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Hi y'all:

I'm starting as a litigation associate next week, and I am looking for advice or tips on how to add value as a first year. This has been done before (This thread is a gold mine viewtopic.php?f=23&t=281818), but I am looking for any additional information, especially in the era of remote/hybrid work and remote hearings.

Thanks in advance.

In terms of adding value as a first-year lit associate:

(1) know the good facts of your assigned case (i.e., those that help you tell your client's side of the story)
(2) know the bad facts of your assigned case (i.e., those that help opposing counsel craft their narrative)
(3) knowing 1 + 2 will lead you to shine in your first years as a junior associate

In terms of longevity as a lit associate:

(a) figure out how long you want to work at a law firm (for most people, it's until they pay off a significant part of their loans, save up for a downpayment, reach a certain net worth, etc)

(b) if you want to gun for partnership in biglaw lit / boutique lit, I can't help there (as I'm in-house now)

(c) if you want to move in-house, DO EMPLOYMENT LITIGATION. Way easier to move in-house as an employment litigator than any other kind of litigator in my experience. FWIW, I was a non-employment lit associate and it look me 3 years to find an in-house job.

^solid advice. Knowing facts and deadlines are good. Also become familiar with local rules, chamber rules, etc. (or at least have them handy so you can check when asked). Look at jury instructions (e.g., in CA look at CACI) and it'll help you understand what is needed to prove certain claims and you'll identify relevant facts.

Spend some time looking at docs in your cases’s folder within your firm’s document management system. This can be a goldmine of background into big cases where each of your assignments might not make sense in context.