Getting a Client

Dear Evil HR lady,

I am planning to go into solo law practice in the near future, focusing on employment discrimination litigation. I have "blue chip" credentials and experience, and can offer large- and medium-sized companies excellent service on these types of cases, at a much lower price than the big firms charge.

The key issue, of course, is contacting these companies and getting my name before the relevant decision makers. Getting my foot in the door, as they say.

Based on my own experience, HR departments play a rather large role in handling EEO cases (as compared to, say, commercial, antitrust, or IP cases). So it seems to me that I should reach out to *both* in-house law departments and also HR departments. Do you agree? And what do you think are effective means for doing this? How about direct mail?

Any insights or recommendations would be most appreciated.

Thank you very much,

I agree. HR is the place to go for EEO cases. Large companies have in house labor and employment lawyers. Smaller companies do not and would need your services.

I wouldn't want an attorney that specializes in anti-trust law to be anywhere near my EEO case.

As to recommendations, network, network, network. Getting your name before the decision maker is going to involve having someone else recommend you. Unless the HR person is actively looking for an attorney to handle EEO problems something that shows up on her doorstep without a personal recommendation is not going anywhere.

What you are looking for is a job--not a traditional employee job--but a job nonetheless. So you tell everyone you know about what you are doing. Watch the video over at Rowan Manahan's place to understand the value in this.