Related Posts
Does bcg plan cover Invisalign?
Additional Posts in Big Law
Any thoughts on Orrick LA culture?
New to Fishbowl?
Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
Does bcg plan cover Invisalign?
Any thoughts on Orrick LA culture?
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Download the Fishbowl app to unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
Copy and paste embed code on your site
Send download link to your phone
OR
Scan your QR code to download
Fishbowl app on your mobile
Something similar happened to me regarding a letter and I legit had copied it from another partner’s letter on the same matter. Sigh.
Yep, this happens and not much you can do. I got in trouble as a junior for some minor typos, while the partner's draft had "hunedred" and"resloved" in it. Keep smiling and maybe you'll be the partner one day!
Mentor
As far as frustrating biglaw associate-partner dynamics go, this one is pretty far down on the list IMO. An associate’s role is different than a partner’s and part of an associate’s responsibility is to catch a partner’s typo/grammar/formatting issues, the opposite does not necessarily apply. I don’t think this is necessarily the best way to run a team or draft a document in a cost effective manner for the client (one partner proof, even at $1000 an hour, will be cheaper than three associate proofs at $500 an hour), but there is a rational justification for the system being the way it is.
This is assuming you are getting adequate time to review and draft everything. It is absolutely frustrating when you’re expected to turn typo-free drafts in a period of time that doesn’t let you do so. That is just bad management by the partners, who in that instance are looking to offload blame for their inability to manage onto associates.
Yep I totally agree. I understand how the system is supposed to work but if there is not enough time, or in my firms case too much work for too few associates, then of course the work product will suffer. Doesn’t take an MBA to figure that out yet some partners don’t!
If they like you, you can miss a 0. If they don’t like you, they care if you use and/or vs or/and.
Subject Expert
What A1 said.
Also, the partner is your boss for now but that doesn’t mean you can’t strive to be better than them. You’re not going to be substantively better yet since they have years of experience on you, but you can be a better lawyer just in terms of how you approach your day to day. Take pride in your work and build your personal brand as fucking perfect. Chances are, you will not be working for this partner/firm forever. Avoiding sloppiness is not for them. It’s for YOU and YOUR work product and YOUR clients. I understand not wanting to give a fuck and feeling like they’ll never actually be your clients... but if you think that they never will be. This applies even if you don’t want to be a partner; in-house, govt etc all want folks who take pride and ownership in their work and produce high quality work product.
And yes, not every typo is the end of the world, but every additional typo makes the reader (me as your inhouse counsel client who previously had your exact same biglaw job for example) wonder if you’re being sloppy about this easy stuff, then what other more important stuff are you missing out on.