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I am a junior associate (1 year at the firm) and just had my performance review. Everyone else in my year said that theirs was only 10 min or less and very general. However, mine was extremely detailed, starting out briefly with some positive attributes (good work ethic, etc.) but focusing on a list of substantive things to improve on, with very specific details. Then the review rounded out with saying that I’m a valuable contributor. I was so shocked, not at the criticism itself (all very helpful actually) but just at how long it was. I am also surprised that some of the comments seemed a little unfair given how junior I am. For example, I was given criticism about my “management” and “judgment”. I am a little concerned that this all happened in the context of a formal review though, and I’m wondering if this is a way of communicating to me that they are not happy with my work and creating a record.... thanks for your help.

At my firing, a partner in my practice group recounted all of my sins, even the smallest ones--i.e., that one time, you almost screwed up and you almost caused a partner inconvenience. That was something so simple, I can't believe you would screw it up.

So is your question how long you have left? V50s have started firing first years as routine practice.

But since you're at a V10, they might let you stay until January 2021 and then fire you with 3 months' severance. Which is actually great, since you'll probably end up at another V10, or V20.

Anonymous User wrote:I am a junior associate (1 year at the firm) and just had my performance review. Everyone else in my year said that theirs was only 10 min or less and very general. However, mine was extremely detailed, starting out briefly with some positive attributes (good work ethic, etc.) but focusing on a list of substantive things to improve on, with very specific details. Then the review rounded out with saying that I’m a valuable contributor. I was so shocked, not at the criticism itself (all very helpful actually) but just at how long it was. I am also surprised that some of the comments seemed a little unfair given how junior I am. For example, I was given criticism about my “management” and “judgment”. I am a little concerned that this all happened in the context of a formal review though, and I’m wondering if this is a way of communicating to me that they are not happy with my work and creating a record.... thanks for your help.

In terms of length, that could just be the result of your partner evaluator wanting to go into more depth than other partners would. Overall, from what you said nothing seems like they are pushing you out, they said you are a valuable contributor. Most criticism if it is going to occur will happen in a formal review session, honestly I'd be much more concerned if it happened outside of review because that means they feel like they need to have a meeting and bring it to your attention.

Anonymous User wrote:At my firing, a partner in my practice group recounted all of my sins, even the smallest ones--i.e., that one time, you almost screwed up and you almost caused a partner inconvenience. That was something so simple, I can't believe you would screw it up.

So is your question how long you have left? V50s have started firing first years as routine practice.

But since you're at a V10, they might let you stay until January 2021 and then fire you with 3 months' severance. Which is actually great, since you'll probably end up at another V10, or V20.

So I need to take this as a bad review and they’re trying to build a case?

Ugh, I'm sorry that you didn't feel like you had a sense of what the firm really wanted you to take away from the review - unfortunately law firms can be pretty crummy at this type of thing (I have walked out of reviews not sure if it was good or bad!). The length of your review could have just been because you work in a different group who approaches things differently (hard "graders"), so I wouldn't necessarily think that the fact that it was longer than 10 minutes is a bad thing (and honestly it sounds like everyone else's reviews couldn't have been very helpful if they were only 10 minutes).

Is there someone in your group (a mentor, a senior associate, a partner who you have a good rapport with) that you can talk to to better understand what the takeaway should have been, and how to start working on improving in these areas? Someone who can give you actual feedback on how you are perceived in the group and what to do to change that perception (or, worst case scenario, to tell you that people's minds are made up and there's nothing you can do).

papermateflair wrote:Ugh, I'm sorry that you didn't feel like you had a sense of what the firm really wanted you to take away from the review - unfortunately law firms can be pretty crummy at this type of thing (I have walked out of reviews not sure if it was good or bad!). The length of your review could have just been because you work in a different group who approaches things differently (hard "graders"), so I wouldn't necessarily think that the fact that it was longer than 10 minutes is a bad thing (and honestly it sounds like everyone else's reviews couldn't have been very helpful if they were only 10 minutes).

Is there someone in your group (a mentor, a senior associate, a partner who you have a good rapport with) that you can talk to to better understand what the takeaway should have been, and how to start working on improving in these areas? Someone who can give you actual feedback on how you are perceived in the group and what to do to change that perception (or, worst case scenario, to tell you that people's minds are made up and there's nothing you can do).

Sadly no... and the same partner gives 10 minute reviews, so the length and detail are very unusual

Anonymous User wrote:So I need to take this as a bad review and they’re trying to build a case?

No, I didn't have any negative performance reviews before then, actually.

Anonymous User wrote:

papermateflair wrote:Ugh, I'm sorry that you didn't feel like you had a sense of what the firm really wanted you to take away from the review - unfortunately law firms can be pretty crummy at this type of thing (I have walked out of reviews not sure if it was good or bad!). The length of your review could have just been because you work in a different group who approaches things differently (hard "graders"), so I wouldn't necessarily think that the fact that it was longer than 10 minutes is a bad thing (and honestly it sounds like everyone else's reviews couldn't have been very helpful if they were only 10 minutes).

Is there someone in your group (a mentor, a senior associate, a partner who you have a good rapport with) that you can talk to to better understand what the takeaway should have been, and how to start working on improving in these areas? Someone who can give you actual feedback on how you are perceived in the group and what to do to change that perception (or, worst case scenario, to tell you that people's minds are made up and there's nothing you can do).

