| AnNOStates |
LPM |
Starting-A-FIrm OnLine Guide
|
Solo/SmallFirm Resources
|
Listservs
|
Ethics Resources
|
IOLTA Guides
|
Mentor Program
|
Legal Research
|
Lawyer Listing & Referral Programs
|
Bulletin Board /
Classified
|
Other
|
Commentary
|
Alabama Bar
|
Yes |
No |
Checklists re: new office, office sharing, client screening
Client Keeper Pack
(sample retainer agreements & other forms)
|
No |
Rules & Opinions |
Yes |
Pilot Program |
Yes,
Casemaker
|
Yes,
Referral Service
|
Yes |
N/A
|
Free research Client Keeper, LPM and mentor program (if effective) are all useful for solos.
Adding listservs would boost score.
|
| Alaska Bar |
No |
No |
None |
No |
Rules & Opinions
|
Yes |
No |
Casemaker |
No |
Yes |
|
Presumably, small bar, but even so, solo resources are scant.
|
Arkansas Bar
|
No |
No. |
Yes |
Yes (members only, for each section)
|
Yes (opinions)
|
No |
No |
Versuslaw (free) and LEXIS (negotiated discounts)
|
Find a Lawyer (lets the public search for lawyer by practice area)
|
No. |
N/A |
Great legal research benefits and solo section are pro's.
But loses points for no easy IOLTA info and lack of LPM advisor
|
Arizona Bar
| Yes, for members only, plus open section page
| No | As a section available to members
| Discussion Board
| Ethics Opinions
| Info on Trust Accounts and IOLTA enrollment
| Yes
| Fastcase
| Find a Lawyer
| Career Center
| Helpful Forms
| Forms, detailed IOLTA are useful.
|
| California Bar |
Yes |
No |
None |
Yes (members only, for select sections) |
Yes extensive ethics web page with links to rules, ethics opinions and hotline |
Yes |
Lawyer to Lawyer |
Free Research links |
Web page with links |
No |
N/A |
Disappointing website for a bar association with over 215,000 members. Does have a solo/small firm section. |
Colorado Bar
|
Yes
|
No |
Yes |
Yes (for select sections) |
Rules & Opinions |
Not online
|
For Family Law section
|
Casemaker |
Find A Lawyer
(public can find lawyer by practice area)
|
No |
|
G-VG - No LPM or easily accessible IOLTA, but extras like networking events and Conciliation Panel are a bonus for solos.
|
Connecticut Bar
| Yes, in seminar form
| No | No | Yes, for members | Ethics and Guidelines | No
| No | Casemaker | Directory and Lawyer Referral
| Career Center
| | |
Delaware Bar
|
No |
Yes
|
Yes |
None |
Opinions & Principles of Professionalism
|
No |
No |
No |
Lawyer referral wervice; Solo/Small Firm Section referral list; can order printed legal directory |
No |
|
Presumably small bar. Good section pages with some resource links, but not much else. |
D.C. Bar
| Yes | Yes
| Yes | No | Ethics Opinions
| Yes | Yes | No | Directory
| Career Services
| Free monthly 3 hr. program on starting a firm in DC
| Major points lost for no list serve or free legal research. Good LPM, but website impossible to navigate.
|
Georgia Bar
|
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
Rules & Opinions; can also submit ethics question by email
|
Yes |
Yes |
Casemaker |
List of approved referral services; Some local bars have referral programs;
Searchable member directory
|
No |
LPM Resource Library will ship many books, videos, etc., for cost of postage
|
Good. Breadth of LPM makes up for lack of solo/small firm resources. Search function is easy to use.
|
Florida Bar
|
Yes |
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Rules & Opinions
|
No
|
For law students only
|
No
|
Referral service & searchable directory
|
No |
|
Fair. Site navigation is cumbersome. |
Hawaii Bar
|
Committee exists but not online
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Casemaker
|
Referral service & directory
|
No
|
|
Fair. Scant resources.
|
Idaho Bar
|
Section exists but not online
|
No
|
No
|
No. There is a weekly e-bulletin you can subscribe to.
|
Rules
|
Yes |
Yes
|
Casemaker
|
Referral service & directory
|
Yes
|
|
Fair. Job board seems active.
|
Illinois Bar
|
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes (for members only)
|
Rules & Opinions
|
No |
Yes |
Yes
|
Referral service &
directory
|
Yes |
|
Fair. No IOLTA info, few LPM resources, good mentor resource. |
| Indiana Bar |
Yes |
Coming soon
|
Yes |
No |
Opinions & phone counseling |
No |
Yes |
Casemaker |
No |
Yes |
|
Fair. Decent, but incomplete, collection of LPM resources. |
| Iowa Bar |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes
|
Opinions & link to Iowa Judicial Branch resource |
No |
No |
Fastcase
|
Referral service. Directory access for members only. |
Yes |
2006 "Economics of Law Practice in Iowa" survey results |
Fair. Few resources for solos. |
| Kansas Bar |
Section exists but not online |
No
|
No |
No |
Opinions |
No |
No |
Casemaker
|
Referral service |
Yes |
N/A |
Disappointing.
