There are a lot of very good questions on this thread and I think that the first step of finding the answers will be to consolidate this list to a manageable number. We have to find groups of questions that go to a single issue and rephrase them as a single question, and given the amount of time we have, we may have to cut many of these questions off the list if their not too important to the group. If we want to find good answers, or as Julian would say, if we want to find the people who know the answers we need, we're going to need a smaller list of questions.

The only question i would add, has to do with resources. There are a lot of questions about how to work outside a firm and still get paid enough, but i am more worried about how to work outside a big firm and have the resources to compete with such a firm. I would love to be a public defender, but they frequently don't have the resources to win their cases. At a firm, i'd get to take fewer pro bono cases, but i'd likely win more of the cases i got to take. That might be an oversimplification, but my question would be: What is the comparison between the resources of a law firm and other resources available, and how much does it affect success rates in court?

-- OluwafemiMorohunfola - 22 Apr 2008