First year in biglaw corporate. Can I ignore a senior associate's email? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I just started at my firm as a first year. There is one senior associate who gave me a couple of assignments and it wasn't very pleasant working for her. Apparently, I've heard from others she is one of those people you want to avoid. She keeps reaching out to me asking to help her.

Given how the corporate team at my firm (or every biglaw firm) is crazy busy and she's in a practice group that I'm not interested in, can I ignore her emails or is this a career suicide? what should I do if I really don't want to work with her again?

[k_moreno]

I just started at my firm as a first year. There is one senior associate who gave me a couple of assignments and it wasn't very pleasant working for her. Apparently, I've heard from others she is one of those people you want to avoid. She keeps reaching out to me asking to help her.

Given how the corporate team at my firm (or every biglaw firm) is crazy busy and she's in a practice group that I'm not interested in, can I ignore her emails or is this a career suicide? what should I do if I really don't want to work with her again?

This is just one factor of many, and I can't say anything about the specifics of your situation, but if she's getting a brand new first-year to do work, it means everybody else already said no. So you'd have some company. At least in my experience, senior associates typically have trouble getting anybody to work for them, and it's not out of the ordinary for them to have to get partners to help forcing people to work. But I don't know about your firm.

Edited to add: obviously don't just ignore the email. Come on.

[Anonymous User]

I just started at my firm as a first year. There is one senior associate who gave me a couple of assignments and it wasn't very pleasant working for her. Apparently, I've heard from others she is one of those people you want to avoid. She keeps reaching out to me asking to help her.

Given how the corporate team at my firm (or every biglaw firm) is crazy busy and she's in a practice group that I'm not interested in, can I ignore her emails or is this a career suicide? what should I do if I really don't want to work with her again?

No no no do NOT ignore the email. Are these assignments parts of deals/cases you're staffed on and not complete one-offs (e.g., can you help write this client alert)? If you don't want to work with her, you can talk to a staffing partner if need be, or even talk to her yourself about it. It may be that she's not staffing you but someone higher than her is putting you two on the same team, too.

Regardless, why is this something you think you'd be able to do? You're paid a high salary to do your job, and that salary comes with obligations. I'm all for drawing certain personal boundaries but that doesn't mean you ignore the work entirely and pretend it doesn't exist.

[NoLongerALurker]

The amount of shit talking that will happen about you if you just ignore emails (regardless of from who / why) Will torpedo your career at that firm, yes, certainly.

[CanadianWolf]

Do not ignore any email from a senior associate.

Have you considered replying politely by saying that your workload is full and that you cannot accept her request at this time due to other obligations ?

With respect to future assignments, seek the guidance of a partner or other senior associate whom you trust.

Do not involve HR unless some type of workplace violation has occurred.

[Definitely Not North]

no. you're not that important to be big leagueing your senior associate.

FYI partners routinely chat with seniors/midlevels about how various juniors are doing and their impressions of them.

[tlsguy2020]

Jesus Christ this job would be so different if I knew I could just straight up ignore emails

[Anonymous User]

There’s a world of difference between ignoring an email (VERY bad) and politely responding about your lack of availability in a way that is diplomatic yet consistent such that you never accept the assignment and hopefully eventually stop being asked (totally fine if you do it right). Both accomplish the same goal.

[Anonymous User]

Lol maybe the posts on TLS about incompetent juniors were real. What in your decade plus of experience as a student, human being or employee makes you think you can just ignore an email without absolutely torpedoing your career?

[Anonymous User]

Lol maybe the posts on TLS about incompetent juniors were real. What in your decade plus of experience as a student, human being or employee makes you think you can just ignore an email with absolutely torpedoing your career?

Yes, ignoring one email will just immediately ruin your career

There are no rules in this job. Be strategic in who you burn. If they're not well liked then maybe it won't be so bad.

My only rule would be to not piss off everyone. You need at least some people in your corner.

[Anonymous User]

Lol maybe the posts on TLS about incompetent juniors were real. What in your decade plus of experience as a student, human being or employee makes you think you can just ignore an email with absolutely torpedoing your career?

Yes, ignoring one email will just immediately ruin your career

There are no rules in this job. Be strategic in who you burn. If they're not well liked then maybe it won't be so bad.

My only rule would be to not piss off everyone. You need at least some people in your corner.

This is a bad take. He's proposing ignoring all emails from this associate on an ongoing basis moving forward.

And even if the number of emails ignored is small, people talk. You can't do this without your reputation tanking. It speaks to a huge character flaw and screams that you're unreliable at best, regardless of what the reputation of the senior is.

[Anonymous User]

Anon dupe post

[Anonymous User]

I’m only a midlevel, but I hand out a decent amount of work to juniors. In almost every case, I’ve discussed with the partner before. In many, the partner says, this would be a good project for the junior and asks me to coordinate. So there’s at least a chance that you’d effectively be ignoring the partner as well.

[Anonymous User]

Lol maybe the posts on TLS about incompetent juniors were real. What in your decade plus of experience as a student, human being or employee makes you think you can just ignore an email with absolutely torpedoing your career?

Yes, ignoring one email will just immediately ruin your career

There are no rules in this job. Be strategic in who you burn. If they're not well liked then maybe it won't be so bad.

My only rule would be to not piss off everyone. You need at least some people in your corner.

This is a bad take. He's proposing ignoring all emails from this associate on an ongoing basis moving forward.

And even if the number of emails ignored is small, people talk. You can't do this without your reputation tanking. It speaks to a huge character flaw and screams that you're unreliable at best, regardless of what the reputation of the senior is.

Its true. I've had a junior who I think is actually a hard worker and trying to be good ignore emails (or take way too long to respond on an urgent matter / check out on a closing day), and it left a bad impression to the point I probably won't use him/her again. What is more annoying is that I asked him/her to just let me know if his/her schedule heats up too much so that I can help find coverage, and junior just ignored it and said "I can handle".

