Starting your own law practice after being hired: how your professional role changes

The transition to independent legal practice requires a shift in role: from being an employee within the system or someone who carries out tasks to becoming a professional who makes decisions independently and is accountable for the results.

This was discussed during the webinar «From employment to private practice: how to take the plunge into becoming an advocate and start working for yourself», held in Kyiv at the initiative of the UNBA NextGen. The speaker was advocate, mediator, colonel and police veteran Natalia Zinenko.

She explained that she entered the advocacy profession after 25 years of working in law enforcement. Outside that system, according to the speaker, processes operated differently. Therefore, she had to «start from scratch», familiarize herself with new work procedures, and forge her own path. She attributed her choice of advocacy to the freedom to make decisions and personal responsibility for the outcome. Before starting her own practice, the speaker first worked as an employee. This allowed her to understand the rules of advocacy from the inside, observe how work is organized, and experience how an advocacy practice functions. And after just two months, she felt ready to move forward on her own.

N. Zinenko cited mentorship as a key element of getting started. She gave the example of a colleague from whom she learned during her internship: she performed practical tasks, prepared procedural documents, and received feedback. In her view, training, knowledge, and an understanding of internal processes form the foundation of one’s own practice.

Among the real risks of starting out, the speaker cited a lack of clients and income. Pricing can also be challenging: a novice advocate does not always yet understand how to value their own work, quote a fee to a client, and stick to it. This stage is overcome gradually — through experience and an understanding of one’s own professional value.

Speaking about preparing for the transition, the speaker advised first and foremost to determine where and why the advocate is moving, what their goal is, and to choose a practice area. It is better to start with an area that is familiar and close to the advocate’s heart, and then gradually expand their professional horizons.

Experience working within the system can be an advantage if the advocate understands its internal logic. N. Zinenko cited her own example in the field of military law: knowledge of service procedures, combatant status, benefits, and internal organization helps her avoid a cookie-cutter approach and instead tailor solutions to the specific situation.

According to the speaker, the mindset of a self-employed advocate needs to change. Advocacy operates by its own rules, while a client comes with a specific problem and expects it to be resolved. Therefore, an advocate leaving the system or employment must view the process from a new professional perspective.

In conclusion, N. Zinenko advised not to stop, to keep learning, to have a clear stance, to understand the goal of transitioning to independent practice, and to move toward it in consistent steps.