Attention to detail and big law Forum

[Anonymous User]

I suck at attention to detail.

Does this matter less as I get more senior? I’m in Lit and I’m having trouble with the occasional typo (averaging 1 typo per 5 pages if I had to guess).

In the alternative, any tricks that you guys can recommend?

[rpupkin]

I suck at attention to detail.

Does this matter less as I get more senior?

Not really. It can matter more depending on the task.

But, uh, if a rate of "1 typo per 5 pages" is considered poor attention to detail at your firm, then I suggest changing firms.

[Anonymous User]

I suck at attention to detail.

Does this matter less as I get more senior?

Not really. It can matter more depending on the task.

But, uh, if a rate of "1 typo per 5 pages" is considered poor attention to detail at your firm, then I suggest changing firms.

It’s really just 1 income partner that makes me feel bad about it. He/she will send me a separate email for every typo with it copy/pasted.

[iamgeorgebush]

One typo per every five pages is not bad. If you're perfect, you're inefficient. Any partner who demands that your briefs be 100% free of typos on the first draft is wasting clients' money. Work with a different partner.

[rpupkin]

I suck at attention to detail.

Does this matter less as I get more senior?

Not really. It can matter more depending on the task.

But, uh, if a rate of "1 typo per 5 pages" is considered poor attention to detail at your firm, then I suggest changing firms.

It’s really just 1 income partner that makes me feel bad about it. He/she will send me a separate email for every typo with it copy/pasted.

All I can tell you is that I've been a litigator for several years and I doubt that I've ever drafted five consecutive pages without at least one typo. It's possible that this particular income partner is hazing you. It's also possible that you're sloppier than you realize.

[jkpolk]

Agree with this thread, fuck that partner. Big law works best when it's a team effort not when it's a bunch of idiots making fun of each other for not adding the right commas.

[unlicensedpotato]

It's really weird for the partner to chew you out about it in that fashion. I will say that, on the corporate side, a senior associate will mark up and turn comments in one night and it's generally assumed those will be typo free (or very close). That's really different than the draft of a brief though.

[LaLiLuLeLo]

My attention to detail sucked before and a year in it still sucks. That being said, even partners make typos and mistakes. Hell, on the corporate side docs can go through several rounds of revisions and there are *still* often typos. That partner sounds like he's a dick.

[unlicensedpotato]

My attention to detail sucked before and a year in it still sucks. That being said, even partners make typos and mistakes. Hell, on the corporate side docs can go through several rounds of revisions and there are *still* often typos. That partner sounds like he's a dick.

After people who just started, I think partners tend to make the most typos. The comments will be completely substantively correct but the defined terms (or something like that) for this particular deal will often be wrong. And yeah, once a typo is in the doc typically it stays because no one reads it unless there's a change.

[mvp99]

Not really attention to detail issue. The issue here is that you're human.

[sparty99]

I suck at attention to detail.

Does this matter less as I get more senior? I’m in Lit and I’m having trouble with the occasional typo (averaging 1 typo per 5 pages if I had to guess).

In the alternative, any tricks that you guys can recommend?

Have your secretary review.

[FSK]

Just recognize that attention to detail is a skill. Some people are naturally gifted. But you can do a lot if you make yourself a proofing habit/routine. You'll improve as a discrete skill, and you'll probably improve your speed as well.

[los blancos]

Just recognize that attention to detail is a skill.

Generous definition of "skill"

[foregetaboutdre]

Just recognize that attention to detail is a skill.

Generous definition of "skill"

When it comes down to it IMO, it's all about how many times you get to re-read what you wrote and whether you could print out what you wrote or have to read it on a monitor.

I can generally have an error free 15 pages or so if I read something over three times printed.

Maybe 1-2 errors if I do 3 reads electronically.

And a sliding scale of less reads etc...

[tyroneslothrop1]

If you can, turn things in after you've had the opportunity to sleep on it and read the next morning. The number of typos, awkward sentences, or just sloppy word choice I see while doing a morning after read is incredible. My mind at least just glosses over that stuff when I've been working in a doc for hours.

[njdevils2626]

If you can, turn things in after you've had the opportunity to sleep on it and read the next morning. The number of typos, awkward sentences, or just sloppy word choice I see while doing a morning after read is incredible. My mind at least just glosses over that stuff when I've been working in a doc for hours.