|
| Kentucky Bar |
Yes |
No
|
No |
Yes |
Rules & Opnions
|
Yes |
Yes, PDF sign-up form on home page |
Casemaker |
Referral service & Directory
|
Yes |
N/A |
Fair. Few resources for solos, but good collection of court rules and IOLTA resources. |
| Louisiana Bar |
Yes
|
Yes, a collection of resources |
Yes
|
Yes |
Rules, opinions & ethics advisory service
|
Yes |
Yes, through pro bono for the poor & disabled
|
Fastcase |
Referral service & Directory
|
No |
Lending library with some books for solos |
Very good. Lots of resources for solos online. |
Maine Bar
| No | No; possibly available via paid membership | No | No | No | No | No | Casemaker | Referral service
| No | NA | Membership required for access to any resources
|
| Maryland Bar | Yes | No | Yes, but not many | Yes | Yes, Available to Members | No | Yes, only available to members | Fastcase | No referral service, Yes to membership directory | Job Board | N/A | Limited resources for solos; website isn't very informative despite lots of links. Requiring payment to access ethics rules is intolerable.
|
| Montana Bar |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Rules and Opinions |
No |
No |
No |
Under Construction |
Career Center |
NA |
Fair. Needs more online resources |
| Massachusetts Bar | Yes, but not through Mass Bar. MA LOMAP | No | No | No, but there are forums; however they are underutilized | Ethics Opinions and Ethics Resources | No | Yes | Yes | Referral Service | Yes | N/A | Decent site, navigation is a little awkward -- it tends to hide the otherwise decent amount of material the Bar offers |
| Michigan Bar | Yes | Yes, under "Law Practice" drop down | Not specifically for solos but lots of resources | Many sections have individual listservs | Yes, there is quite a bit of ethics info | Info on Trust Management under "Financial Mgmt" | No | Yes | Referral and Directory | No | N/A | This is a VERY informative site. Lots of resources about practice management |
| Minnesota Bar | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | Fastcase | Referral and Directory | No | MN has a social networking site and CLE Small Firm Success site
| Best resources are OFF the site - and can't be located through the site.
|
| Mississippi Bar | Yes | No | Yes, a PDF handbook is available | Yes | Ethics Opinions | Yes | No | Casemaker | Directory | No | Nice "Solo Tool Kit" | Very good site; well laid out and informative |
Missouri Bar
| Yes | No | Practice Resources | No | Ethics Opinions | Yes | Yes | Fastcase | Referral and Directory | Yes | Offers Solo and Small Firm Conference
| Nice site, not much info for members |
Nebraska Bar
| Yes, through CLE
| No | No | Yes | Ethics Opinions
| IOLTA FAQ
| Yes | Casemaker | Directory
| Career Center
| NA | Fairly basic site
|
Nevada Bar
| Through CLE
| No | No | No | Ethics Opinions
| No | No | No | Attorney Search Directory
| Career Center
| | |
New Hampshire Bar
| Yes, with membership
| Possibly, with membership
| Possibly with membership
| No | Ethics Opinions
| No | No | Casemaker | Referral and Directory | Classifieds | | Membership required for access to most resources
|
New Jersey Bar
| List other resources
| No | No | Forums
| No | No | No | No | Referral | Career Center
| N/A | scant on ethics, IOLTA and legal research
|
| New Mexico Bar |
Yes, Comprehensive |
No, but several resources for firms in general |
Yes |
No |
Rules, Opinions and Hotline |
Yes |
No |
Casemaker |
Referral and Directory |
Yes |
Need to go to sitemap to get to "Sections" |
Very Good. Well laid out, intuitive site
|
| New York Bar | Yes. | No | Yes | Yes, but must join section for a fee | Ethics Opinions
and
Professional Standards | No | Yes, for Young Lawyers Division | Loislaw | Referral Service, service fee, referral fee and proof of ins. required | Partner with lawjobs.com,
membership required | Solo Blog coming soon | Good information, however site navigation is difficult. Many informative links throughout. |
| North Carolina Bar | Yes, must join a section. | Yes, CLE Materials | Resource Center
| Yes. | Ethics Committees as part of Sections, but no information. | No | Yes, for Law Students Division | Casemaker | Referral Service and Searchable Directory | Yes | Facebook Page and
LinkedIn Page
| Very difficult site to navigate. Menus are difficult to read in Safari. Need to search for most things. |
| North Dakota Bar | No | No. | No | No. Bulletin Board Discussion | Opinions | No | No | Casemaker | Referral Service available by Phone for Fee. Searchable Directory of Lawyers | Career Center
| Site is Under Construction. | Site under construction. Some information available, but difficult to find. |
Ohio Bar
| Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Ethics Division | No | No | Casemaker | Run by Ohio Supreme Court | Career Services
| All information based on site search. Most information locked down without member access | Very little available to the public. Difficult to even determine what is offered by a membership. |
Oklahoma Bar
| Links to articles elsewhere
| Online link list | No | OBA-NET online community
| Ethics Opinions
| Yes | No | Fastcase | Find a Lawyer search
| No | Client Keeper forms package
| Good content, esp. at Management Asst. page
|
Oregon Bar
| No | No | Yes | No | Ethics Opinion Library
| Yes | Yes | Casemaker | Referral Service
| Career Center
| Meeting rooms for rent | Very difficult to navigate, average information
|
Pennsylvania Bar
| Yes, with membership
| Yes, with membership
| Yes, w/ membership
| Yes, for members
| Available to members
| No | No | InCite | Directory for Members only
| Placement Services for Members
| Information available only with membership
| Membership protected
|
Rhode Island Bar
| No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | Casemaker | Referral and
Directory
| No | Additional information most likely available with membership
| Membership protected
|
South Carolina Bar
| Yes | Yes, Starting a New Law Practice multiple resources
| Yes, Solo and Small Firm Section
| Yes, with membership
| Ethics Opinions
| No | Yes | Casemaker
| Referral Service
| Career Center
| | Pretty good resources, but loses points for lack of trust account info.
