u/Baking_Aggressively

My problem: I have a few thousand potential clients and nowhere to take them.

Details: first year call, only do family law, live in a very big city, no lawyers in my ethnic community (~10k people in the province!), I'm well-known in that community, no "job" currently (doing contractor work for a solo), I get calls from potential clients at least several times a week. I have a list of over 70 such calls.

How do I capitalize on this? Should I find a mid-sized 360 firm in town and tell them: I'll bring you all the clients you want, you give me a nice referral fee. keep me on file as a "consulting lawyer" or something like that, so I can bill them for helping with translation and all that.

But: could I ask to be mentored on some of the files so I get to do the work and actually learn/grow?

What's my best move here? (remember: first year call)

EDIT: my long-term goal is to start/run/grow my own practice. I've no interest in being an employee at another firm, in the long run

Setting up my practice. I've picked a domain name, which has my initials and what I'd like it to say. It's ideal. But: it is owned by another lawyer across the country. She registered it over a decade ago and never used it. Currently practices under an entirely different domain and partnership. Over several months, I emailed her 3 times and left several voicemails. I told her why I really want it and asked her to name her price. She never responded.

My understanding is that the regular domain arbitration process isn't applicable, as there's no bad faith here, so I don't meet the test necessarily. She just bought it and never used it.

I'm in family and IP is terra incognita.

Title, basically. And I think I know the answer.

I was just called in BC, live in a big city, did only family law, will stick with it (I love it!).

Plan: be an independent contractor for my former boss (he suggested it), for a few other lawyers, and take one or two legal aid files.

Structure: just me, obviously. Sole proprietor makes most sense to me. I have nothing you can sue me for, I've lots of debt, none of the money will be "sitting" in the corp.

I basically have no choice but to start my thing in some way. Or go get a job at a firm I suppose :)

Any thoughts or career advice is much appreciated!