First Year Litigation Associates: Dealing with Feedback Forum

[kykiske]

Hi all,

So I wrapped up my 2L SA, and received very positive reviews.

And I'm currently clerking throughout the year part-time as well. But I'm noticing that the reviews from my assigning attorneys have become much much much more blunt.

For instance, last week an attorney told me that he completely disagreed with my analysis, and told me to find other cases. Another attorney told me that my writing needed to be more concise. A third attorney told me I needed to see the big picture earlier, and to stop getting lost in the details.

I've been pretty dejected ever since. I thought I was doing pretty good work, and my SA reviews reflected that.

But now my work is consistently getting torn apart. I haven't changed my approach to projects. I don't feel any dumber. Because of those reviews, I feel like an incompetent POS, and I feel like I'm the firm's burden more so than an asset.

Is it normal to feel like this? And if so, what's the best way to internalize the feedback, without feeling dejected?

[Old Gregg]

You were doing well for a summer associate, and they raised the bar. You have to step up.

[kykiske]

You were doing well for a summer associate, and they raised the bar. You have to step up.

I get that. And I've been trying to step it up. I just don't think it's going to happen overnight.

I've been feeling like my job/offer is on the line because I've been screwing up.

[dixiecupdrinking]

Totally normal part of the learning process.

Your work probably was good, or good enough, for a summer, but there's a big gap between summer work and actually useful associate work.

Try not to take it personally, and try not to make the same mistake twice.

It's hard to say without knowing your firm (or, frankly, just how bad your mistakes are, though I doubt they're that bad) but I seriously doubt that your job is on the line. On the positive side, you're going through some inevitable growing pains now instead of next year. It'll give you a head start.

[Kratos]

First off, you should feel lucky you are getting that blunt feedback. It provides you the opportunity to fix your inadequacies before you start full time.

Second, nobody can tell you how to feel not dejected. My advice would be to grow up. I know that sounds harsh but you kinda come off as childish if you wanna curl into a ball and cry when someone criticizes your work product. You're probably qualified for the job, you're probably a smart person. Don't let a bad review cripple you. Instead, use it to fix your shit and become better at your job.

[Anonymous User]

You don't know anything & you're incredibly new, in a very competitive & high pressure job. This is how it is.

[kykiske]

Totally normal part of the learning process.

Your work probably was good, or good enough, for a summer, but there's a big gap between summer work and actually useful associate work.

Try not to take it personally, and try not to make the same mistake twice.

It's hard to say without knowing your firm (or, frankly, just how bad your mistakes are, though I doubt they're that bad) but I seriously doubt that your job is on the line. On the positive side, you're going through some inevitable growing pains now instead of next year. It'll give you a head start.

This gives me some solace. I haven't been expressly told that my job is on the line, or anything to that effect.

It's just been tough, because despite giving every project my best-faith effort, the attorneys I primarily work under are not happy with my work now as a part-time clerk.

And at times, the constructive feedback comes off as harsh and blunt. Like, "you should have thought of this"; or "you should have realized this analysis was inaccurate after reading some of these cases"; or the most soul-sucking, "Do this again, and pay closer attention to your work."

I feel like I do pay close attention to my work, and try to analyze every issue to the best of my ability.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Keep in mind that no one teaches lawyers how to give constructive feedback, and that they're not like professors, whose job is to help you learn things; they just want results from you, since that's what they're paying you for. So their feedback is going to feel harsh, but it's important to try not to take it personally.

I guess it seems to me one issue is whether the feedback is helping you understand what they want. When they say things like "you should have thought of this" or "you should have realized this was inaccurate" or "pay closer attention to your work," can you see what you did wrong (or what you didn't do that they wanted you to do)? That is, do you know what you have to change next time?

[TooOld4This]

Lawyers tend to be rather ruthless in giving feedback. During the summer, they are just evaluating whether they want you around (and are repeatedly reminded to be nice). Now you are a real part of the work flow.

When you turn in an assignment, ask yourself whether you are really adding value, or just making more work for the person who assigned you the project. Take the feedback you are being given and incorporate it into your next assignment. All juniors make tons of mistakes. The issue comes up when you repeat the same mistakes over and over. If you have issues with typos, read what you wrote out loud (or use the text to speech in your computer). Ask for copies of final products so you can run redlines and see what got changed. Check in sooner if you think your research is going awry.

Most importantly, let go of your ego on your writing. The best attorneys I know, know that written product can always be improved. I was fortunate enough to work with a partner when I was a junior who would send me his writing for me to edit and there were times I would send it back blood red and he would take (or even better, adapt) a lot of my changes. If your writing gets passed directly on, it just means that there wasn't time to improve it. There is no "perfect" that you are going to hit, so try to take the criticism constructively and not as a sign of failure.

[kykiske]

Lawyers tend to be rather ruthless in giving feedback. During the summer, they are just evaluating whether they want you around (and are repeatedly reminded to be nice). Now you are a real part of the work flow.

When you turn in an assignment, ask yourself whether you are really adding value, or just making more work for the person who assigned you the project. Take the feedback you are being given and incorporate it into your next assignment. All juniors make tons of mistakes. The issue comes up when you repeat the same mistakes over and over. If you have issues with typos, read what you wrote out loud (or use the text to speech in your computer). Ask for copies of final products so you can run redlines and see what got changed. Check in sooner if you think your research is going awry.

Most importantly, let go of your ego on your writing. The best attorneys I know, know that written product can always be improved. I was fortunate enough to work with a partner when I was a junior who would send me his writing for me to edit and there were times I would send it back blood red and he would take (or even better, adapt) a lot of my changes. If your writing gets passed directly on, it just means that there wasn't time to improve it. There is no "perfect" that you are going to hit, so try to take the criticism constructively and not as a sign of failure.

Thank you.

Thus far it's been more of a mindset thing for me, and how stark the feedback has been when compared to my SA position.

I don't know why, but I was convinced that I was the only one who experienced struggles. I mean, my fellow law school classmates who also had SAs walk around super confident, and speak as if they have it completely figured out on how to be an effective associate.

[Kratos]

Lawyers tend to be rather ruthless in giving feedback. During the summer, they are just evaluating whether they want you around (and are repeatedly reminded to be nice). Now you are a real part of the work flow.

When you turn in an assignment, ask yourself whether you are really adding value, or just making more work for the person who assigned you the project. Take the feedback you are being given and incorporate it into your next assignment. All juniors make tons of mistakes. The issue comes up when you repeat the same mistakes over and over. If you have issues with typos, read what you wrote out loud (or use the text to speech in your computer). Ask for copies of final products so you can run redlines and see what got changed. Check in sooner if you think your research is going awry.

Most importantly, let go of your ego on your writing. The best attorneys I know, know that written product can always be improved. I was fortunate enough to work with a partner when I was a junior who would send me his writing for me to edit and there were times I would send it back blood red and he would take (or even better, adapt) a lot of my changes. If your writing gets passed directly on, it just means that there wasn't time to improve it. There is no "perfect" that you are going to hit, so try to take the criticism constructively and not as a sign of failure.

Thank you.

Thus far it's been more of a mindset thing for me, and how stark the feedback has been when compared to my SA position.

I don't know why, but I was convinced that I was the only one who experienced struggles. I mean, my fellow law school classmates who also had SAs walk around super confident, and speak as if they have it completely figured out on how to be an effective associate.

Well law school students can be pieces of arrogant shit. So don't be surprised with an unjustified sense of accomplishment because they got an offer.

You're also probably going to be much better off when you start since you're going through the actual growing pains now.