Edward Cohn is a criminal defense attorney who has spent 23 years running his own solo practice across three states. In this episode, he shares why opening his own firm right out of law school gave him the freedom he always wanted, how a background in music shaped his confidence and creativity, and why some lawyers thrive when they build their practice on their own terms.
Solo attorney Edward Cohn explains how building your own law practice can give you the freedom, flexibility, and fulfilment you’ll never find in a traditional firm.
Born and raised in Michigan, Edward Cohn didn’t grow up around lawyers. His father’s best friend was the only attorney he knew, and even then, Edward wasn’t exposed to trial work or the courtroom. What he was exposed to was creativity. He spent nearly ten years playing in a rock band with his sister, writing music and performing until the late 90s, when the band dissolved and he found himself ready for something new. With a college degree and a desire for further education, he explored graduate school and law school with equal curiosity.
“Towards the end of the 90s, the band was breaking up… I figured I would give law school a shot and it was a good fit," shares Edward Cohn on You Are A Lawyer.
Edward attended law school in Michigan, where he took a semester-long law office management course that would unknowingly change his entire career. The economy shifted in 2002, job prospects dried up, and the firm he interned with couldn’t hire him. Instead of panicking, he stepped into entrepreneurship. Today, after practising in Michigan, Boston, and now Arizona, he has built a steady, trusted solo practice rooted in criminal defense and protective order litigation. What began out of necessity became the perfect career for his personality, lifestyle, and values.
Edward didn’t enter law school with a grand vision of being a criminal defense lawyer. His professors encouraged him to pursue an advanced degree, and law school felt like a path that would challenge him intellectually while also providing stability. There was also something deeply familiar about advocating for others, a skill he had practiced long before becoming an attorney.
“My stepbrother used to get into trouble a lot and I was always advocating for him, like his lawyer, trying to get him out of trouble," explains Edward Cohn on Episode 220 of You Are a Lawyer.
Law school gave him a structure he hadn’t found in music, but it didn’t strip away his creativity or independence. He enjoyed litigation classes, felt naturally drawn to advocacy, and realised he could build a career that incorporated those strengths. While many students chase prestige or corporate placements, Edward saw law school as a foundation, not a finish line, and followed the path that fit in real life, not just in theory.
For Edward, a law degree has been a passport. It allowed him to practise in Michigan, waive into Massachusetts, and eventually build his Arizona practice without interruption. His work spans misdemeanors, felonies, protective orders, guardianship investigations, and more; all experiences he embraced by simply showing up, watching hearings, and saying yes to new challenges.
“If they find their niche and they’re comfortable, they find what they’re good at… I think they’ll enjoy their profession a lot more," shares Edward Cohn on Episode 220 of You Are a Lawyer.
Over the years, he has met lawyers burned out in big firms, stuck in practice areas they didn’t enjoy, or afraid to pivot. His advice is grounded in lived experience: you can always find work, always learn something new, and always course-correct if a path doesn’t feel right. The law degree is flexible, durable, and full of possibility, but only if you’re willing to seize opportunities instead of waiting for them to be handed to you.
While Edward doesn’t have a traditional ‘side hustle’, his entire career reflects an entrepreneurial mindset that many lawyers overlook. Instead of building a firm with multiple attorneys, he intentionally crafted a lean practice powered by autonomy, flexibility, and meaningful work. He writes his own pleadings, manages client communication, and supplements his bandwidth by hiring students or contractors when needed.
“You’ve got to be a hustler. You’ve got to have that drive in you… For me, I always had that,” Edward Cohn expresses in Episode 220 of You Are a Lawyer.
Running a solo practice is his entrepreneurial venture, one that lets him control his schedule, spend time with his homeschooled daughter, and avoid the burnout that many lawyers face. His story shows that autonomy itself can be a form of creativity, and that building a practice intentionally can function as the ultimate professional side project: one that supports your life instead of consuming it.
Edward is licensed to practice in the states of Arizona, Michigan, & Massachusetts.
This episode is produced by Skip The Boring Stuff, a podcast strategy company for business owners and creatives.
