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It’s the American Dream, baby! No, not the unreleased Mike Jones (Who?) album, but the actual dream. Put your work in. Do it better, and cheaper, than the next guy. Grow your business. Reap rewards in proportion to effort expended.

Yesterday, we brought you the take of Bryan Johnson, a manager at Sears turned millionaire start-up credit card processor to the cyber-stars (such as AirBnB, OpenTable, and Uber). He made the change in two years, and author, investor, and entrepreneur James Altucher devised a number of rules based off his interview of the money-processing mogul.

I'm a sucker for articles that tell you how to make bold, hard-working moves and get rich quickly. Though it rarely happens this way, part of the "American Dream" is that a person's reward should be proportional to the work expended.

These entrepreneurial articles became even more appealing when I graduated law school with an immense debt load and no job prospects whatsoever. And though FindLaw saved me from despair (and keeps me filled with granola bars!), I'm still inclined to click on any title on a reputable blog that promises riches for the bold and brazen.

I like people. Working as a solo has little to no appeal to me, as it means I'm locked in an office all day with little to no human contact, other than the occasional client meeting or angry opposing counsel. Plus, there are a lot of things I am not good at - such as staying organized and finding time for real-world networking.

On the other hand, I am pretty damn great at anything tech-related, online marketing, and explaining things to clients in plain English. I also have clients banging down the door, begging for representation, and I could use someone to handle the overflow.

(Okay, that last part was made up.)

Last week, Forbes reported that associate attorney is the “unhappiest job in America.” Quelle surprise!

According to the article, the happiest little worker bees in America are real estate agents. It seems that real estate agents are “more than satisfied with the control they have over the work they do on a daily basis.”

When was the last time you heard an associate describe her job that way?

Did we convince you to hang out a shingle? Before you design your letterhead, consider the flip side: 10 reasons not to start your own firm.

10. Billing

"We didn't win - I'm not paying." Not only do you have to handle accounts, billing, and track incoming and outgoing funds, but when clients try to stiff you, you have to collect debts without compromising the case.

9. Administrative minutiae

"A hundred hours this week and you're barely breaking even?" Yep. That's exactly what it'll be like for a while. You have to handle accounting, reception, scheduling, and everything else that support staff usually would - at least until you hire support staff.

10. Be your own boss

"You know, Jim - should you really make a rising BAC argument on that DUI case?" Damn right, you should. Use the strategy that you deem best, as opposed to the risk-averse strategy of your boss. Everything, from billing to office furniture to case strategy is in your hands.

9. Take cases that matter to you

"I feel bad for that client, but we won't make money off of him." While you won't want to take too many of these types of cases to start, once in a while, you can take a case that might not be the biggest earner, but satisfies your desire to help others.

If you've finally decided to take the plunge into starting your own firm, you may find yourself contemplating legal alphabet soup for the first time.

LLP. LP. LLC. PS. You've seen the letters on other attorneys' shingles, but which combo is right for you?

When thinking about which type of business structure is best for your firm, you should first decide whether you're going into business by yourself or with a partner.

When it comes to Internet marketing, the most important piece of the puzzle is, of course, the website. This is your business card, your public face, and your brand. If you run a virtual law office, it is also how clients will reach and conduct business with you. Though we often talk about law blogs and social media savvy, all the tweets in the world won't help if your website is nonexistent or looks like a 90s era Geocities page.

With that in mind, these are a few things to consider when setting up your firm's website. Be forewarned, however: creating and maintaining a website is a time-consuming endeavor. It might be worth the time saved to hire someone (like us) to do it for you.

You’re starting to get what this series is about, right? We talked about what tech supplies you’ll need. We also discussed whether you need an office and other places to work if you lack one.

You’ve got the digs located, the computers set-up, and are ready to get started. You’re not completely ready for clients though, are you? That’s right - you forgot the malpractice insurance, didn’t you?

Last week, we considered whether an attorney actually needs an office. While some attorneys may prefer to work from home while meeting clients in the outside world, we noted that attorneys should consider their type of practice, their clientele, personal work habits, and the real estate market before deciding on a work space.

Hey, times are tough. If you can’t afford that office with a window you have always coveted, or if you've simply decided that a life spent wedged behind a desk isn't for you, here are five places to work if you don't have a traditional office.