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How new attorneys get treated varies wildly by firm, office, and practice group, but it isn’t unheard of (or even particularly unusual) for senior partners to basically have minimal interactions with the first years on their matters.
This is inefficient, yes, but in my experience it’s how lawyers work. When you’re very senior you forget how much junior attorneys don’t know, and it’s easier for the senior partner to quickly explain to the senior associate what needs to be fixed, and then it’s up to the senior associate to hold your hand and explain in detail what edits need to be done. I hate to say it but you’ll understand as you get more experience. As for the client and opposing counsel calling you, I’m pretty shocked—to the point of disbelief—by that. If they know you’re a first year then they that know you’re clueless, and they should be going to the senior associate or partner who can actually answer their questions.
Thank you! It’s helpful to understand the partner’s perspective. Yea - clients and opposing counsel tend to call whoever sent the email/draft to them and I think more often than not, they aren’t aware I’m a first year (unless they check my LinkedIn). I would typically just tell them I need to discuss internally before coming back to them. Usually works save for some belligerent opposing counsel which might insist on me explaining my position for each point and do a page turn on the call -.-
Contd. I’m a first year associate. I would also be left out of emails where the senior partner edits the NSP’s draft (which I did the first cut of) or where the senior partner gives the NSP instructions, which the NSP would then copy and forward to me because I’m the one who has to take the comments in / make the phone call etc. This style of working makes me feel like I’m not part of a team and because it’s not very collaborative, I struggle when clients/opp counsel bombard me with questions that I have to figure out myself on the spot.
I feel you - that has been my experience on some files. Not too sure what to make of it too - might be that the partner is busy with many things and the senior uses that one call to clear many issues on various files so it's not appropriate to bring you in? but I feel that it's inefficient too to spend the time relaying instructions
I noticed that this happens to third years on the team as well.. I’ve actually been in the team for 3 years now (2 years of training prior, 1 year post admission to the bar) 😔