There’s a notion in some circles of the social sciences that as society becomes more advanced, the individuals in the society take on more specialized roles. In today’s society, we’re seeing a trend some have called hyperspecialization. Attorneys understand this concept well; general practice attorneys are few and far between, while niche practices that specialize in one particular domain seem to be everywhere. The attorneys within those practices will be even further specialized, each member working towards a cohesive whole. This is all well and good, and most attorneys end up in a specialty of one kind or another, because specialization commands a premium. When, then, is general practice important - when is it good to be more versatile, and help a variety of clients?

The best time to be versatile is when you’re getting a foothold in the industry; you haven’t decided on a branch of law to specialize in, so it’s important to deal with a variety of different clients. Interacting with different types of clients will give you an idea what kind of law you gravitate towards, and can allow you to establish a niche. Accepting any client who needs an attorney can also help you develop a client base, a valuable resource you can use if you opt to transition into a niche.

One of the keys to being versatile is not overburdening yourself; you’ll likely be experiencing a wide variety of different cases, so you’ll have to be agile and train your brain to shift from one mode of thinking to another. This requires mental flexibility and energy; if you have too many clients simultaneously, you may quickly find yourself drained of stamina.

You can add versatility to your practice by adding staff; legal assistants and other attorneys can help you take on more clients, and have a more diverse knowledge base to tackle case law you might be more unfamiliar with. This, of course, requires a lot of resources, and once you’ve established those resources, you might already be at the point that you want to transition into more specialized practice. Assistant staff is, for this reason, probably a better investment at this point in time than another attorney on a permanent basis at your practice.

This doesn’t, however, mean you need to go without the assistance of other attorneys. One of the greatest advantages of the digital age is that specialization is at your fingertips; you can get help from seasoned professionals who can advise you on projects and help you represent your clients in court. One of the resources we offer can help with court appearances in regions you’re unfamiliar with: attorneys for local counsel. Having access to attorneys who understand regional nuances can help you expand your practice beyond the borders you’d normally be limited to; that makes you more versatile.