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I just graduated in May and have been working as a law clerk at this firm since September 2. I've generally been busy enough to have enough work to keep me occupied for a 45-50 hour work week, and I've been billing about 30-35 hours a week.

Last week, I finished about 4 big projects that I had been working on for several weeks. Now, this week...nothing. I've sent emails to attorneys who seemingly always have work (clerking at a 20-lawyer firm) and there just isn't any work for me.

Now it's Tuesday, and I've maybe done 3 hours of billable work so far this week. This is especially bad because the firm should be deciding soon on whether to extend an offer to me, so it's not like I can go around and tell partners, "Hey, there's no work for me, you have anything?"

So, beyond the obvious, what should I be doing to recruit more work? Anybody from similar small/mid-size firm have experience they can share?

I'm a second year associate and have had similar lulls a couple times. If I were you I would definitely go around and tell all the partners "Hey, there's no work for me, you have anything?" Doing that will (1) will increase the likelihood you will get work at some point and (2) make it obvious that your low hours are not the result of not trying. Once it comes decision time, the higher-ups will know if the firm as a whole had an uncharacteristically slow month around this same time. In short, I would be fairly aggressive (without, of course, being overly aggressive about it).

Still in school but if you go around telling partners "there's no work for me" after you've already asked your go-to partners that doesn't seem like a good idea if they're soon going to be deciding whether they need to hire an associate.

Ron Don Volante wrote:Still in school but if you go around telling partners "there's no work for me" after you've already asked your go-to partners that doesn't seem like a good idea if they're soon going to be deciding whether they need to hire an associate.

OP here, this is my dilemma.

The number one reason I wouldn't get an offer is because the firm may not believe there's enough work capacity to justify my being here. Thus, it's a delicate balance of, "Hey, I'm bored" but "I need work because I all I have on my desk is a one-hour research issue."

So, I'm just wondering how I can be "aggressive" while still making it seem like I'm not back here browsing TLS for six hours a day.

At this point, I think I'm going to make a lap around the office later in the day just to shoot the shit about the Cavs/Browns/Ohio State and then see if they need help with anything.

Go do some client development work?

Ron Don Volante wrote:Go do some client development work?

If you have nothing to contribute, don't.

The correct answer is keep asking until you're positive that those who might be positioned to give you work know you need some. Yeah it might feel uncomfortable / awkward, but that's how free market firms work.

You can phrase it better than "I have absolutely no work and no one else does either." Say you are wrapping up some projects, have some availability, like the kind of work that the partner does, and would love to help on an upcoming project.

Yeah, it's not great to admit there's no work for you. But if you are on some weird probationary status, people probably just don't want to give you work because it's a pain in the ass to train you how to contribute anything of value and you may be leaving in a few weeks/months.

Also, if you just sit in your office and do no work, you have absolutely no visibility and no one is going to know who you are when it comes hiring time.

So, go ask for work and put on your best excited/interested/enthusiastic face.

I would go around and ask. I doubt their decision on whether or not to extend you an offer will depend on your experience/perception of how much business they have as a firm.

Anonymous User wrote:

Ron Don Volante wrote:Still in school but if you go around telling partners "there's no work for me" after you've already asked your go-to partners that doesn't seem like a good idea if they're soon going to be deciding whether they need to hire an associate.

OP here, this is my dilemma.

The number one reason I wouldn't get an offer is because the firm may not believe there's enough work capacity to justify my being here. Thus, it's a delicate balance of, "Hey, I'm bored" but "I need work because I all I have on my desk is a one-hour research issue."

So, I'm just wondering how I can be "aggressive" while still making it seem like I'm not back here browsing TLS for six hours a day.

At this point, I think I'm going to make a lap around the office later in the day just to shoot the shit about the Cavs/Browns/Ohio State and then see if they need help with anything.

Talk to the assistants. I'm serious. I had a lull when I first started at the firm, and I made it my business to find out when certain shareholders got particular types of cases. Then, I would casually drop in or send an email where I'd say I heard they had x and that I'm very interested in this area and would love to work with them. Ask to be considered when staffing, stuff like that. It worked. Almost too well, to be honest.

alicrimson wrote: Talk to the assistants. I'm serious. I had a lull when I first started at the firm, and I made it my business to find out when certain shareholders got particular types of cases. Then, I would casually drop in our send an email where I'd say I heard they had x and that I'm very interested in this area and would love to work with them. Ask to be considered when staffing, stuff like that. It worked. Almost too well, to be honest.

Wow good advice srs