PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

By ROCKY ROBINSON Andrews Kurth LLP

A Salute to Solos and Small Firm Practitioners

I have been practicing law for over 25 years. When I started, my law firm had approximately 80 lawyers in two cities. My firm was considered one of the big Houston firms. Today my firm has over 400 lawyers in seven cities on two continents. My firm is still considered one of the big Houston law firms.
Over the past 25 years the legal profession has undergone many changes. One area of change has been the growth and geographic reach of law firms. Today, there are many law firms that have in excess of 1,000 lawyers and offices in each of the major cities of the United States, and in many countries and cities of the world. Legal articles in the general and trade press focus frequently on the large law firms, persons within those firms, their law practices and the clients they represent.
To be sure, there is nothing wrong with big firms or practicing law within a big firm. Indeed, I owe the fruits of my career to a professional life within a large law firm. Yet, with so much focus today on the large or mega-firms, it causes one to ask whether solo practitioners or small firm lawyers have disappeared from the legal landscape.
At least within the Houston Bar Association, they have not. The Houston Bar Association has in excess of 11,500 members. Our members come from all walks of the legal profession: big firms, small firms, in-house lawyers with corporations, lawyers who handle civil matters, family law matters, business matters, criminal defense lawyers, prosecutors and government attorneys. In this age of specialization, I am sure I have missed a few practice areas; however, no slight to any particular group is intended.
Of our 11,500 members, fully 50 percent are solo practitioners or lawyers who practice in small firms. Thirty-two percent are solo practitioners and 18 percent are lawyers in firms of five or fewer attorneys.
Solo practitioners and small firm lawyers serve the Houston Bar Association in many capacities. They serve on our Board of Directors; they constitute the leadership of many of our sections; they are featured speakers at our continuing legal education programs; and they chair many of our committees that serve the community in which we live and our membership. Additionally, given their numbers, solos and small firm lawyers could have a profound influence on the outcome of our HBA elections, if they chose to act collectively and participate.
More importantly, from a professional standpoint many of these attorneys provide vital legal representation to individuals and businesses in our community in almost every substantive area of the law. The importance of the solo practitioner and small firm lawyer to our profession and society cannot be over-estimated.
Take, for example, the criminal defense lawyer. Most criminal defense lawyers tend to be solos or practice in small firms. They are the backbone of our criminal justice system. Our criminal defense attorneys are responsible for safeguarding the rights and liberties of the accused and, more often than not, are the only persons standing between the client and a jail cell or other criminal penalty. Without them, our adversarial criminal justice system would not work.
There are a multitude of other examples I could give concerning the value and importance of the solo practitioner and small firm lawyer to our profession and society; personal injury and family lawyers are two that come quickly to mind. Since my space is limited, suffice it to say that without their contributions, our profession, community and society would suffer.
At the end of the day, all of us, whether we practice at big firms, small firms or as solos, whether we represent large or small businesses, individuals or the government, have the same objectives: zealous protection of our client’s interests, providing quality work for reasonable fees, and promoting integrity and honesty within the profession. The Houston Bar Association has an outstanding record of promoting the achievement of these objectives. Those among our membership who are solo practitioners or small firm lawyers have played, and will continue to play, an important role within our profession and the HBA. We would not be where we are today without you.

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