Unfortunately, this job pays you for your responsiveness, not because you are smart.

[mardash]

The point two posts above is a good one. If you’re being asked to work on a project, the attorney in charge (usually a partner) is at a minimum aware who’s going to be billing time to that matter.

“Missing” an email or two when you’re busy a few years into the job is one thing. Systematically blowing someone off as a first year is ballsy.

And saying you’re not paid to be smart is probably an overstatement, at least from my experience in lit. Sometimes being smart even means less work for everyone!

[Anonymous User]

Maybe eventually the zoomer habit of pretending an email didn't happen if you never responded will become the norm. But until that dark day, if a colleague emails you, you respond.

[Anonymous User]

You need to be a bit assertive to last long in this job. I’m not saying you should completely ignore someone’s emails, but you should be outspoken to the staffing coordinator or more senior folks about individuals that you have trouble working with.

So long as you do good work for others I don’t think this will hurt you. Fwiw I have witnessed many associates who have been very outspoken in their desire to not work with certain attorneys, sometimes to the point of demanding to be removed from ongoing projects. None seemed to have suffered for it.

If you go into this job with goal of pleasing everyone then you will fail. Build relationships with people you like to work with and avoid the ones you don’t.

[malibustacy]

Obviously don't stop responding for stuff you're already staffed on.

But feel free to politely decline new matters - best way to do so is to seek out people/matters you actually do want to work for and fill up your schedule. Eventually she'll get the hint and look for other victims.

[Dcc617]

Meh, what’s the senior going to do? Go around and tell everyone about the missed email? Obviously don’t blow off everyone, and generally respond to emails, but I don’t think you have to respond to staffing emails of someone you’re ducking. People here who are freaking out about the idea of not responding to every single email need to chill.

Don’t ignore deal emails or partner emails, but ignore this if you want.

[Anonymous User]

I just started at my firm as a first year. There is one senior associate who gave me a couple of assignments and it wasn't very pleasant working for her. Apparently, I've heard from others she is one of those people you want to avoid. She keeps reaching out to me asking to help her.

Given how the corporate team at my firm (or every biglaw firm) is crazy busy and she's in a practice group that I'm not interested in, can I ignore her emails or is this a career suicide? what should I do if I really don't want to work with her again?

Grow up. You aren't "helping her." You are doing your job. It's not like she's going through a random list of people and seeing what sucker responds.It's not a good idea. If I was her, i'd be super annoyed and keep calling you until you did respond. It's a battle you won't win. You are fungible, she is not.

[kaiser]

As someone who has been on both ends, my advice is to not ignore the email. As a senior associate, I routinely chatted with partners about the junior associates to gauge who was most capable and who had the right attitude. If one of them routinely ignored my emails, the partner would know that for sure and it would severely hurt the junior's reputation. I used to actively go out of my way to paint juniors in a positive light where I could, since I remember what it was like in their shoes. But I'm not going to bat for someone who can't even respond to my emails. Keep in mind, there is a big difference between just ignoring emails, and politely explaining that you are too swamped to take on new work. The latter is totally understandable.

There will come a time when you can pick and choose a bit more who you work with. Now isn't that time. Right now, its about putting your best foot forward, contributing value where you can, and building a positive reputation for being responsive and hard-working.

[Anonymous User]

Meh, what’s the senior going to do? Go around and tell everyone about the missed email? Obviously don’t blow off everyone, and generally respond to emails, but I don’t think you have to respond to staffing emails of someone you’re ducking. People here who are freaking out about the idea of not responding to every single email need to chill.

Don’t ignore deal emails or partner emails, but ignore this if you want.

All it takes is one group chat among friends. It's not necessarily a matter of going around to multiple people.

[Dcc617]

Sure, but there is a huge difference between “the junior didn't respond to my email right before closing and held it up” vs “junior didn’t respond to my staffing email.” Former, big deal. Latter? Meh.

ETA but also feel free to tell the senior no.

[legalpotato]

Meh, what’s the senior going to do? Go around and tell everyone about the missed email? Obviously don’t blow off everyone, and generally respond to emails, but I don’t think you have to respond to staffing emails of someone you’re ducking. People here who are freaking out about the idea of not responding to every single email need to chill.

Don’t ignore deal emails or partner emails, but ignore this if you want.

Probably some truth to this, but that is only because we are in a crazy associate "bull market" right now. I imagine you would have to do the helicopter with your penis on a zoom call to get fired right now. But this can't last forever. Would be prudent to build a good reputation for yourself now just in case the tides turn. Given current crop of juniors, it is easier than ever to be a "star".

[attorney589753]

As someone who has been on both ends, my advice is to not ignore the email. As a senior associate, I routinely chatted with partners about the junior associates to gauge who was most capable and who had the right attitude. If one of them routinely ignored my emails, the partner would know that for sure and it would severely hurt the junior's reputation. I used to actively go out of my way to paint juniors in a positive light where I could, since I remember what it was like in their shoes. But I'm not going to bat for someone who can't even respond to my emails. Keep in mind, there is a big difference between just ignoring emails, and politely explaining that you are too swamped to take on new work. The latter is totally understandable.

There will come a time when you can pick and choose a bit more who you work with. Now isn't that time. Right now, its about putting your best foot forward, contributing value where you can, and building a positive reputation for being responsive and hard-working.

Co-sign every bit of this. Will ignoring the email torpedo your career? Probably not. Is it professional? Also no. The right way to treat a colleague, even one you don't love, is to promptly respond that "you'd love to help, but with X, Y, and Z going on, you won't be able to take on anything new for a while, but appreciate you thinking of me."