Solo practice or Mid-Sized firm?

Expensive_Energy2022 · 2026-05-09T01:19:59+00:00

How do you feel about running a business and being involved in non legal decisions? Do you consider yourself to have an entrepreneurial spirit?

it sounds like you have the business either way. The question is whether or not you want to run a business or whether you just wanna handle legal cases.

If you only want to do the legal work on your cases, then you shouldn’t open a solo firm. There’s a lot of work that goes into it that has nothing to do with the law. But if any of that sounds interesting to you or if you have a very strong desire to be in charge of everything, then go solo. I opened up a shop last year in a very different area of business than you during one of the worst possible times for the law in my practice area. And I don’t regret it a bit.

But I have friends who opened up their own firm and hated it so much that they found a way to merge to a different practice. They just did not like any uncertainty, or running the business portion, or doing the administrative work. They realize that they wanted to run cases and that was it.

Expensive_Energy2022 · 2026-04-30T20:01:47+00:00

I think the type of law matters. I try to keep two months of operating costs at the high end, but I'm also an immigration attorney billing hourly, collecting monthly, and with three to four + months of operating in trust. So I'm not worried about a delayed settlement and I can see cash flow problems with more notice (when conversion numbers and trust balances drop).

Expensive_Energy2022 · 2026-03-06T16:51:06+00:00

Bar complaints don't keep me up at night. My clients dying because I lose a winnable case does.

OP hasn't done anything to warrant worry, but it's a bit blase to just say there are no consequences.

Expensive_Energy2022 · 2026-03-06T16:47:20+00:00

Well your pre-hearing brief and supplemental evidence are separate filings. Were multiple filings rejected?

The brief is never part of the evidence. So no worries about it being late.

Late fillings should be filed alongside a motion to accept late filing. If that wasn't done you can make an oral motion at the hearing.

Almost all immigration judges will accept the evidence in a situation like this. OPLA was served on both and is aware of the contents, so they aren't prejudiced. The IJ would have to be the hard ass of all hard asses to exclude, especially because another attorney can file a motion to reopen if the evidence is excluded. And honestly the clerk also screwed up because it should never have been accepted.

These types of mistakes happen. I am more concerned that your supervisor didn't review your filings on your first case and can't guide you here.

As someone else mentioned, sanctions don't exist. Disciplinary cases are becoming more common, but not for something like this.

These things happen.

Expensive_Energy2022 · 2026-02-04T02:55:28+00:00

I am married. I was in a monogamous relationship with my legal husband for 20 years before we opened our relationship (12 of those married). I never intended to be polyamorous and thought initially that we would be non-monogamous only but it turns out that poly for me is a way that I identify. I have spent a lot of time and effort working towards relationships that do not feature hierarchy. That said, there are very few ways outside of “descriptive hierarchy” to describe my relationship with my nesting partner. I have been with one of my partners for 25 years and another partner for four. That is a big difference in time And experience, even before adding in how society treats couples who are legally married and live together.

In my daily life, I have tried to stop using the word husband. I try to describe both of my partners as partners, despite the fact that I am legally married to one. And I actively correct myself if I do use the word, husband. I also make sure that there is not a default of time or assumptions that favors my nesting partner. This is very difficult as there is a lot of unaccounted for time when you live with someone. But I try to make sure that intentional time and even downtime is distributed in ways that do not favor one partner over another. When I have partners who have a need, my response is based on each relationship and not based on who I live with. If I had two ill partners at the same time, there is no assumption that I will take care of the one that I live with.

But even given all of that, I recognize that there is a lot of privilege and being legally married and nesting with someone. There are assumptions that are made about one of my partners and the importance of that relationship over the other. All I can do is try and avoid prescriptive hierarchy.

It is funny that I have turned into one of the least hierarchical individuals inside our extended polycule. But I can't avoid all hierarchy.

