Charting Your Course: Starting Your Own Law Firm

By: Maliha Siddiqui

How do you know if you are ready to start your own law firm?

When I decided to “hang a shingle” I was met with equal parts resistance and support from the various communities that I was a part of, including the legal and Muslim communities. I always knew that I wanted to be my own boss, and after a decade working for other professionals in the legal community, I finally felt secure enough to take the leap. During my legal career, with the goal of firm ownership in the back of my mind, I focused on two main aspects to set myself up for success:

1. Competence

In order to run a successful practice you have to be reasonably competent in your specialty. I was not prepared to start a firm until I had exercised skills that any litigator should have: taking depositions, understanding complex financial statements, and first-chairing a trial. Every area of practice will lean on a different set of skills, but after nearly a decade working in family law, I knew that I had to refine my drafting skills, master my verbal arguments in Court, and mostly, practice my soft skills in client management. As an associate attorney, I spent much of my time learning from the partners in the firm and observing other attorneys in Court. I found people in my area of law that I admired and watched them closely. Ultimately, the practice of law will always require learning new skills and information, but law school teaches us how to find the information we need to best assist our clients. I had planned to start my own firm for a long time, but the COVID-19 showed me that I could function alone, with minimal to no support, and still provide quality legal services to my clients. I built up a strong network of peers, so that if I encountered something I had not seen before, I had multiple networks to help me find the answer. All attorneys, including seasoned attorneys, rely on their networks to navigate new legal issues.

2. Rainmaking

You are your product.

We are often taught to be humble in our accomplishments, but you must balance that humility with a level of shameless self-promotion. If you don’t believe in your product (i.e. yourself), then who will pay for it? Clients are looking for someone who understands the law, understands their goals, and are willing to be creative. They won’t know that you are that person unless you are willing to make the sales pitch.

Before I opened the doors to Siddiqui Family Law, I slowly began to identify my niche and build a presence in the community. I volunteered at legal clinics on the weekends to assist family law clients. I gave family law CLE presentations with the Muslim Bar Association and South Asian Bar Association. I provided free legal advice to anyone who wanted it. I was laying the groundwork in building my name. To this day, I provide free consultations. If they don’t hire me, I know that I have not only done a public good by providing free legal advice, but that I’ve created a contact in the community who can refer more clients my way.

Starting my own law firm was the best professional decision I have made. I love the flexibility, ability to choose your own clients, and the day to day firm management. This route has allowed me to design a life that I love. It is scary, but with the right groundwork, you can also design a career that is fulfilling and challenging.

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Maliha Siddiqui focuses her practice in family law in Chicago, Illinois. She graduated with honors from the University of Illinois in Chicago and received her J.D. from DePaul University College of Law. She began her career as a law clerk in the domestic relations division at the Chicago Legal Clinic, a local non-profit organization, and advocated on behalf of clients in domestic violence and divorce proceedings. Since then, she has worked at some of the largest and most prestigious divorce law firms in the country.

Maliha currently serves as the President-Elect of the South Asian Bar Association of Chicago and is an executive board member of the Muslim Bar Association of Chicago. Maliha also provides pro bono services as a Child Representative in Cook County through the Chicago Volunteer Legal Service.