A Small-Town Due Diligence Checklist
Vol. 2, No. 7
Richard L. Hermann is a professor at Concord Law School, teaching the only legal career management course in the United States. His Law Careers blog appears weekly on www.legalcareerweb.com, for which he also presents monthly webinars on legal career topics. He is the author of eight books on legal careers. His book Managing Your Legal Career: Best Practices for Creating the Career You Want (American Bar Association, 2010) was runner-up for the Benjamin Franklin Award, given annually for the best career book of the year.
From Practicing Law in Small-Town America, Appendix B
The following suggested checklist is designed to provide you with a template that can serve as a launch point for researching small towns in which you are interested in possibly practicing law in some capacity. You can modify it to include other criteria that are important to you and to delete those that are not relevant to your situation or aspirations. Each individual and family will weigh the following decisional factors differently.
Population Trends
Current town and surrounding area population
Is it large enough to support your practice (if you intend to open a private practice)?
Is it on a growth path?
If “yes,” what are the factors contributing to growth?
If “no,” why is population stable or declining?
Composition
Age demographics
Retirement community(ies)
Seasonal changes
Colleges and universities
Climate and Environment
Earthquake propensity
Tornado propensity
Hurricane propensity
Temperatures year-round
Snowfall
Snow-removal capabilities
Air quality
Water quality
Adequacy of water supply
Severe storm exposure
Location of nuclear reactors
Hydraulic fracturing for shale gas in region
Housing
Home prices
Year-to-year price changes
Mortgage rates
Rental costs
Insurance costs
Utilities costs
Maintenance costs
Flood insurance
Crime Rates
Violent crimes
Property crimes
Professionalism of local law enforcement
Taxes
Property tax rate
Sales taxes
State income and franchise taxes
Recreation
Gyms/YMCAs
Outdoor activity opportunities
Proximity to major or minor league sports teams
Cultural Opportunities
Music
Theater
Art
Intellectual community
Grocery Stores
Retail Outlets
Churches, Synagogues, Mosques, etc.
Number of and proximity to those of your preference
Diversity
Local tolerance
Social Clubs and Service Organizations
Rotary
Kiwanis
Elks
Moose
Lions
Volunteer fire departments
Other
Education
Teacher-pupil ratio
How many parents attend PTA meetings?
Where do high school grads go to college?
How do school bond issues do at election time?
Parents’ educational level
$ spent on library and media services
Private and parochial schools
School athletic program
Technology in schools
Private and parochial schools
Child Safety
Sex offenders living in community
Oxycontin abuse
Methamphetamines presence
Business Considerations
Zoning restrictions on home businesses
Office space availability
Office rental rates
Typical wages for secretaries, paralegals
State/local relocation Incentives
New business assistance
Employment
Local unemployment rate
Primary employers
Business-sector stability
Economic development track record and plans
Downtown business space occupancy
Quality of Life Yardsticks
Cost of Living
Housing (see above)
Transportation
Maintenance
Insurance
Goods and services
Food
Clothing
Medical care
Recreation
Health Care
Physicians per capita
Distance to hospital(s)
Availability of 24-hour emergency coverage
Specialist proximity
Local Government
Talk to:
Mayor
City or town manager
Council president
City, town and/or county attorney
Judges
Planning commissioners
Business friendliness
Business attraction program
Is it formally organized?
Is it proactive?
Has it succeeded?
Examine council meeting minutes
Examine master plan, if any
How has town adapted to change?
Openness to newcomers
Transportation
Access to airports
Proximity to Interstate Highway System
Gas prices
Most Favorable Local Characteristics
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Least Desirable Local Characteristics
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