I’m a summer associate, but the only associate on a client team and made some big mistakes… is this normal? Forum

[pineapple17]

So as the title says, I’m a summer associate at a large law firm. Im the only associate on a client team with a partner (just me and the partner). The partner keeps asking me to do things I don’t know how to do/have never done before (drafting agreements, drafting board consents, etc). It was stressful but fine until today when the partner had me a send out a board consent issuing founder stock for signature, and the client found two fairly major mistakes on it (think wrong number of shares and wrong pronouns-I’ve never met the client)… I’m not going to say the mistakes weren’t my fault because they totally were and I’ll own that, BUT shouldn’t the partner be reviewing my work as a summer associate?? Am I going crazy? Do summers normally email clients directly? This is the second time she’s had me do this… I feel really bad because I made these big mistakes but it’s also the first time I’ve even read this type of document, let alone drafted one…

[BrainsyK]

It's definitely not your fault. Whether or not you'll get blamed for it is another deal.

[Ultramar vistas]

Yeah that seems absolutely batshit to me. If the Partner didn’t review your work, then sending summer associate work product out feels like borderline malpractice.

Definitely a huge red flag if this is someone you’re going to be working with when you start at the firm. If it’s a big firm, I’d just stay the heck away from that partner starting now.

[bana79]

Yeah that seems absolutely batshit to me. If the Partner didn’t review your work, then sending summer associate work product out feels like borderline malpractice.

This; it's been a while since I took professional responsibility but aren't attorneys literally required to review non-attorney work product like this?

[Anonymous User]

Yeah that seems absolutely batshit to me. If the Partner didn’t review your work, then sending summer associate work product out feels like borderline malpractice.

Definitely a huge red flag if this is someone you’re going to be working with when you start at the firm. If it’s a big firm, I’d just stay the heck away from that partner starting now.

Yeah everyone else at the firm is great so that’s also why this experience is odd! and I’m not sure if she didn’t review it or if she was just being sloppy? But I feel like she would catch those mistakes if she had looked at it even halfway closely so I’m not sure…

[legalpotato]

Very weird - even weird to be a first year in the same position as you

[attorney589753]

Guessing the partner just does not care about this client and his/her actions speak to that. Some partners will roll that way. Some people like working with those sorts of partners (get lots of experience early on) but I hated it. Agree with the other posters who suggested this is arguably professional malpractice (depends on the facts, wrong pronoun wouldn't be, wrong number of shares might be).

[Anonymous User]

OP I would try to get into another partner's workflow this summer. You don't want to be attached to a partner like this as it will clearly not get any better.

It's a huge red flag, to me at least, that there are no other associates on this deal team. In other words, there must be a reason she can't get other associates to do work for her and help out.

Get on some tasks and projects with others this summer if you can.

[Excellent117]

Guessing the partner just does not care about this client and his/her actions speak to that. Some partners will roll that way. Some people like working with those sorts of partners (get lots of experience early on) but I hated it. Agree with the other posters who suggested this is arguably professional malpractice (depends on the facts, wrong pronoun wouldn't be, wrong number of shares might be).

The malpractice isn't necessarily even the mistakes, it's allowing attorney work product to be sent to a client that was prepared solely by a non-attorney without a licensed attorney ever reviewing it.

[Wearthewildthingsr]

Lol totally atypical. That is weird on the partner.

Also, tbh, those aren’t BIGGGGGGG OMFG mistakes that make you get heart palpitations. A little embarrassing but not a big deal. Does anyone else agree or am I just so jaded by all this shit that this doesn’t phase me.

Big fucking mistake is like missing a filing deadline or forgetting to collect signatures and holding up the entire deal. Or missing some operative doc. Or not getting money wired on the right day/right place.

This is just meh.

