Lawyer Opens Solo Practice

For more than 14 years, the Air Force Captain dreamed of owning her own law practice. Over her ten-year military career, she had dabbled in real estate and even entered into a partnership in a coin operated laundry, but those ventures were not enough to satisfy her desire for career independence. In August 1990 she separated from the military to attend law school. Upon graduation, her law career was varied but during her time with United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (formerly known as the INS) she decided she was ready for career independence and began contemplating how to make it happen. She knew she would need financial support and decided to check with the Small Business Administration to determine what was available. Ultimately she was referred to a local SBDC and the counselor’s advice and assistance was instrumental in the successful launch of her law practice.

The counselor discussed the steps in applying for a small business loan, explained the financial options and the importance of developing a sound business plan. Once she had a solid grasp on what to do and how to proceed, she made contact with a loan officer from M&T Bank. The SBDC and bank advice and guidance enabled her to submit a quality product to the underwriter in order to secure the financial backing to start her law office.