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I’ve been doing this as long as you have, but I keep a planner and haven’t lost track of any tasks yet. Highly recommend. I write every task in it. Have definitely made other mistakes though that make me feel dumb. I just try to react in a way that will annoy people the least (don’t apologize 100xs, just fix the mistake, move on, and don’t make the same mistake twice... if you are, then slow down or find a new strategy). I’ve also found that calling people on the phone to own my mistakes has made me feel better because people usually *sound* understanding and then I’m not as panicked and likely to make additional mistakes as a result right after. Also if you’re working remotely like I have been, I think calling people is better for relationship building and people will be more forgiving/ willing to give you advice if they feel like they actually have a relationship with you and you sound competent.
i’m the same age (though i’ve only been here since january) and feel similarly some days. not losing track of tasks, but making typos and mistakes that feel to me like they’re stupid, and they probably are. i think the learning curve is really steep. law school doesn’t teach us anything about being a lawyer. i’m just trying to slow down and triple check everything. i have 2 different calendars (outlook and a desk cal), a OneNote notebook, and i write deadlines on my whiteboard, you could try having multiple places where you write down your tasks/deadlines?
I think it’s pretty common to feel this way in your first year or two of practice. What’s important is that you learn from your mistakes and show that you are eager to learn in general. Some of the partners at my firm have said that they don’t expect younger associates to grasp every legal concept or make perfect arguments, but they should get the small things right. That means no typos, knowing the facts, correct formatting, turning in assignments on time, etc. Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you’re having trouble with an assignment. And (like everyone else here has said), find a system that works for you for deadlines and tasks. I use a planner, a desk calendar, and my outlook calendar (on my desktop and phone). Every Friday I check all deadlines for the next week, and almost every night before bed I check deadlines for the next day. It may seem excessive, but it’s better than the panic and dread that comes with a surprise deadline. I also have a “master task list” for long term projects or ones with no hard deadline, and a weekly task list that has days of the week on it where I set realistic goals for tasks to complete each day. Practicing law does get more comfortable with time, so give yourself some grace and keep working hard. You got this!
I was like this too (even forgetting about court dates and nearly missing tHem). Now, I put every single task I’m assigned as an event on my google calendar (like literally everything even phone calls). Things I don’t get done I just roll to the next day. Things I do get done I change the color on the calendar so I know it’s done. If things require additional follow up (like I left a voicemail but need to confirm and speak to someone) I just add another event for the next day or whatever to remember it. Basically my google calendar is my to do list. It has worked great for me!
Thanks to all of you. Really helpful responses