A colleague and I are going to be at a conference next Wednesday, flying out Friday. Where can we hang in the evening? Mid 30s, young professionals, no kids. Fayetteville looks beautiful and fun and we want to make sure we maximize our time in y'alls' lovely town.
I’m a criminal defense lawyer, about six years in. I’m currently at a private defense firm making $120k, with possible bonus upside of maybe $40k if things go well. I do a lot of CJA work now (on multiple panels), but I don’t receive any of the CJA revenue.
I’m leaving in July. I’m starting a PD job that pays $120k. I’ll be handling only life without parole cases with a capped caseload, probably around 15 cases. That’s the day job.
At the same time, I’m opening my own solo practice. I’m bringing about 13 of my own CJA cases with me, all at different stages. I’ll also start taking private state and federal criminal cases once I leave the firm. My new employer knows I’ll be keeping CJA cases and doing solo work, subject to conflicts/approval.
I’ve got the LLC formed, CPA ready, Clio set up, and I’m working through malpractice, trust account, phones, document storage, billing, etc. No advertising right now. No separate office yet. Referral-only private work to start.
The basic idea is: same base salary, capped PD caseload, and I finally keep the CJA/private work I generate instead of building someone else’s practice.
I’m not looking for “don’t do it” unless there’s a real landmine. I’m doing it. I’m looking for practical advice from people who have done solo criminal defense, CJA work, PD/conflict work, or some combination.
Main questions:
Is 13 active CJA cases plus a capped PD caseload manageable if private work starts slow?
How bad is CJA cash flow when cases are at different stages?
What did you wish you had set up before day one?
What did you waste money on?
What should I not cheap out on?
Did starting without a separate office cause problems?
What was the most annoying part of solo criminal defense that you didn’t expect?
I know the basics: conflicts, not using PD resources for private work, court approval where needed, employer approval, trust accounting, malpractice, calendaring, deadlines, taxes, etc. I’m trying to spot the less obvious problems early.
Would appreciate blunt advice from lawyers who have lived some version of this.