Elevating Your Practice: 5 Tips For Law Firm Associates

Since switching into legal recruiting from Big Law, I’ve spent a good amount of time talking with attorneys at all levels about their practices and goals.? In those conversations, I’ve also had the opportunity to reflect on my own experience as a litigator at two big law firms in DC.? I wanted to share some practice tips – some of which I did successfully and others I wish I invested more time in.? Whether your goal is to remain on partner track at a firm, go to the government, or go in house, these practices will serve all associates well:

1. Track Progress in Your Practice with a List.? Start a list of the types of experiences you want to get.? Talk to your peers and mentors and determine the foundational skills you’ll need to build a successful practice in the long term.? If you’re a litigator, these could be drafting motions, managing discovery, taking depositions, and liaising with experts.? If you’re a corporate attorney, these could be drafting material documentation (e.g., stock purchase agreements or credit agreements), leading diligence calls, and interacting with clients.? At the end of each quarter, you can assess how much progress you made in each area.? Taking a step back to periodically evaluate your list will allow you to spot any gaps in your skills and provide a basis to request certain staffings to help you build those skills.
2. Advocate for Yourself: Ask for More Experience Early and Often.? It’s easy to think that all Big Law firms are the same in terms of the types of experiences you will have, but certain firms are more formal and hierarchical than others (talking with peers or market experts will help you discern where your firm falls).? Either way, it’s essential to respectfully ask for as much responsibility as you can and avoid the “learned helplessness” problem that can exist in Big Law (in spite of how it may feel, you are capable of writing simple logistical emails without undergoing multiple layers of review).? Push yourself out of your comfort zone – you’ll never master something you don’t try.
3. Choose Pro Bono Matters Strategically.? Billable matters are necessarily hierarchical because clients expect the more seasoned lawyers to assume the higher stakes responsibilities of their matters (e.g., arguing a motion in court).? Pro bono matters are an excellent arena to lead your own cases and develop skills that you might not otherwise in billable matters.? While some higher profile pro bono matters may be attractive because they’re front-page newsworthy, they may fall victim to the same hierarchical pitfalls of billable matters.? If you’re looking for oral advocacy or trial experience, you may be better served taking on a child custody case than joining a heavily staffed impact litigation matter, for example.
4. Don’t Neglect the News.? When every day is a fire drill, it’s extremely tough to think beyond immediate deadlines.? Take advantage of slower times to work on other aspects of your practice, like sharing legal news within your firm and writing client alerts/articles.? In my experience, good lawyers master the technical aspects of the field; great lawyers are plugged into current events and the changing contours of the law.? Set news alerts on industries that interest you; monitor agency websites to keep up with government enforcement priorities; share developments with partners.? Don’t underestimate how quickly you can be viewed as an expert in a field simply by staying on top of the news.
5. Network Horizontally and Vertically.? When you first join a firm (as either a summer or full-time associate), study the firm site and internal directory carefully.? Email those partners who have a practice you admire (cc their assistants so those emails don’t get lost) and ask to grab coffee or lunch to discuss their practice.? I’ve found that partners love the initiative, and you’ll be top of mind when they’re staffing their matters.? While the importance of networking with supervisors/partners is intuitive, do not forget to invest time in your peers.? Grab coffee or go to lunch with fellow associates as often as possible – aside from the obvious fact that having friends in your workplace is key to happiness, these friends and colleagues will likely exit the firm and go in-house or to government agencies.? They could be your future clients, or future adversaries!

If any of this resonates with you, or if you want to discuss more, feel free to email me at [email protected] so we can set up a call!? I’d love to hear about your experience implementing these tips in your practice.