Lounge Lawyers Rate your Summer Associate Screw Ups Forum

[Anonymous User]

Typos in almost every assignment submitted. Generally really positive reviews, but multiple comments about typos from assigning attorneys and mentor.

[Danger Zone]

Typos in almost every assignment submitted. Generally really positive reviews, but multiple comments about typos from assigning attorneys and mentor.

Why

[Anonymous User]

Because I suck at proof reading.

[txdude45]

Because I suck at proof reading.

Are you proofreading on the computer? Don't to that. Printing makes a huge difference.

[nsideirish]

Typos in almost every assignment submitted. Generally really positive reviews, but multiple comments about typos from assigning attorneys and mentor.

This is not good. Read everything you turn in 5 times over. Typos at this level are inexcusable.

[run26.2]

Why don't you use spell-check? Then you know you're not missing anything. If your typos are related to mistyping something, then copy and paste. This is easy stuff to fix.

This is not no-offer territory, especially in light of your other reviews. You should fix this pretty quickly (before you get back to the firm) because it's an easy fix. You don't want working with you to be tiresome to other attorneys who think they need to go over your work product with a fine-tooth comb every time they get something from you.

[NYSprague]

Typos make you look like you don't care about your work product. They are serious and you should take this criticism seriously.

[El Pollito]

Can't you ask another summer to proof your work?

[09042014]

People in big law are huge hypocrites about typos. They expect you to be immaculate, but when they fuck it's NBD. But that is the deal.

You almost certainly have a proofreading service. Use it.

[Anonymous User]

Can't find work issued phone. Several hundred dollar penalty. Might be at home. But if not?

[09042014]

Can't find work issued phone. Several hundred dollar penalty. Might be at home. But if not?

Offer. I doubt they'll even bill you for it.

[rpupkin]

Can't find work issued phone. Several hundred dollar penalty. Might be at home. But if not?

Agree with DF that you're fine. However, once you return home tonight and confirm that you lost it, I would tell the firm right away.

[JCougar]

In my opinion, I think that 4 hours is not nearly enough time to write a decent appellate brief. I'll leave that for you folks to decide.

Depends on the complexity of the issue, and whether there's another similar case in your firm's brief bank. And on whether you had access to the case file beforehand.

Without reading the casefile, 4 hours is irresponsible to the point of malpractice. But if you had access to the casefile and knew you would be writing something about that case, and you had a pre-written brief available on a similar topic, I could see 4 hours being a reasonable request (at least from the partner's perspective--which is all that matters).

[Anonymous User]

5th-y associate calls you into the office to say that your outfits are generally fine for business formal, but sometimes a shade too casual. Insists that there have not been any complaints, just wanted to give you a heads up. Offer or no offer?

[rpupkin]

5th-y associate calls you into the office to say that your outfits are generally fine for business formal, but sometimes a shade too casual. Insists that there have not been any complaints, just wanted to give you a heads up. Offer or no offer?

Offer. Also, if you're a female then the associate wants to sleep with you.

[nsideirish]

5th-y associate calls you into the office to say that your outfits are generally fine for business formal, but sometimes a shade too casual. Insists that there have not been any complaints, just wanted to give you a heads up. Offer or no offer?

Offer. Seems like a cool dude (or lady) just looking out for you.

[NYSprague]

5th-y associate calls you into the office to say that your outfits are generally fine for business formal, but sometimes a shade too casual. Insists that there have not been any complaints, just wanted to give you a heads up. Offer or no offer?

Offer. Seems like a cool dude (or lady) just looking out for you.

Offer, but someone suggested she make the call. It's a good sign because they probably found a tactful person to explain this to you. This is so easy to fix it shouldn't be an issue.

[El Pollito]

5th-y associate calls you into the office to say that your outfits are generally fine for business formal, but sometimes a shade too casual. Insists that there have not been any complaints, just wanted to give you a heads up. Offer or no offer?

Offer. Seems like a cool dude (or lady) just looking out for you.

Offer, but someone suggested she make the call. It's a good sign because they probably found a tactful person to explain this to you. This is so easy to fix it shouldn't be an issue.

(fucking self in ass w/ occam's razor)

[NYSprague]

5th-y associate calls you into the office to say that your outfits are generally fine for business formal, but sometimes a shade too casual. Insists that there have not been any complaints, just wanted to give you a heads up. Offer or no offer?

Offer. Seems like a cool dude (or lady) just looking out for you.

Offer, but someone suggested she make the call. It's a good sign because they probably found a tactful person to explain this to you. This is so easy to fix it shouldn't be an issue.

(fucking self in ass w/ occam's razor)

Yeah, could be wrong. Just think the senior would have mentioned it earlier if it was solely her own thought. It's no big deal though.

[Anonymous User]

Research assignment. Did not find anything very useful after 10 hours of digging. Associate does not respond to my emails regarding this assignment. No offer?

[rpupkin]

Research assignment. Did not find anything very useful after 10 hours of digging. Associate does not respond to my emails regarding this assignment. No offer?

Offer.

[Anonymous User]

Here's something a summer at my firm did.

Summer received a critical writing assignment that a first-year could have completed in ~5 hours, and missed the deadline . . . by four days. The summer was asked day after day to finish the assignment immediately, and every time the summer said "I'll have it done by COB." When it was finally done, the first-year had to spend several hours revising it anyway. Apparently the summer has had trouble hitting deadlines on other assignments since then as well. Otherwise, great personality, decent work product.

The practice group is trying to decide whether or not to extend an offer and is actively soliciting advice from associates who have worked with this summer. What would you guys say?

[09042014]

Here's something a summer at my firm did.

Summer received a critical writing assignment that a first-year could have completed in ~5 hours, and missed the deadline . . . by four days. The summer was asked day after day to finish the assignment immediately, and every time the summer said "I'll have it done by COB." When it was finally done, the first-year had to spend several hours revising it anyway. Apparently the summer has had trouble hitting deadlines on other assignments since then as well. Otherwise, great personality, decent work product.

The practice group is trying to decide whether or not to extend an offer and is actively soliciting advice from associates who have worked with this summer. What would you guys say?

[bjsesq]

Here's something a summer at my firm did.

Summer received a critical writing assignment that a first-year could have completed in ~5 hours, and missed the deadline . . . by four days. The summer was asked day after day to finish the assignment immediately, and every time the summer said "I'll have it done by COB." When it was finally done, the first-year had to spend several hours revising it anyway. Apparently the summer has had trouble hitting deadlines on other assignments since then as well. Otherwise, great personality, decent work product.

The practice group is trying to decide whether or not to extend an offer and is actively soliciting advice from associates who have worked with this summer. What would you guys say?

Not currently biglaw, but weighing in anyway: Nope.

[gk101]

Here's something a summer at my firm did.

Summer received a critical writing assignment that a first-year could have completed in ~5 hours, and missed the deadline . . . by four days. The summer was asked day after day to finish the assignment immediately, and every time the summer said "I'll have it done by COB." When it was finally done, the first-year had to spend several hours revising it anyway. Apparently the summer has had trouble hitting deadlines on other assignments since then as well. Otherwise, great personality, decent work product.

The practice group is trying to decide whether or not to extend an offer and is actively soliciting advice from associates who have worked with this summer. What would you guys say?

Blowing deadlines are the worst thing you can do as a summer that will legit get you no-offered