But for some attorneys this is not enough, and they strike out on their own.

“That is kind of the way most attorneys start their own business,” said John Kenney, a partner with the law firm Lineberry Kenney LLC’s Poulsbo office, “At some point they say ‘the heck with this.’”

That’s more or less how Kenney ended up in private practice with partner Douglas Lineberry, who heads up the firm’s Tacoma office. Shortly after Lineberry went out on his own in late 2003 he was recalled to active duty in the Army. He arranged with Kenney, who at the time was working for a large Seattle law firm, to step in part-time to ensure the practice didn’t go under while Lineberry was away. When a last minute staffing change on the part of the Army allowed Lineberry to stay, the two decided to give the partnership a try anyway and formed Lineberry Kenney in July 2004.

“The biggest challenge is figuring out how to survive,” said Kenney of the early days of their practice. “The financial side of it is really tough.”

Considerations for starting a law practice are similar to that of starting up any small business, including start-up costs, how to pay yourself while the business is being built, getting health insurance and so on.

“[The cost of health insurance] was a complete reality check for me,” said Kenney.

The success or failure of a law firm relies on effective marketing and sales, as any small business does.

“You have to get yourself out there,” said Kenney. “At that point it has nothing to with law.”

Craig Jones, who founded Pinnacle Real Estate Law Group in September 2005, has a slightly different story. Although his current practice is still quite new, this is actually his second venture into private practice.

“I started a private practice in Silverdale in 1985 (starting with only one client!) and grew the firm into a very successful firm through about 1998,” said Jones. “Having owned and managed a law practice for over a decade, I was fortunate to have the experience to carry forward the successes and learn from prior mistakes. It made the transition to Pinnacle Real Estate Law Group relatively easy.”

Jones left the Seattle law firm Graham & Dunn and returned to private practice when the commute from his home on Bainbridge Island to Seattle got to be too much. He was lucky enough to bring a roster of clients with him, eliminating many of the start-up woes other attorneys experience when going out on their own, and he works hard to ensure that those clients are satisfied.

“Our clients always come first and we work very hard, and often long hours, to ensure that we meet their needs and expectations,” said Jones.

And that work is paying off. The practice, just shy of a year and a half old, has already added two more attorneys in addition to Jones, and he anticipates that the next couple of years will see the firm expanding by an additional 5 to 10 attorneys.

“It is a continual balancing act, ensuring adequate foresight to know when additional team members are going to be required,” said Jones, “and then recruiting for that need, while at the same time ensuring that we are not overstaffed.”

Like Lineberry and Kenney, an Army recall, or more accurately, returning to civilian life post-recall, also factored into John Ferrell and his wife, attorney Wendy Ferrell’s decision to go into private practice together. The couple formed the Bremerton-based Ferrell and Ferrell, PLLC, in February 2004. Prior to Ferrell and Ferrell, John Ferrell was an associate with the Poulsbo firm Sherrard & McGonagle in Poulsbo, and the decision to go out on his own was not an easy one.

“Sherrard & McGonagle treated me very well and it was a difficult decision to leave,” said Ferrell. “However, my return to civilian life from Active Duty was an opportunity to join my wife, Wendy, who had already started her law office.”

One of Ferrell’s greatest challenges in running an independent law practice is balancing office time with the marketing and other outside business obligations. But overall the experience has been overwhelmingly positive for the couple.

“Opening the practice as been our best experience,” said Ferrell. “It’s risky, but the rewards are worth it.”.