First-year at a big law firm and I feel like i’m getting passed on good work opportunities that end up going to other first year associates. Is this the norm? I reach out for work but other non-minorities end up with the work. What do I do?

Hi, I have been going through a similar issue. Hope to hear on other perspectives. This is my second year at this firm (Corporate/ M&A and Venture Capital).

If you can find doc review to do, then do it. I learned the hard way that you eat what you kill. Don’t wait for others to give you work. Keep all the emails where you asked for work as well. If you just started, does you billable year end this month? If so, don’t worry about it.

This happened to me all the time. I basically had to beg for work. I ended up leaving.

I would be vocal about this. You can even ask them why they choose other people for these jobs instead of you? If they hired you they should believe in you potential and give you a chance.

Try to keep track of all of these incidents and then address them at the right time.

Also be super responsive whenever an e-mail is addressed to you. Use firm wide “conflict clearance” or ALQ e-mails to find out what new matters are coming in, then reach out to the attorneys listed in the mass e-mail to ask for work.

Another tip is, don’t just directly ask for work. First reach out to people asking if they have a minute to discuss their practice area. Look them up (read their most recent articles if any, look up some documents they drafted using your internal document management system, google a few key words/trends in their Area and come up with a few good questions). When you meet with them, ask them about their work, listen carefully and then weave into the conversation some of what you know about them as well as the questions you prepared. Then ask if there is an opportunity for you to work with them. Also ask if they have a go to senior/mid level, because often they will defer to their associates’ staffing preference dunce they are the ones supervising you day to day.

Be proactive and initiate to take on the opportunity. Tell them you can do it and you've stayed there longer. But make sure you live up to your word. If they give it to you, show them what you got.

One of my candidates had a similar issue. She laterally moved from one AmLaw 100 to another because she was constantly begging for work. At her review, her boss mentioned, in not so many words that she was not doing as well as her colleagues. If you are not outputting enough work, even if you’re getting passed over, your supervisors will eventually notice and assume you are the problem. I helped her transition to another firm that treated her with way more respect.

I would speak up about it if I were you. Make it known that you've taken a notice in them keeping opportunities from you even when you've already presented yourself for having been open for work. If they keep doing it despite that, then they're not the right firm for you.

Hi! How did you come up with that conclusion? Can you further provide more context?

First-year at a big law firm and I feel like i’m g...

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First-year at a big law firm and I feel like i’m getting passed on good work opportunities that end up going to other first year associates. Is this the norm? I reach out for work but other non-minorities end up with the work. What do I do?

If you can find doc review to do, then do it. I learned the hard way that you eat what you kill. Don’t wait for others to give you work. Keep all the emails where you asked for work as well. If you just started, does you billable year end this month? If so, don’t worry about it.

Also be super responsive whenever an e-mail is addressed to you. Use firm wide “conflict clearance” or ALQ e-mails to find out what new matters are coming in, then reach out to the attorneys listed in the mass e-mail to ask for work.

Be proactive and initiate to take on the opportunity. Tell them you can do it and you've stayed there longer. But make sure you live up to your word. If they give it to you, show them what you got.

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