“Our administration and faculty realize the importance of keeping our curriculum in line with student preferences and employment trends,” said Dean Salkin. “I am pleased that we are able to offer this concentration in response to the realities of legal practice today. In fact, roughly one third of each graduating Touro Law class enters into a solo or small practice within nine months of graduation, and this is consistent with national estimates of the number of lawyers in this practice setting.”

The concentration in solo/small practice responds to the growing number of new attorneys going into the field rather than joining large firms. This new area of concentration fits within Touro Law’s new Portal to Practice curriculum. Portals to Practice ensures a multi-dimensional approach for students to learn while gaining hands-on experience to ensure graduates are practice ready. This concentration is an integrated program of instruction that incrementally immerses students in the skill development required for entering solo or small practice.First year students who elect this concentration will be paired with alumni mentors who are solo practitioners or work in small firms to gain insight and knowledge from professionals. Students will also benefit from hands-on experience through pro bono projects, clinics and externships. Students will gain exposure in the kinds of practice areas that small firms and solo practitioners generally handle, including matrimonial, landlord/tenant and misdemeanor criminal matters while focusing on establishing the basic competencies required to build and manage a solo or small firm practice.

Dean Salkin also stated, “I believe the combination of law school training in solo and small practice coupled with and real life application through our incubator and International Center for Post-Graduate Development will provide unique synergies for our students and alumni and provide a stand out opportunity.”

Students interested in obtaining the concentration will be required to complete 27 credits in designated courses including two newly offered classes: Law by the Numbers – Numerical Literacy and Selected Topics in Ethics for Solo and Small Firm Practice. They will be required to enroll in a clinic and encouraged to build knowledge in at least two practice areas and take doctrinal and experiential courses in those areas.

Professor Meredith R. Miller stated, “Solo and small firm practice requires more than doctrinal knowledge. Through this concentrated area of study, students will have opportunities to put doctrine to practice, build confidence, forge a professional identity and gain valuable knowledge concerning the business of operating a law practice. This will give students a definite edge upon graduation and help them to attain their dreams of operating a solo or small firm practice.”