I’ve been working at this firm for six months. I like it here and get a lot of freedom because the partner I work for literally never comes in. The only thing is it’s a very competitive atmosphere between partners and how much they bring in. I recently asked a partner who came by just to say hello a question while I was doing some research and I was told off (very slightly) by the paralegal I work with that I should never ask another partner a question. Is this normal?

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Sounds like a busybodied paralegal.

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No, it is not. I've noticed a lot of miceomanaging amongst senior administrative staff at my firm as well. That sounds like a toxic work environment.

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That seems weird to me. I work in a mid-size firm (approx. 50 attorneys) and I feel like, with very few exceptions, the partners are pretty supportive of each other and frequently bounce questions off of one another. Partners also frequently help with work for clients they did not bring in. They’re also open to questions from associates/clerks both on substantive legal matters and on issues of career development. Maybe I just got lucky.

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Yeah this is a small firm. Five attorneys (seven if me and the other clerk pass) . I just don’t like feeling like I can’t just talk shop with the other people in the office when we go for lunch or beers after work.

Not normal. I’ve worked at firms with 8 attorneys, 25, 200, and 600. Literally never had a partner get mad that I asked another partner a question, especially if it’s because the partner on the matter was too busy. The questions should be discrete questions for guidance though, so I would be careful not to impose the other partner’s strategy or style on the matter, particularly if the partners are really competitive with each other. But questions like your research one should be fair game—unless the paralegal has a good explanation for the admonishment (e.g., those 2 partners have a history of bad blood or of fighting over associates, etc.). As a general rule though, I think spreading questions around to get feedback from other attorneys is a sign of being resourceful and shouldn’t be discouraged.

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No. It’s not.

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