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Trust me you don’t want to talk to clients
Not common. But if you have to deal with that, I would say find another job..
Red flag - don’t stay there
This happens in insurance defense firms. Partner is scared you will eventually take the client when you leave.
Been there. It's not a *huge* red flag for job security....but it is a huge red flag if you want to spread your wings or make partner.
What firm? - guy who doesn’t want to talk to clients.
You will be terminal associate or perma special counsel.
I would say it’s a yellow flag. Ultimately, It’s your discretion to determine whether it’s a red flag or not. As some have mentioned, there can be valid reasons why they keep you from communicating with the clients. The other side of that is also true, where they do it for the wrong reasons, resulting in a delay/prevention in your development. At my former firm, I experienced it and it was for the wrong reasons. I was shocked when at my current firm, they had no issue with it, and actually strongly encouraged me to communicate and form relationships with the clients. Since transitioning, I have seen how much my current firm tries to develop its associates in contrast to my former firm that treat its associates as assistants with no care as to their growth as a lawyer. Use your judgment in why they do this and if you think it’s a red flag, then I would suggest you look for another firm. Hope this helps.
No. F that! I was client facing by 2 YOE.
I now encourage my associates to do the same as soon as they are comfortable. I’ll hand hold for a few. But I ask them to lead and lean on me only if they need to. And - very quickly - almost all of them have soared.
Yes, on occasion, there is someone who cannot pull it off. But that’s rare IME. And I’m good with risking encouraging folks to stretch their skills and soar - and apologizing/cutting a bill/buying whoever is aggrieved some ridiculous dinner in order to give associates experience and the confidence to see what they can really do.
Otherwise, I don’t know how this whole thing works long term. And (since I don’t really need to do it at all anymore), it would be non-rewarding and not worth my time not to raise folks up so they have every opportunity to shine.
I think there are degrees to this and that it depends on the partner. At the big law firm I worked at, I was allowed to speak to rank-and-file employees about case matters (e.g., database management, witness interviews, etc), but I was never on calls with the GC about case strategy. A lot of partners believed that clients didn’t like having multiple associates on calls. Other people at my level had similar levels of client access.
If you’re a 3rd year or 4th year and this is still happening, I’d start looking at your options and also have a direct conversation about the why behind the policy and if it’s going to end. I let first year associates email/speak with clients with my supervision and guidance. By the second and third year, I’m letting them initiate conversations with clients once we’ve discussed what they’ll say, and with the caveat that they must copy me. After that…you need to be doing this on your own