|
South Dakota Bar
| No | No | No | Forums | Ethics Opinions upon request
| No, but have Trust Account Manual w/ IOLTA info
| No | No | Lawyer Referral
| No | | Presumably small bar, site is limited
|
| Tennessee Bar | LPM and Technology - Must Join
| Yes
| Must join section. | Yes, must be a member. | No | No | No | Fast Case | Referral Service | No | N/A | Site very difficult to navigate. Not much free information. Appears that you must be a member. |
| Texas Bar | No | 40 Minute Video | Some, must join. | No. | Ethics Helpline
Thumbnail Guide to Texas Ethics | Link to other Site. | Ten Minute Video Series | Free with Membership | Yes | Career Center | N. Texas Bar Facebook Page ; Social Networking; Site; Twitter and Flickr Accounts. | Fair. Could provide more general resources. |
| Utah Bar |
No |
No |
Solo,Small Firm, Rural Practice Section |
Yes |
Rules and Opinions |
No |
New Lawyer Training Program |
Casemaker |
Yes |
In Utah Bar Journal Classifieds |
|
Fair. Could provide more resources for solo and small firms |
Vermont Bar
| Yes | No | No, although they link to other websites with information
| Yes | Ethics Opinions
| Yes | Mentoring Program
| Casemaker
| Referral and Directory
| Classifieds | | Difficult to navigate and some pages slow to load.
|
Virginia Bar
| No | Checklist for Opening your First Office
| No | No | Ethics Opinions
| Call for Information
| No | No | Referral
| Job Postings
| | |
| Washington Bar |
Yes |
Yes |
Some resources in LOMAP library |
Yes (for select sections) Family Law listserve is actively used. |
and Ethics line |
Yes |
Yes
|
Casemaker |
|
Yes |
Low cost LPM consulting for small firms available |
Good. Strong LPM resources. Site is well maintained |
West Virginia Bar
| No | Practice Handbook
| No | No | Standards of Professional Conduct
| Yes
| No | Casemaker | Directory
| Career Center
| Young Lawyer's Section with it's own website
| Adequate |
Wisconsin Bar
| Yes | No | Online resource list, WI specific | Yes | Ethics Opinions
| No | Yes, Mentor Council Program
| Fastcase | Lawyer Referral and Information Service
| Classified Ads
| | Mentor program is benefit
|
Wyoming Bar
| No
| NO | No | Yes | Rules and Procedures
| Yes, through a link
| Yes | Casemaker | Referral and Directory listing for members
| Job Bank
| Extensive CLE Online Classroom
| Small bar, minimal site
|
American Bar Assoc.
| Yes, extensive
| Yes
| Yes | Yes, multiple for individual sections as well as Discussion Boards
| Ethics Opinions
| Yes | No | Legal Technology Resource Center
| Lawyer Locator
| Career Counsel
| Legally Minded social networking site
| Extensive, but minimal in comparison to ABA resources for other sections |
Boston Bar
| No | No | No
| Yes | Ethics Opinions
| No | No
| No | Referral Service
| No
| Has a Facebook page
| Not strongest city bar representative
|
Bar of the City of New York
|
| Yes | Yes, most information for members only
| Discussion boards
| Ethical Responsibilities and Opinions
| No | No | NYC Law Library
| Legal Referral Service
| No | | Great solo resources for city bar
|
| LA County Bar | For members only
| No | No | Yes | Ethics Opinions
| No | No | Links to sites for research
| Referral through Smartlaw.org
| Career Resources
| | Not much available on line
|
