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“Do you want a rough draft now or a complete version three days from now?”
I wish that worked for transactional due diligence reviews 😵💫
We've all had 'that' partner. It doesn't always help, but sometimes talking to another partner and having them liaise for you can make a difference. Especially if everyone in the office is feeling it.
I’ve found a helpful deal is to give them your task list and then ask them where they would like the new task prioritized:
“Ok in the next two weeks I’ve got:
An MTD in case A to draft by (date)
An MSJ in case B to edit/incorporate redlines by (date)
Quarterly reports due to clients by (date),
Phone calls scheduled with X, Y, Z, people, at (dates/times)
XYZ discovery docs to summarize and produce,
Where in that task list would you like me to prioritize this new assignment?”
That is a very fair point, especially at larger firms, I work at a small firm with four partners with a lot of case overlap (two partners and an associate per case etc) so a lot of the time I’m asking them what of their own prior assignments they want pushed.
A partner I work with tends to call me or walk into my office and expect I can immediately turn to what he wants to discuss, often leaving off with an assignment. Lately I've just been telling him, "I can do that, but I won't be able to get to it until xyz because I have to get this brief/disco responses/etc. out first." He took it surprisingly well.
Disco responses !!! So fun. 💃🏻
When I worked with a partner like that he actually got more mad if I asked for more time versus there being mistakes because I had to draft a 30 pg contract in a couple hours. I worked for another partner who was the complete opposite he wanted NO mistakes (lol) so he would allow it if I asked for more time or he would just give the assignment to someone else.
Be honest. “I have X, Y, and Z on my plate that require my immediate attention and can turn to this on date A. Kindly confirm this is acceptable. If not, I can discuss with other assigning parties to see if I can adjust scheduling or assess whether another associate has bandwidth to start this immediately.”
FWIW, I also often supply “working drafts” for assignments. When I use “working draft” rather than “initial draft,” I explain its more of a work in progress/still in a very rough form but a start that I wanted to flip asap given tight time constraints.
I would send an email stating that you’re working on XYZ that take priority and you anticipate needing X amount of time on this project. That you could rush it but it wouldn’t be quality work.
Be up front with her about what you have going on and when you think you can have it done. If you have other work keeping you from her assignments, tell her and make her decide what takes priority.
I mean my opinion is very different from the others, but I work somewhere where legitimately no partners act that way. If shit happens they always tell me “no worries” etc. my firm has also been voted top places to work is the USA for the past three 3 years and they love that so much that they do everything possible to keep that same recognition. Look for better options. They are out there. I’ve worked at absolutely terrible places before, not worth it. Like this isn’t a frat I’m not trying to be hazed let’s all work together and that makes work product better, it yields more income, makes people want to work, the list truly goes on. It’s another world at some places and it’s life changing.
Interesting - so who stays late and works overtime to get stuff over the line?
or do clients just get their stuff late? or do you miss filing deadlines?
it's not her job to manage your workload. Try and tell her that with your current workload you are unable to do it because you are already working on X Y Z for X date.
Don't jeopardize the quality of your work.
Time management is the no. 1 skill of a lawyer in my books - if you can't produce and juggle your 200 cases it doesn't even matter if you are good at law.
that partner has her own load to manage. try boundaries. if ahe does not respond to that, then you have a different problem.
being the one person she has been relying on lately is not a bad thing! It means she trusts you and your work. If you say yes all the time she will assume you will continue to say yes and you magically have time for it.