[crazywafflez]

You shouldn't be worried. The partner messed up. I would tell this partner that you would like them to check over your work in a nice way- like asking how you can improve etc. I'm really surprised they had you communicate with the client- as a first year, the partners I work for always check my stuff before sending it to a client. You didn't mess up though and this is on the partner- borderline malpractice it sounds like too.

[Dcc617]

I don’t think anyone cares about resolutions as long as they eventually get done.

[Anonymous User]

In this situation I would probably try and draft a first or second year and say hey partner is asking for this to go out and I have no idea what I'm doing, do you mind taking a look? I think (1) yes obviously unacceptable for summer associate work product to go to a client w/o someone having clicked on it but (2) who cares about rezzies so long as they aren't facially incorrect (would bet their org docs say they can issue these shares anyway). It's also possible that the partner looked at it, but not uncommon for them not to double check the factual stuff - they just assume that's correct.

[Anonymous User]

I agree with the person who said the partner probably assumed the facts were correct and so didn't check them, particularly if getting the number of shares right required simply locating a number in doc A and entering it into doc B. If that was the case, then it's just dumb, careless error and on you. Same with pronouns. Not having met the client is not an excuse. If the name is ambiguous to you, google the person. Careless errors are the kiss of death so while this likely won't hurt you in the long run, it's a great learning experience.

[thelawyler]

Lol totally atypical. That is weird on the partner.

Also, tbh, those aren’t BIGGGGGGG OMFG mistakes that make you get heart palpitations. A little embarrassing but not a big deal. Does anyone else agree or am I just so jaded by all this shit that this doesn’t phase me.

Big fucking mistake is like missing a filing deadline or forgetting to collect signatures and holding up the entire deal. Or missing some operative doc. Or not getting money wired on the right day/right place.

This is just meh.

I agree with this. This is not a big mistake. Internal resolutions can always get fixed too. Bigger fuck ups are like, filing something without permission, like a press release or a merger certificate prior to closing...

And contrary to what you students think, nobody gives a fuck about pronouns.

[Anonymous User]

I agree with the person who said the partner probably assumed the facts were correct and so didn't check them, particularly if getting the number of shares right required simply locating a number in doc A and entering it into doc B. If that was the case, then it's just dumb, careless error and on you. Same with pronouns. Not having met the client is not an excuse. If the name is ambiguous to you, google the person. Careless errors are the kiss of death so while this likely won't hurt you in the long run, it's a great learning experience.

It's a summer lol. Summers shouldn't be sloppy or lazy, but assuming the facts are right if a summer associate put them in is borderline malpractice if something is going straight to a client.

[cavalier1138]

I agree with the person who said the partner probably assumed the facts were correct and so didn't check them, particularly if getting the number of shares right required simply locating a number in doc A and entering it into doc B. If that was the case, then it's just dumb, careless error and on you. Same with pronouns. Not having met the client is not an excuse. If the name is ambiguous to you, google the person. Careless errors are the kiss of death so while this likely won't hurt you in the long run, it's a great learning experience.

Dude. What partner in their right mind takes this approach with a junior associate, let alone a summer?

This is a learning opportunity, but not for the OP.

[bretby]

I agree with the person who said the partner probably assumed the facts were correct and so didn't check them, particularly if getting the number of shares right required simply locating a number in doc A and entering it into doc B. If that was the case, then it's just dumb, careless error and on you. Same with pronouns. Not having met the client is not an excuse. If the name is ambiguous to you, google the person. Careless errors are the kiss of death so while this likely won't hurt you in the long run, it's a great learning experience.

Dude. What partner in their right mind takes this approach with a junior associate, let alone a summer?

This is a learning opportunity, but not for the OP.

I agree it's a terrible approach to take with a summer, but I don't know that partners I work with double-check all the facts in docs. I would be surprised to learn that partners are reviewing associate work with that level of attention - that seems very heavy-handed. There is some level of trust that the associates are capable of transcribing numbers/adjusting pronouns. So I do think it's a good lesson to learn, especially when that person starts as an associate.