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How worried should I be? I’m low for the year (1400). First year in a small satellite. The partner and of counsel seem to be very busy, but the work doesn’t seem to trickle down to me. I’ve reached out to partners/associates in other offices but have only received one-off assignments.

As far as I know, there is no issue with my work product.

Should I be worried about getting axed soon? Do you usually get some kind of warning?

I’ve been looking to lateral, but, it’s not been as easy since I have under a year of experience.

Anonymous User wrote:How worried should I be? I’m low for the year (1400). First year in a small satellite. The partner and of counsel seem to be very busy, but the work doesn’t seem to trickle down to me. I’ve reached out to partners/associates in other offices but have only received one-off assignments.

As far as I know, there is no issue with my work product.

Should I be worried about getting axed soon? Do you usually get some kind of warning?

I’ve been looking to lateral, but, it’s not been as easy since I have under a year of experience.

You're probably OK this year, but never a great position to be in. I think you will have a tough time keeping this job if you bill 1400 next year as well. It also depends on the practice (much better if you are in some niche practice than a general commercial litigator or generalist transactional lawyer) and whether your work is outstanding v. merely good/adequate.

hlsperson1111 wrote:You're probably OK this year, but never a great position to be in. I think you will have a tough time keeping this job if you bill 1400 next year as well. It also depends on the practice (much better if you are in some niche practice than a general commercial litigator or generalist transactional lawyer) and whether your work is outstanding v. merely good/adequate.

Seconding the above.

OP, IMO you should consider transferring to a different, larger office within your firm. It sounds like your workflow issues are directly attributable to the seniors at your satellite, who apparently have little need for a new junior. If you're able to move to a larger office, you should be able to catch up to the pack in no time.

If moving is out of the question, ramp up your efforts to source work from other offices, but be aware this may be difficult (as you've already experienced). Many seniors prefer to work with juniors they've actually met in person, and depending on the firm, there may be institutional barriers/disincentives to cross-office staffing as well. And also ramp up your efforts to lateral. I agree with hlsperson1111 that staying at your current billing level isn't sustainable - maybe another half year to year if nothing changes, and you shouldn't rely on your firm giving you generous advance notice.