Free Starting-a-Practice Resource
Opening Your Practice: The 47-Point Checklist
Everything to set up before you take your first client — entity, bar, insurance, trust accounting, office, and your first ten clients. Work through it at your own pace.
How to use this checklist
Tap an item to check it off as you go — your progress shows at the top. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere; it is a working tool for you. When you want a hard copy, use Print / Save as PDF at the bottom. Rules marked “check your bar” vary by state — the details are jurisdiction-specific, so confirm them with your own bar.
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Decide & plan
Business structure & registration
Licensing & bar compliance
Insurance & risk
Banking & money
Office & systems
Online presence & first clients
Launch admin & go-live
Keep going
Each step on the checklist has a deeper guide in our Starting a Practice series.
How to Start Your Own Law FirmThe full guide that sits behind this checklist.Read the guideShould I Start My Own Law Firm?Work through the decision before the logistics.Read the guideChoosing Your Business StructurePLLC, PC, sole prop — what each means for you.Read the guideHow to Set Your Legal FeesPick a fee model and rates you can defend.Read the guideGetting Your First ClientsWhere the first ten matters actually come from.Read the guideHow to Name Your Law FirmName it once, name it right, keep the bar happy.Read the guide