The first iteration of a new Alumni Engagement initiative united alums working in solo and small firm lawyer for the school’s first Practice Group meeting on May 23, hosted in the co-working space available at 2 Court Square.
The Solo/Small Business Practice Group brought together students, experienced alumni in the initial stages of small private practice, and professionals considering starting down a new path in the name of learning and supporting one another (and enjoying delicious local Mexican food).
From marketing and book keeping to technology, hiring, and maintaining a separation of downtime and ownership of a small business, the group discussed local resources available to small firm start ups and shared information and contacts. A central tension the group is combatting is the desire to be not only financially stable but also successful in the face of lawyering “in the service of human needs” and providing affordable representation; many in the group began their practices to better serve the communities of which they are a part.
Leading the group is alumna Angela Torregoza, (‘12) who recently launched a boutique immigration law practice in Long Island City with fellow alumnus Amir Rasoulpour (‘12). The Practice Group model is designed to support Torregoza in collecting feedback from the group to determine what topics of most of interest going forward, and will expand to include an on-line discussion group and resource archive. In addition to in-person meetings and workshops, the program will include speaker series and CLE programs. To date, forty alums have connected to advance this Practice Group.
If you are interested in starting or joining a different practice group, contact Alizabeth Newman, head of Alumni Engagement, at newman@law.cuny.edu. If you have questions or would like to join the Solo/Small Business Practice Group , please contact Angela Torregoza at angela@legalease.us.