Summer Associate Class of 2016 Forum

[Anonymous User]

Anyone else have their mid summer review this week? So far, I've gotten good feedback, but damn, I'm nervous.

2nd

[Anonymous User]

Anyone else have their mid summer review this week? So far, I've gotten good feedback, but damn, I'm nervous.

2nd

+1

[cannibal ox]

Don't worry, lawyer puppies. As long as you didn't piss on the rug, you'll be fine.

[lavarman84]

Don't worry, lawyer puppies. As long as you didn't piss on the rug, you'll be fine.

Fuuuck. I knew I should have done it outside.

[lavarman84]

Anyone else have their mid summer review this week? So far, I've gotten good feedback, but damn, I'm nervous.

I'm not worried. I've gone to all the social events and turned my work in on time. I feel like I met the low bar for SA competency.

[El Pollito]

Even if you aren't great it takes a lot for an associate to write you a bad review as a summer.

[Anonymous User]

If you are going to get no offered will the firm at least give you a bad review or do they completely blindside you?

[Anonymous User]

Anyone else have their mid summer review this week? So far, I've gotten good feedback, but damn, I'm nervous.

2nd

+1

Had mine on Friday. Got mostly the same feedback I got from the assignments I had completed. They criticized me for not having a great grasp on the facts of cases I cited in a memo when I met with the partner to discuss it. But that was at the end of the first week and I was (1) pretty nervous and (2) had no idea he'd be asking detailed, Socratic method like questions. Thought it would be more big picture, go over the basic findings, etc. Oops.

But they had some positive feedback and said I was "on par" for what they expect of a 2L SA. Hopefully that first meeting didn't tank me.

[gk101]

Even if you aren't great it takes a lot for an associate to write you a bad review as a summer.

This for sure

[PennBull]

Even if you aren't great it takes a lot for an associate to write you a bad review as a summer.

This for sure

yeah I'm not going to ruin someone's career just because they didn't do well in the dumbest horse-and-pony show law has to offer

[Ken Kesey]

Don't worry, lawyer puppies. As long as you didn't piss on the rug, you'll be fine.

Does leaving work hungover at 2:30 count as pissing on the rug? DM;Still got great reviews.

[Anonymous User]

Yeah my review was good and my mentor told me that 1) you really have to fuck up to get a bad review and 2) if you fucked up enough to be bad review worthy, you would know about it immediately. He also mentioned that all of my feedback from assigning attorneys was great, but he took the time to read my substantive and lengthy memo and found some parts of the analysis lacking. Which it totally was, I think associates who are the ones assigning and reading your work are going to give you gushing reviews unless you pissed them off personal or are extremely incompetent.

[Anonymous User]

Someone noted at my review that I bailed on a meeting. Is that bad? I got no heads up on when they wanted to schedule but when they sent out the invite, I realized it conflicted with something and I told them ASAP about it. Mentor didn't get too into it, and I think I'm cool with those associates now, but it's gotten me worried that something came up at all. Everything else was fine though.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone else specifically told they have to work July 4th?

[PeanutsNJam]

Lol my review started off with "Your law school grades are fantastic, but we see a disconnect between that and your reviews."

Then my only negative feedback is that I'm not confident enough when doing oral presentations and have some attention to detail errors, along with not asking the right questions when first given an assignment.

Nothing wrong with my substantive work or anything. Other positive feedback that was very quickly glazed over was "writing is fine," "on time," "quick with projects," "professional," "pleasant to interact with," etc.

"We would like to see improvement as we move forward with the program."

It seems like all the other summers got similar reviews.

[smaug]

Not trying to scare you but that's kind of a scary review. That said, you're like a 1L, right? I wouldn't worry too much if so...

[Single-Malt-Liquor]

Not trying to scare you but that's kind of a scary review. That said, you're like a 1L, right? I wouldn't worry too much if so...

I'm gonna disagree, I think for a summer that's fine.

