense.
While the above benefits apply to all types of co-counseling scenarios, co-counseling with a law firm as a solo practitioner–as opposed to co-counseling with one another attorney–offers additional perks.
When you co-counsel with a law firm like Marble, we’ll handle the sourcing and vetting of clients, saving you the time of having to do due diligence on all of your leads. You can also always choose whether or not you want to represent a client. Having the freedom to choose your clients can often lead to better attorney-client relationships, and this increased trust can lead to higher retention, new client referrals and more revenue.
How attorneys can co-counsel with Marble
Co-counseling with a firm like Marble also means you’ll free up time you previously spent on marketing, advertising, and admin–because our teams will take care of it for you. That leaves you time to focus on strategy, increase your caseload, or simply spend more time with your family. It’s up to you, because when you co-counsel with a firm, you don’t have a “boss.” You’re the boss.
If you’re ready to say goodbye to the often high-stress, low-reward lifestyle of traditional law and see for yourself what life is like as a co-counsel, apply to Marble today.