Sadly no... and the same partner gives 10 minute reviews, so the length and detail are very unusual

I guess that's the first thing I would work on - getting someone in your group invested in your career. It's hard to do it alone. Are there any partners or senior folks who you can start building a relationship with so they can help you navigate things? Another though - at my firm our professional development team can sometimes be helpful on things like this - if you have a similar group at your firm, you might ask them what they think and if there are any programs/trainings you can go to that will help you address the feedback. They might then be able to tell you that there wasn't a big problem or something like that. How are your hours? If you're still getting work, then I would worry less than if you're slowing down AND getting a lot of negative feedback.

I'm going to be the voice of dissent here. While it could be that some secret awesome mentor took the time to detail your shortcomings to help you, it's pretty troubling that this person (or more than one) did this in a formal setting, to document things, instead of teaching you as this/these supervisor(s) became concerned. I am a little worried they're starting a paper trail on you. In biglaw, no news is generally good news. Bad news means it's often worse than you think, unfortunately. That doesn't mean you're sunk though. You need to first put this in context, and second, come up with a Plan B.

For the context part: I agree with the advice upthread to find a midlevel or above mentor, someone who understands firm politics and has been through a few review cycles. Ask him or her if you can go for a longer coffee, bring your review (or examples) and say, "Is this serious?" "Did I happen to do a lot of work for someone who's harsh?" "How should I prioritize implementing this feedback?" Do not act like you don't believe it--the last thing you want is some backdoor rumors that the group "tried to help you" but you're resisitant. Be a pleasant, hard-working, careful sponge and soak up these learnings. Change course if they have told you anything extremely specific, get more guidance more regularly behind closed doors from your mentor so you don't get off course day to day.

For the Plan B Part: As another poster mentioned upthread--I'd be slightly concerned that your time at this firm is limited (not tomorrow, but--maybe later in the year) and you should be polishing up your resume, cover letter, deal/case sheet/writing samples (as applicable), figuring out who you can list as a reference and internally bracing for the fact that you may need to lateral in the next year. This is hard, and it may feel really frustrating to be working your tail off and being on tenterhooks, but the sooner you can prep yourself for this possibility (hey, man--I hope it's not the case!!!) the easier it will be if it ends up being a thing. Softly poke around for recruiters and have some prep calls with them to see what the quite junior market in your practice area is like. The more prepped you are, the more in control you will feel.

Again, this sucks, but it may not be horrible--you need to talk to the mentor, figure out what it means, and have your Plan B ready in case it is bad.

And--not from my own experience, but from my best friend's experience--make sure you negotiate for more than 3 months on the website if they push you out. It's MUCH easier to lateral if you're on the website. MUCH. Practice some self care, and don't let ONE bad review send you into a spiral of self-doubt. It's a learning experience, but you got this. Bouncing back is under your control, whether it's at current firm or otherwise. YOU GOT THIS!

I generally agree with the poster above. I worked at a big firm for about 5 years and actually never got a formal review. The way the partner put it to me, they would tell me in the moment or after a transaction if something needed improvement. And "no news is good news". I'm not sure not everyone takes this approach, but it's probably a pretty common on.

In this case, I don't think it necessarily means the writing is on the wall. But by documenting this in a formal way that will go into your file, it sure seems like they could be trying to build some background around a decision to cut you loose. The internet isn't going to be able to tell you definitively, it's certainly not a foregone conclusion. But it might be time to start thinking about other options.

Just had a similar experience as OP and immediately started looking and now have an offer on the table.

I can’t help but feel paranoid. Is a good reason to lateral that you might be shown the door in the future?

papermateflair wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

papermateflair wrote:Ugh, I'm sorry that you didn't feel like you had a sense of what the firm really wanted you to take away from the review - unfortunately law firms can be pretty crummy at this type of thing (I have walked out of reviews not sure if it was good or bad!). The length of your review could have just been because you work in a different group who approaches things differently (hard "graders"), so I wouldn't necessarily think that the fact that it was longer than 10 minutes is a bad thing (and honestly it sounds like everyone else's reviews couldn't have been very helpful if they were only 10 minutes).

Is there someone in your group (a mentor, a senior associate, a partner who you have a good rapport with) that you can talk to to better understand what the takeaway should have been, and how to start working on improving in these areas? Someone who can give you actual feedback on how you are perceived in the group and what to do to change that perception (or, worst case scenario, to tell you that people's minds are made up and there's nothing you can do).

Sadly no... and the same partner gives 10 minute reviews, so the length and detail are very unusual

I guess that's the first thing I would work on - getting someone in your group invested in your career. It's hard to do it alone. Are there any partners or senior folks who you can start building a relationship with so they can help you navigate things? Another though - at my firm our professional development team can sometimes be helpful on things like this - if you have a similar group at your firm, you might ask them what they think and if there are any programs/trainings you can go to that will help you address the feedback. They might then be able to tell you that there wasn't a big problem or something like that. How are your hours? If you're still getting work, then I would worry less than if you're slowing down AND getting a lot of negative feedback.

My hours are good and if anything, I'm getting even more work and more attention from the partners, not just the ones I usually work for.

So still trying to build a case against me and should try to lateral?

Anonymous User wrote:Just had a similar experience as OP and immediately started looking and now have an offer on the table.

I can’t help but feel paranoid. Is a good reason to lateral that you might be shown the door in the future?

This is OP: how has the firm been acting offline outside of the review though?