One of the challenges of being at a small firm is lacking the “big firm” resources that make the practice of law a little bit easier. At my first firm, we can an entire “office services” department—a half-dozen guys available 24/7/365 to run copies or race something over to the 9 p.m. FedEx “last pick” spot. Amenities like a fully-staffed mailroom, world class artwork hanging in the lobby, and fleets of young lawyers and law clerks to assist with legal research were a luxury that I never fully appreciated.

Today, I get to be my own “office services” department, my artwork is mainly limited to the “Janik Bohmer PLLC” sign hanging above our reception desk, and my partner and I represent the sum-total of legal minds at the law firm. And, while I sometimes miss the luxuries of big firm life, there’s nothing like running a law firm on a tight budget that makes you realize: BIG LAW FIRMS WASTE THEIR CLIENTS’ MONEY!

Here is a recent article from the ABA talking about how big law firms are catering to their clients with “softly lit dining rooms” and “wine bars.”

http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/law_firms_splurge_on_these_amenities_to_impress_clients

My take: if you care about dining rooms and wine bars, Janik Bohmer PLLC is not a good match for you. On the other hand, if you’re looking for lawyers who have gone through the “big law” experience and now run a results-oriented shop that appreciate the fact that “cost-control” is the a key metric of small business growth, we invite you to check us out.