How Solo Solicitors Can Turn Micro-Niches Into Practice Areas
Why Solo Lawyers Need A Niche In 2025
The days of solo lawyers being generalists in many areas of law are in my view limited.
Indeed being a sole practioner or indeed running a solo law firm or a small law firm in Australia is hard work nowadays.
In today’s legal market, being known for something is no longer optional - it is essential.
One clear answer is specialisation into a niche as a legal practice strategy.
What Makes For A Good Legal Niche
A legal niche doesn’t start with any fanfare.
Often it begins when you notice a pattern in your matters, or you’re handling more of a particular kind of work and enjoying it more than the rest.
That’s usually the start of a niche legal practice for solo lawyers forming right inside your broader ones.
The best part? You don’t need to give up your day job to pursue it. You can quietly build that niche alongside your existing practice.
Ten years ago, areas like cryptocurrency, blockchain and AI law were almost unheard of.
Today, they’ve grown from tiny niches into established sub-practice areas and even full practice areas of their own.
There are many solo lawyers in this category who now still work as specialists or whose practice areas have been absorbed into larger firms.
That dedicated focus on an emerging legal niche has transformed careers and creating opportunities that go well beyond the scope of conventional legal work.
A Legal Niche Gives You As A Solo Lawyer A First Mover Advantage
Investing in these new areas has given lawyers not only a competitive edge and first-mover advantages, but also greater visibility and relevance in a crowded legal market.
A niche for a solo solicitor is not just another string to the bow - it’s a real competitive advantage strategy.
It’s how you position yourself as the go-to person for a high-value legal problem, the lawyer whose work can’t easily be replaced by a machine.
It is the go to lawyer for other lawyers who cannot and do not want to practise in that area.
In a time of rapid change and uncertainty propelled by AI, building a distinctive niche is one of the smartest moves you can make as a lawyer in a solo law firm.
Emerging Areas Of Law That Started As Niches In The Past 10 Years
Below are a list of areas of law that didn’t exist at scale ten years ago but have since grown into significant fields of practice.
Many were developed and grown by solo lawyers who were passionate about something new, which they cultivated and turned into a legal practice.
Each of these began as a niche:
Cybersecurity
Blockchain
Artificial Intelligence
Space
E-Sports
Drone
Robotics
ESG
Climate Change
Social Media
AML (Anti-Money Laundering)
Renewable Energy
Gig Economy
Abuse
If you want help identifying and growing your own legal niche as a solo lawyer, we’ve put together a short, practical, and free guide.
It will help you spot opportunities, build authority without dropping your day-to-day practice, and stay relevant in a time of rapid change.
Our Free Practical Guide For Lawyers
Reach out to us here to get your copy here
Paul Ippolito is Principal of Ippolito Advisory. He is a lawyer coach. Paul is available for media enquiries, speaking and consulting. You can contact him here.
