Dear Gritty VA:
I have been toying with the idea of starting my own business for some time and recent events (notably, a layoff) have pushed this idea to the forefront. I have purchased your business forms, contracts, etc. and have found your resources and expertise to be exactly what I was looking for. I noted that you work with attorneys. I am interested in targeting sole practitioner attorneys as well and was wondering if obtaining a paralegal certificate would be helpful in breaking into this market? –LP
Great question and I love seeing that you have narrowed things down to a target market. That right there is going to help you get things rolling more quickly and easily, and save you soooo much time and effort because it gives you a direction and focus.
In answer to your specific question, you do not necessarily need a paralegal certificate to support attorneys. Administrative support is administrative support. EVERY business needs it, including law offices, and you don’t need any kind of certification to do that work. However, if you plan to also do paralegal work, then you’ll need to check with your state or locality to find out the rules on that. Some states require a degree or certification to be a paralegal while others do not.
That said, if you want to support the legal profession, there are some specific skills and knowledge you will need. You’ll be more successful if you already have that kind of experience; it’ll be a harder sell if not. Either way, it’s always a great idea to take whatever kind of training or classes you can find, and read any information you can that will help you become more knowledgeable about supporting this market.
Law practice management is extremely valuable knowledge to have or obtain. Plan on keeping up on that every chance you get. It’s especially prized by solo attorneys because you are then able to help get their business organized and running smoothly so that can be more profitable and have more time for their client work (or just have some time off! These guys work like dogs, most of them).
You also want to learn about all the various legal industry specific software and tools that can be utilized so you can bring that knowledge and skillset to the table.
Getting back to the target market thing, I love that you already understand that it’s the solos who are going to have the most need and therefore are going to find greater value in having an administrative support partner.
Large firms don’t really need what we do because they have bigger workloads and can afford in-house employees required to handle it. Therefore, when you do find one that’s even interested in outsourcing, it’s only to save a buck and get it as cheaply as possible, not because they value the work and it’s important to their practice. They aren’t interested in a partnering relationship whereas that partnering relationship plays a critical role in supporting solos. This is why you’ll find greater success with them. They have a great need for what we do and therefore place higher value and are willing to pay for it. Which is one of the first rules in selecting a target market: It must have a real need for what you are in business to offer so that it values it enough to pay for it.
I would have you narrow that down even further that, though. There are all kinds of practice areas in the law and the work and processes involved therefore can vary dramatically. By narrowing down to a solos in a specific practice area, you will be better able to learn more about the work specifically involved and see how you can support them. This, in turn, will allow you to compose a much more compelling marketing message that really speaks their language–all to your greater, faster success in attracting and getting those clients.
Once you do narrow thing down more, you can then start doing your homework by researching and talking with solo attorneys, finding out where their biggest headaches are, how they are currently managing their work and administrative and what solutions they’ve be most interested in.
If you want to learn more about how to craft your own unique, compelling marketing message, I recommend my guide Articulating Your Value: How to Craft Your Own Unique, Compelling Marketing Message (GDE-38).
Hope that helps! 
UPDATE: 480 participants so far! Spread the word so we can reach goal by April 1!
