“You’re so lucky you work for yourself; you don’t have to work with people like [fill in the blank].” Solo practitioner Paul Schorn hears this often from friends in midsize and large firms, and in his heart, he knows they’re right: Part of what makes solo practice worthwhile is getting to avoid some of the people who can drain all the fun out of practicing law. Here are four types of people Schorn is happy not to face on a daily basis, along with the lessons he believes people can learn from them.

In an increasing number of patent cases across the country, defendants have banded together in a joint representation, hiring a single law firm to fight the plaintiff attacking them all. Defendants are embracing this strategy in the face of shrinking corporate legal budgets, and the united front can also pose a more powerful force in court or at the negotiating table

At a hearing this week, the New Jersey Supreme Court appeared sympathetic to a municipal court judge who faces ethics sanctions because his law partner made political contributions without his knowledge or consent. The judge’s attorney said the court will have to decide whether lawyers can be held vicariously liable for their partners’ actions, which could impact firms large and small. “This is an extremely important case because there are many part-time judges who work for large firms that make contributions,” he said.