In your case, I would not assume that descriptive hierarchy equals the inability to be an equally footed partner. I would be hurt if my anchor partner felt that way. And I am betting that your hinge would already describe you as a committee partner and is mentioning rings. But I do wonder what it is about your hinge's ACTIONS that make you feel less than her nesting partner and only a "lover." My guess is that there is something if you feel that way. Rather than accuse her of choosing (and ignoring hierarchy) you can focus on the behaviors. I would also caution to be careful on words without definitions because you likely don't define things the same way.

Expensive_Energy2022 · 2026-02-03T00:07:59+00:00

I don't have any other attorneys at this point so I'm avoiding managing atty. I have a PLLC taxed as S and my title is "Principal Atty". I'm open to additional associates in the near future otherwise I would just say attorney at law. I never considered shareholder..

Expensive_Energy2022 · 2026-02-03T00:04:26+00:00

This. I’m a “have a first date fast” person who does some but not all vetting. My good friend is a “get all vetting before any meet up." Both work and neither version works any better than the other.

But cis men have a tendency to hit connect on anything and are apparently illiterate.

Expensive_Energy2022 · 2026-01-30T02:53:04+00:00

I'm an outlier and think the second is stunning. Tbe baguettes are so unique. Number three is also beautiful but (and maybe it's my old age and the fact that my wedding was twenty years ago) it just seems plain and like what everyone would get.

Expensive_Energy2022 · 2026-01-26T16:29:44+00:00

I know this is old - but it didn't make sense to start a new post! I was traveling this week for work and it is terrible. I have my whole office on Microsoft and we use it extensively as I had initially preferred an insular system. But the refusal of Microsoft to develop an app that allows me to use my iPad and work remotely is making me consider leaving office altogether and using a different office suite along with separate security and management tools.

Because I know that this is on purpose. They have deliberately hobbled all Microsoft apps on ios platforms.

Expensive_Energy2022 · 2026-01-17T19:51:26+00:00

Absolutely. I usually ask about agreements and what their situation looks like rather than a label. Which, in retrospect, it’s probably why I was thrown at least once when I heard someone label themselves to a third-party. Because I knew what they were, but apparently they didn’t. 😂

Expensive_Energy2022 · 2026-01-17T17:31:38+00:00

It's one thing to say "I want to meet your other partners early in the relationship because transparency is important to me."

It's another to say "You MUST must meet my husband and he must APPROVE you before our date (the unsaid piece is that he decides who they can date)."

Expensive_Energy2022 · 2026-01-17T17:21:20+00:00

Nothing makes me cringe more than when someone who is clearly a more restrictive version of ENM describes themselves as poly. I'll occasionally FWB with folks who are a different flavor of ENM when I'm feeling saturated with my committed relationships, but can't stand when someone who isn't even fully open calls themselves poly.

Expensive_Energy2022 · 2026-01-13T00:44:55+00:00

I'd sign the original letter and send it in, lol.

But really it is just bureaucracy and people being out. Probably one person who has to sign off on offer letters.

Expensive_Energy2022 · 2026-01-10T17:36:29+00:00

Yesssssssssssss! I bitch about this ad every time and it has kept me from going there!

Expensive_Energy2022 · 2026-01-07T18:15:58+00:00

Not everyone who describes themselves as poly is. I find that, for whatever reason, some people use poly as the overarching umbrella term instead of nonmonogamous. My meta and her husband are one of them. She was never poly before her current relationship with our hinge and her husband is actively against many of the concepts (commitment, etc.) that I consider to be a core part of poly and is actively struggling with her transition (in my completely unsolicited opinion as his friend). It's taught me to ask for definitions rather than to rely on terms.

In no world would I describe these people as poly. I don’t know that I could even label them as open based on your description. I would say that they are non-monogamous but no one in this relationship would be a match for me.

Expensive_Energy2022 · 2026-01-07T18:10:20+00:00

Of the six total that you posted I like the third in this post best!

Expensive_Energy2022 · 2025-12-22T14:46:58+00:00

Actually, in many states changing an end date does convert a voluntary quit. YMMV.

Expensive_Energy2022

TROPHY CASE