Virtual Water Cooler
Solosez celebrates 10 years of supporting solo attorneys.
By
Brian R. Hook
Brian R. Hook is a freelance journalist. He can be reached at brhook@msn.com.
Solosez, an e-mail discussion group that provides solo practitioners with an online resource to share and obtain information, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary.
Described as a “virtual water cooler” by members, Solosez users can post questions or comments on topics ranging from technology to how to hire a paralegal.
“If I am having a problem with technology, I can post a question to the list and be pretty confident that someone with real expertise using that same technology will respond faster than I will get through to most technical support hotlines,” said Andrew Simpson, an attorney in Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands. He first subscribed to Solosez in 2001. “I would not think about buying either hardware or software for my office without running it past my fellow Sezzers to see how the same equipment has worked [for them].”
The American Bar Association General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Division hosts Solosez, pronounced “solo-says.” Jennifer Rose, who practiced law for 20 years and now is a writer and editor living in Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico, is the moderator of the online discussion group. Rose said the popularity of the listserv has continued to increase throughout the years. “Around 2000, we thought hitting the 700 mark in subscribers was really something,” Rose said. “Little did we know that five years later we would surpass 2,000 [subscribers].”
Attorneys who don’t have the resources of a large law firm use Solosez to discuss both professional and personal issues, Rose said.
“It’s a 24-hour-a-day, globally based reference and support network,” said Bruce Dorner, an attorney in Londonderry, N.H. He co-founded Solosez in 1996. “It’s the only place where you can receive the benefit of more than 2,000 lawyers who have experience in a wide variety of topics and legal issues — connected only by their willingness to help others similarly situated in a solo and small-firm setting.”
When a member posts an obscure question on Solosez regarding software, for example, someone from the list probably will know the answer, Dorner said. “We regularly share information about new products and services and warn our members of tools that might not measure up to the vendor-touted spec sheets,” he said.
Simpson said listservs such as Solosez are particularly necessary for solo attorneys. When an attorney at a large firm needs help with an issue, the attorney only has to walk down the hall to talk with other lawyers. “Solos don’t have the luxury,” he said. “Solosez provides a virtual outlet for this and helps keep solos from getting isolated.”
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