Whenever I have time, I like to do this, sleep on it, and print it out to review the next morning in hard copy. Edit in pen then revise afterwards. I think it definitely helps increase quality

[SmokeytheBear]

If you can, turn things in after you've had the opportunity to sleep on it and read the next morning. The number of typos, awkward sentences, or just sloppy word choice I see while doing a morning after read is incredible. My mind at least just glosses over that stuff when I've been working in a doc for hours.

Whenever I have time, I like to do this, sleep on it, and print it out to review the next morning in hard copy. Edit in pen then revise afterwards. I think it definitely helps increase quality

You're sleeping while you could be proofreading? Amateur Skadden hour here.

[lolwat]

If you can, turn things in after you've had the opportunity to sleep on it and read the next morning. The number of typos, awkward sentences, or just sloppy word choice I see while doing a morning after read is incredible. My mind at least just glosses over that stuff when I've been working in a doc for hours.

I agree with this. IME at my firm, unless it's an emergency, no one gives a fuck if you send something at 9pm or the next day at 9am, since no one's working between those 12 hours anyway.

[Anonymous User]

The partner sounds like a psycho, or he's "reminding" you because he thinks it is what passes for good feedback/training in biglaw (which is sort of accurate). Some partners are of the opinion that it is their job to remind you about typos so they can say to themselves that they did it when there is an inevitable typo in a 50 page SJ motion, even though they know deep down there is never going to be a brief without typos.

Aside from the other advice in this thread, generally, you get better at proofing with seniority and experience. You know what to look for and what to gloss over. I keep a running checklist of all the various proofing and formatting issues in a brief which I run through before the brief is filed.

One other tip is just to set a drop dead time. Each time you read something over for typos you are going to have a compelling urge to improve sentence structure, clarity, etc. The more you do this, though, the more typos you will create. Ideally this should be several hours before filing.

[Nebby]

I bet that partner has a worse typo/page ratio. Fuck him

[Anonymous User]

Stub here. I am starting to realize that I suck at attention to detail. I'm ok with your typical typos (e.g., missing a word, etc.); but I keep f'ing up stupid ass shit. E.g., noticed a dep for 1/18/18... I write 1/18/17; need to change 5 dates in a document; I miss one. This has happened a few times recently as I have gotten busier... working on slowing down, but sometimes that is difficult when things need to get out asap. Very frustrating and I think the pressure i put on myself is making things worse.

Thankfully, the mistakes have been caught by me or other associates prior to them being an real issue, but its frustrating nonetheless. Don't wanna destroy my credibility on stupid stuff, particularly when others have commented that I do a good job (for a stub, of course) on more "big picture" items.

Sorry for venting...

[rpupkin]

Stub here. I am starting to realize that I suck at attention to detail. I'm ok with your typical typos (e.g., missing a word, etc.); but I keep f'ing up stupid ass shit. E.g., noticed a dep for 1/18/18... I write 1/18/17; need to change 5 dates in a document; I miss one. This has happened a few times recently as I have gotten busier... working on slowing down, but sometimes that is difficult when things need to get out asap. Very frustrating and I think the pressure i put on myself is making things worse.

I made many mistakes like this during my first year of practice. Even if you're generally a careful person, it's hard not to make mistakes when adjusting to the demands of big law. When you're doing things for the first time under a combination of deadline pressure and sleep deprivation, it's inevitable that you'll make mistakes here and there. And it's inevitable that an occasional mistake will anger a senior associate or partner.

Although you should of course try to avoid mistakes, you also shouldn't beat yourself up too much when you do make them. It's part of the learning process.

[pancakes3]

i wish there could be a buddy system. i'm great at catching other ppls typos but suck at catching my own.

[beepboopbeep]

I mean there can be, you can always asks friends/mentors at your firm to read your stuff (as long as they aren't screened off or w/e)

[mcmand]

i wish there could be a buddy system. i'm great at catching other ppls typos but suck at catching my own.

Isn't that what is happening with senior associates reviewing? It'd be nice to have someone who won't ding me on my review about typos checking for my typos, but c'est la vie.