San Diego attorney Robert Kolodny has been running his own law firm -- a boutique shop focusing on real estate work -- for nearly 35 years.
Not bad for a self-described "un-employable" law school graduate whose first legal fee came in the form of food.
Today, Kolodny & Pressman isn't much bigger than the one-man operation Kolodny opened in 1975. But the firm is as strong as ever, maintaining a loyal client base and constantly receiving referrals.
"I just decided that I wanted to go out and see if I could start a law practice and do it on my own," Kolodny said. "I just thought it was a challenge and decided I would see if it would work."