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    About the Committee

    Solo & Small Firm

    Mission

    Welcome to the homepage of the Solo and Small Firm Committee. Our committee's goal is to deliver the benefits and provide the resources most useful to small firm and solo litigators.

    While perhaps not as noticeable to the public eye, solo and small firm litigators are the backbone of our country’s civil justice system. Our committee’s purpose is to provide a forum for the exchange of information, ideas, and resources on issues uniquely impacting the solo and small firm litigator and that will enhance the effectiveness and enjoyment of our members’ litigation practices. Our goal is to “raise the bar” by serving as a clearinghouse on the many varied matters affecting your practice, including current litigation developments, important new decisions, articles on issues of substance and procedure, ethics, technology and Section news. Our success depends upon your participation. We need your help in shaping and defining the message of our committee so all our members can benefit by learning what works for you in your litigation practice.

    Message from the Chairs

    Welcome to the Solo & Small Firm Committee page! We are delighted to chair the Solo & Small Firm Committee for the 2024–2025 bar year. 

    The success of the Solo & Small Firm Committee depends on  the involvement of small firm lawyers like you. Our Committee members come from communities large and small, with different practice models, different concentrations, and diverse backgrounds, but together, we are a large and potent voice in the bar.

    It is our hope that this committee will provide a resource for you and perhaps serve as a portal to greater involvement in the Section of Litigation. To that end, we are excited about the deliverables that the Solo & Small Firm Committee provides and hope that you will become involved in the Committee’s work and leadership opportunities.

    Our Committee's website adds new content throughout the year and our social media accounts post news of significance to solo and small firm practitioners on a periodic basis. We are also working with other committees in the Litigation Section to provide roundtables, webinars, sound advice podcasts, CLEs, and regional meetings to our members. Please check your email and ABA Communities for announcements of these events. We are always looking for new content to post and resources to link. We currently have several leadership roles in the Committee that need to be filled including web and social media editor, roundable, webinar and sound advice subcommittee chair and newsletter editor. If you are interested in any of these positons or joining our committee, please reach out to either of us.

    If you would like to contribute to the Committee’s newsletter, please let us know. We would love to review your ideas for articles, practice points, and other submissions for the newsletter. It is an excellent opportunity to obtain a publishing credit in a bar publication. If you are interested in joining the newsletter committee or chairing the committee, please let us know.

    There are several CLE seminars being planned during this bar year and each will cover a variety of topics. 

    And, of course, the Section of Litigation Annual CLE Conference (SAC) will be held April 30–May 2, 2025 in Chicago.

    Don’t forget one of the best Section of Litigation member benefits—free CLE programs! Taking advantage of this resource alone can justify your financial investment in the ABA and the Litigation Section each year.

    We appreciate hearing from our members. Please contact us at any time with any questions or to express an interest in getting more involved.

    We look forward to meeting you this year. Thank you.

    Michael Steger
    David Sterling
    Co-chairs, Solo & Small Firm Committee

    Announcements

    Follow Us on Social Media

    Follow the Solo & Small Firm Committee's hashtag #solosmallfirmlit on the Section of Litigation's Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn accounts.

    Writers Wanted

    We need writers, and who couldn't benefit from authoring an article? If you are interested in writing for the Solo and Small Firm Committee in any form—long articles, short practice points, funny, serious, anything—please contact Michael Steger or David Sterling.

    Best Content on Career and Business Development Award

    Congratulations to the Solo and Small Firm Committee’s editorial team for receiving a top award at the Section of Litigation’s Fall Leadership Conference for Best Content on Career and Business Development!

    Roundtable Opportunity

    We are looking for a Committee member to moderate an upcoming Roundtable (non-CLE) program on whistleblowers.  We have two primary speakers and a program outline in hand. This will be a great opportunity for a volunteer to get involved in the Committee and provide value through the ABA. Please contact me if you are interested in working on this program.

    Please Join Us for the Solo & Small Firm Monthly Conference Calls—All From the Comfort of Your Own Office

    The Solo and Small Firm Committee wants to network with you! Although one of the many benefits of ABA Membership are the relationships members forge with fellow attorneys from around the country, we know that getting to out-of-town, multiple day conferences can be tough. As a result, the Committee hosts monthly telephonic conference calls that meet by Zoom. Our monthly Committee conference calls are conducted the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 3pm Eastern.  This monthly call is a good way to meet colleagues, learn more about the Committee, suggest ideas for future programming and discuss issues of interest.  

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    Dial-in: 888 475 4499 US Toll-free
    Meeting ID: 939 1576 6806
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