Lateral Mid-Year Review (KE) Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm a recent lateral to KE and I was recently notified that I will have a mid-year review coming up. It looks like a form email and says that I will be getting the review because I am a recent lateral, but I wasn't aware that this process existed. Is this normal? Should I worry about getting frozen out? I am still getting work and think that the partners have been generally happy with me.

[Anonymous User]

The only person I know who was requested to have a mid year review got one really bad review from one partner at his year end review. It was basically like probation for 6 months until the next review but he survived and is now an NSP.

[Anonymous User]

The only person I know who was requested to have a mid year review got one really bad review from one partner at his year end review. It was basically like probation for 6 months until the next review but he survived and is now an NSP.

Was that person a lateral, though. I know it is a sign that normally it is a very bad sign, but I don't know whether this is just something that is done for laterals.

[hdr]

Doesn't sound promising. viewtopic.php?f=23&t=307131

[Anonymous User]

The only person I know who was requested to have a mid year review got one really bad review from one partner at his year end review. It was basically like probation for 6 months until the next review but he survived and is now an NSP.

Was that person a lateral, though. I know it is a sign that normally it is a very bad sign, but I don't know whether this is just something that is done for laterals.

The person was not a lateral, but I was a lateral and am not aware of anything to suggest that the review protocol is any different for laterals.

[Anonymous User]

The only person I know who was requested to have a mid year review got one really bad review from one partner at his year end review. It was basically like probation for 6 months until the next review but he survived and is now an NSP.

Was that person a lateral, though. I know it is a sign that normally it is a very bad sign, but I don't know whether this is just something that is done for laterals.

The person was not a lateral, but I was a lateral and am not aware of anything to suggest that the review protocol is any different for laterals.

If you don't mind me asking, what group/office?

[Anonymous User]

The only person I know who was requested to have a mid year review got one really bad review from one partner at his year end review. It was basically like probation for 6 months until the next review but he survived and is now an NSP.

Was that person a lateral, though. I know it is a sign that normally it is a very bad sign, but I don't know whether this is just something that is done for laterals.

The person was not a lateral, but I was a lateral and am not aware of anything to suggest that the review protocol is any different for laterals.

If you don't mind me asking, what group/office?

Chicago, one of the corporate groups (not M&A). And correction, I forgot that the person who got the mid-year review actually was a lateral.

[Anonymous User]

Im a junior lateral with a review coming up. Been at the firm for about 5 months. Not KE. Should I be worried? Never had a "year end" since I lateraled in the summer. I should mention that a few months ago I had to complete a self evaluation, an evaluation of others above me, and got to choose who I'd like to review me (who I'd been working with the most).

[Anonymous User]

To the extent it's helpful, I recently lateraled to a V50 and they explained on day one that they would be performing a mid-year performance review. They framed it more as a way to make sure laterals are being incorporated into things well, skills are being best utilized, etc.

I'm not sure if K&E does things differently but it sounds like you've been cruising along pretty normally. I feel like unless you are aware of a major screwup, you very likely haven't done anything so terrible that only a few months into your employment, they would want to start pushing you out (especially considering the need for corporate associates these days).

In conclusion, I would take the email for its word and assume it's standard practice for laterals, although it probably shouldn't be too hard to find a K&E lateral at your firm who could answer the question (or perhaps wait a bit longer on this thread for somebody with the same fact pattern to opine).

[Anonymous User]

For the non-KE folks, getting a mid-year review as a non-lateral at Kirkland is a very, very bad thing and is generally viewed as a sign that the associate is going to be nudged out. I have no clue about laterals being treated differently but there is some instant breath-holding for me as a KE lawyer when I hear about mid-year review.

[Anonymous User]

Did you get a sign-on bonus? Did you get a guaranteed year end bonus? How have your hours been? Able to get a steady flow of work?

If they’ve loaded you up with cash, you still have decent hours (180-220 per mth) and are still getting staffed wouldn’t worry

[Anonymous User]

To the extent it's helpful, I recently lateraled to a V50 and they explained on day one that they would be performing a mid-year performance review. They framed it more as a way to make sure laterals are being incorporated into things well, skills are being best utilized, etc.

I'm not sure if K&E does things differently but it sounds like you've been cruising along pretty normally. I feel like unless you are aware of a major screwup, you very likely haven't done anything so terrible that only a few months into your employment, they would want to start pushing you out (especially considering the need for corporate associates these days).

In conclusion, I would take the email for its word and assume it's standard practice for laterals, although it probably shouldn't be too hard to find a K&E lateral at your firm who could answer the question (or perhaps wait a bit longer on this thread for somebody with the same fact pattern to opine).

Yeah, I'm a lit associate. I was told that it is actually practice group-dependent. So I think I am in the clear.

[Anonymous User]

Check your offer letter. Think there’s usually a Review section with language about when your first review will be if you’re a lateral into K&E.

[Anonymous User]

As a non-KE senior associate who lateraled, this may be of limited help but at least in my experience, a mid year review for a lateral who’s been at the firm for 6 months may be just a check-in. Hiring associates is super expensive and i have a hard time seeing a scenario in which a lateral joins, screws up, and gets a mid year review within 6 months with the plan to push them out already.

I could see that happening only if shit hit the fan and there was huge fuckup. But if that were the case, you’d know about it and this wouldn't come as a surprise

[Anonymous User]

Could also be that everyone is remote right now and laterals have a harder time getting integrated to begin with so they may just be checking in to see how things are going. They know that the remote work has not been helpful for morale. That's every firm. Perhaps they are trying to help this. If your hours are good, nobody has said anything negative to you, etc., I'm hard pressed to think of why you have reason to be worried. K&E needs people more than anyone right now.