[PeanutsNJam]

Yeah I'm a 1L. Other summers and I get the vibe that the firm just has high expectations. I'm trying to go to other markets anyway so hopefully the worst I'll have to do is explain a no-offer, but I heard the only people who got no-offered are ones who just straight didn't do assignments or never showed up to any social events.

The negative feedback also wasn't from any patherns (just midlevels and sr associates), just radio silence from those guys, so I guess that's fine?

[gk101]

Not trying to scare you but that's kind of a scary review. That said, you're like a 1L, right? I wouldn't worry too much if so...

I'm gonna disagree, I think for a summer that's fine.

I'm with smaug here. I guess it's not a big deal for a 1L but I would be concerned if that was the mid-summer review for a 2L. This could also just be a firm-specific thing but that is a scary review

[pancakes3]

Not trying to scare you but that's kind of a scary review. That said, you're like a 1L, right? I wouldn't worry too much if so...

I'm gonna disagree, I think for a summer that's fine.

i'd be pretty freaked out by the grades "joke," the typos, not asking the right questions, and them feeling the need to say explicitly that they expect improvement in the ~4 weeks left.

also, isn't it pretty hard to whiff on substantive shit? so i think messing up is a huge fuckup but not messing up substantively is pretty much expected and not a "pro" but rather "neutral".


but i guess between you two (Smaug and SML) disagreeing that kind of talks me off the ledge a bit. don't read into bad comment tealeaves too hard? edit: GK changing the calculus. fuck.

also this is just 2L neuroticism at work. i think PNJ is fine. behold the power of killing it 1L grade-wise.

[PeanutsNJam]

well if I still get an offer I guess that'll be a valuable data point

I didn't get the impression the "improvement" was phrased as a threat, but what do I know. My confidence issues were like my first few weeks when I was given research assignments with no case law. I wasn't confident walking into a midlevel's office and saying "welp didn't find jack shit." My attitude was like "ok here were my search terms and I didn't find anything but lol I'm a 1L summer so I could very well be wrong," and they didn't like that. I guess the lesson is to not doubt yourself in oral presentations...?

Yeah I also have a much better grasp on what attorneys expect out of assignments and I know now what questions to ask so hopefully I won't screw that up in the future.

[smaug]

I think there's still a good chance you get an offer, but that's a bad review and the attorneys are either dicks or you should keep what they're saying in mind next summer.

[potted plant]

Not trying to scare you but that's kind of a scary review. That said, you're like a 1L, right? I wouldn't worry too much if so...

I'm gonna disagree, I think for a summer that's fine.

I'm with smaug here. I guess it's not a big deal for a 1L but I would be concerned if that was the mid-summer review for a 2L. This could also just be a firm-specific thing but that is a scary review

Everyone in my summer class got some negative feedback during their mid year review and most of us had to redo assignment and everyone ended up with offers. It might partially be that your office is relatively hard on you guys in your feedback.

Most concerning is that you're not asking the right questions. That makes it sound like you didn't really understand your projects. They want to see that you can and are trying to improve. So start asking lots of questions and take all advice or feedback offered.

[potted plant]

well if I still get an offer I guess that'll be a valuable data point

I didn't get the impression the "improvement" was phrased as a threat, but what do I know. My confidence issues were like my first few weeks when I was given research assignments with no case law. I wasn't confident walking into a midlevel's office and saying "welp didn't find jack shit." My attitude was like "ok here were my search terms and I didn't find anything but lol I'm a 1L summer so I could very well be wrong," and they didn't like that. I guess the lesson is to not doubt yourself in oral presentations...?

Yeah I also have a much better grasp on what attorneys expect out of assignments and I know now what questions to ask so hopefully I won't screw that up in the future.

Ah yes, don't do this. This is just going to make the attorney feel like they can't trust that you did a comprehensive search and they're going to have to do it themselves to confirm. They probably expected there to be very little out there and just wanted you to tell them that there wasn't anything.

[Anonymous User]

As a senior associate, agree that's a bad review. Hopefully NBD because you're a 1L but you should be thinking over how you can improve. Nothing insurmountable there but they're clearly signaling that your work product isn't at the level they expect for a summer, IMO.