I've been a lawyer, and now I'm a startup founder. Sometimes I think I should have skipped the lawyer part; other times, not so sure. I've never heard of a "l

I've been a lawyer, and now I'm a startup founder. Sometimes I think I should have skipped the lawyer part; other times, not so sure. I've never heard of a "law partner" (which doesn't mean there is no such term), but I don't think almost any startup needs a cofounder with a legal background. That's not to say, though, that you shouldn't start something with your friend -- if he's smart, if he has hustle, if he can pick up the business end while you do the coding (or vice versa, or whatever), then it's fine. Look at it this way: your friend's legal background is unlikely to help your startup very much, because if/when you start to get serious you're going to need more legal firepower, even for pretty mundane stuff, than just one guy can provide. But it isn't going to hurt you, either. The question is really about whether the two of you are a good fit for one another, sufficiently passionate about building this thing, and sufficiently skilled to be able to do it. Good luck.