Making mistakes as a junior associate (litigation). Forum

[Anonymous User]

What are common mistakes first or second-year associates make in big law firms (litigation)? I know that it's inevitable that junior associates will make mistakes, but when do people expect associates to stop being such "newbs"? How likely is it for a junior associate to be fired for making mistakes? Made a few dumb mistakes myself and worried.

[kalvano]

The only mistake with a realistic chance of happening in the first couple years that would get you fired is not telling your supervisor about a mistake you made. Otherwise, you're expected to make mistakes here and there. Just fix it or tell someone who needs to know in order to fix it, and don't make the same mistake again.

[Gefuehlsecht]

Kalvano is right. It is expected that you'll make mistakes. The work you're given should reflect your level of experience. Try to learn from your mistakes. Also, do not expect the various partners to coordinate when it comes to projects they assign to you. If they do, count your blessings, but don't expect it. It is up to you to communicate to them if you're too busy to handle certain assignments. Clearly, you should have good reasons to do so but pushing back when you're simply too busy is better than accepting too much work and ending up handing in half-assed work product.

Another mistake is a lack of communication. Ask questions if you don't understand an assignment and don't spin your wheels for hours. However, you should be wise about who to ask. It is not necessarily always the partner you should address with follow-up questions. Maybe there is a senior associate who can help you. Or support staff.

Also, there are some things which are completely within your control. Spelling. Grammar. Cites. Is the authority still good? Don't make mistakes there, read your damn memo three times with a ruler line by line if you must. Learn to be confident about your work product. Hand it in when it is done. No afterwords.

Finally, the client is not a gas station meter. It is expected that it will take you longer to do certain things and it is expected that some of your billables will be written off. This does not mean that it is ok to waste time. If you're tasked with drafting a pleading, do not reinvent the wheel. Chances are, there is a similar pleading sitting in the document repository. Look there first.

It all comes down to confidence and reliability. If you can convince the partners that you possess those qualities, you're in good shape. If you can't, well...

[6lehderjets]

Kalvano is right. It is expected that you'll make mistakes. The work you're given should reflect your level of experience. Try to learn from your mistakes. Also, do not expect the various partners to coordinate when it comes to projects they assign to you. If they do, count your blessings, but don't expect it. It is up to you to communicate to them if you're too busy to handle certain assignments. Clearly, you should have good reasons to do so but pushing back when you're simply too busy is better than accepting too much work and ending up handing in half-assed work product.

Another mistake is a lack of communication. Ask questions if you don't understand an assignment and don't spin your wheels for hours. However, you should be wise about who to ask. It is not necessarily always the partner you should address with follow-up questions. Maybe there is a senior associate who can help you. Or support staff.

Also, there are some things which are completely within your control. Spelling. Grammar. Cites. Is the authority still good? Don't make mistakes there, read your damn memo three times with a ruler line by line if you must. Learn to be confident about your work product. Hand it in when it is done. No afterwords.

Finally, the client is not a gas station meter. It is expected that it will take you longer to do certain things and it is expected that some of your billables will be written off. This does not mean that it is ok to waste time. If you're tasked with drafting a pleading, do not reinvent the wheel. Chances are, there is a similar pleading sitting in the document repository. Look there first.

It all comes down to confidence and reliability. If you can convince the partners that you possess those qualities, you're in good shape. If you can't, well...

Great advice.

[dixiecupdrinking]

Kalvano is right. It is expected that you'll make mistakes. The work you're given should reflect your level of experience. Try to learn from your mistakes. Also, do not expect the various partners to coordinate when it comes to projects they assign to you. If they do, count your blessings, but don't expect it. It is up to you to communicate to them if you're too busy to handle certain assignments. Clearly, you should have good reasons to do so but pushing back when you're simply too busy is better than accepting too much work and ending up handing in half-assed work product.

Another mistake is a lack of communication. Ask questions if you don't understand an assignment and don't spin your wheels for hours. However, you should be wise about who to ask. It is not necessarily always the partner you should address with follow-up questions. Maybe there is a senior associate who can help you. Or support staff.

Also, there are some things which are completely within your control. Spelling. Grammar. Cites. Is the authority still good? Don't make mistakes there, read your damn memo three times with a ruler line by line if you must. Learn to be confident about your work product. Hand it in when it is done. No afterwords.

Finally, the client is not a gas station meter. It is expected that it will take you longer to do certain things and it is expected that some of your billables will be written off. This does not mean that it is ok to waste time. If you're tasked with drafting a pleading, do not reinvent the wheel. Chances are, there is a similar pleading sitting in the document repository. Look there first.

It all comes down to confidence and reliability. If you can convince the partners that you possess those qualities, you're in good shape. If you can't, well...

Great advice.

100%.