Hi šŸ ! Class of 2017 here and found out yesterday that Iā€™m being held back a year (as a 3rd year instead of 4th). I feel totally blindsided / actually cried on the Zoom. Iā€™ve reached out to partner-mentor in other groups and they explained that this isnā€™t a demotion but an opportunity to have more time to acquire mid-level skills before being thrust into that role & failing. I GET that but I feel this is something that should have been messaged BEFORE the review. Such an erosion of trust. Advice?

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Ok Iā€™m confused ? Firms can hold you back like youā€™re in elementary school or something ??

likefunny

Find a firm that will provide real-time feedback, provide mentorship, career coaching, etc. Something like this shouldnā€™t come as a surprise. (Plug for a good recruiter here.)

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Did you ask how many others in the group also received this amazing opportunity? If it was just you, Iā€™d start looking for other opportunities to be honest. That pay gap / disparity with your peers will haunt you in years to come.

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ā€œGiven this optionā€... hahahah

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So sorry to hear this happened to you! Is this at a vault 50/100? Did you hit your hours last year?

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OP: my firm is looking if you want to give us a shot. DM me if youā€™re interested!

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Not the same thing, but I was hired into my firm at a lower level than my actual class year. I was a little offended at the time, but it was a significant pay increase, so I took it anyway. Itā€™s definitely been weird being ā€œjuniorā€ to those who graduated after me and have less experience.

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Iā€™m just curious for people who have been on the receiving end of a blindside, with otherwise positive reviews through the year, were you able to give feedback during the review like- ā€œIā€™ve gotta say Iā€™m really surprised to hear this because my feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, Iā€™ve never gotten any negative feedback and to the extent that Iā€™m ā€œbehindā€ in any given area, Iā€™d like to know how the firm plans to support me because from my perspective Iā€™ve done what I can on my end to get and take advantage of those opportunitiesā€... just feeling like Iā€™d get super pissed in a review if this happened to me and Iā€™m a 5th year so itā€™s about the point in my career where Iā€™m tired of taking shit (turning out to be semi problematic for me in that I canā€™t bite my tongue anymore šŸ˜‚)

likefunny

Yes but I did so diplomatically because pushing back too hard is perceived negatively by the partnership at my firm. Iā€™m a 4th year and trust me I was not happy. Basically had to bite my tongue.

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My theory is that some firms/groups do this because they have no intention of making people partners (unless they have major potential client connections), so they try to keep you in a more junior role as long as possible, so that they save $$$$ while they benefit from your higher-than-junior experience. Itā€™s awful. But the worst is when they stealth fire people because the firm/group isnā€™t doing well, but they lie and make the associates feel as if itā€™s their fault for inadequate performance. Disgusting!

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I am sorry that happened. I am confused though as I never worked at a traditional firm. I started my own practice. If you have time/care I would love to understand how it works in a firm and what does it mean to make partner? Do you actually become an owner of the business?

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Time to look for a new job

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Yup! Bingo!

Wow. Just, no.

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That is so strange! Held back? Ugh such a negative connotation. So sorry you had to deal with that.

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It might have more to do with the firm not wanting to pay you more than your performance.

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Does your Firm have an Associates Committee? Reach out to them and ask for assistance and guidance on how to handle your situation.

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Huge red flag they didnā€™t discuss with you before deciding to hold you back. I would focus on putting out good work product right now but start looking to make a lateral move. Around year 3-4 you begin to see why firms consistently lose associates and what they really value. If they truly valued your professional development, you would not have been blindsided.ļæ¼ I would guess it has more with their bottom line than youļæ¼.

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Itā€™s common in the firm Iā€™m at! A lot of folks are held back a year. They say itā€™s an opportunity to better skills etc.

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Interesting! Do they go on to be promoted?

I wouldnā€™t automatically assume this is bullshit (even though it could
be). Personally, if I felt that an associate needed to be held back, it would be because the associate is great at process but not developing fast enough on substance. Being held back gives the associate more runway to learn the substance. And mastering substance + process = rockstar.

Do you feel like you can be thrown into a negotiation (or the litigation equivalent, if applicable) and stay afloat on your own? If not, I would take the comments to heart and throw yourself into getting a deeper understanding of the substance of your practice group ā€” even if it is at a new firm.

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Thatā€™s fair. In my experience, the associates who fall behind on substance are the ones who settle into a process comfort zone and donā€™t give themselves enough time for the growth opportunities (i.e. they are too bogged down in running the process and donā€™t delegate enough of it to junior associates). I have seen this happen a lot at the 4th/5th year level. But if you have been actively seeking substantive opportunities and not getting them, I agree itā€™s time to look at other firms.

Iā€™m sorry ā€œheld backā€?! Come again? Are we in elementary school? I understand performance reviews and maybe not getting a salary increase or not as big of one due to that but seriously this is just demeaning and meaningless outside your firm ... get out now! Maybe get out of big law entirely it sounds like if this is a common practice

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First, if you havenā€™t already, inquire about the skills that need bolstering and determine whether you agree. Simultaneously, start a new job search as even if your skills do require further development to continue to progress at that firm, that was NOT the way to deliver the message. Find such an amazing opportunity elsewhere. Good Luck and keep your head up!

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Does this "holding back" have financial consequences? I.e., does it affect salary increases, bonuses, etc., and their timing now and into the future? If so, it sounds like a rationalization for cost cutting that they are doing on the backs of associates whom they perceive as not yet being in a good position to lateral out.

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