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It is very hard to manage from the bottom but that is what senior attorneys seem to expect. If you don’t nudge them enough then it is your fault that a deadline is missed. If you nudge them too much then they get mad. It’s a very, very nerve wracking spot for junior attorneys.
they probably ignore you because you expect hand holding. state your YOE
Pro
Exactly L1. I’m agreeing with you. The junior is the one entitled to undue deference.
Chief
Drafting better emails helps. Call to action needs to be clear from subject and first 2 lines of the body.
Part of your job is to “manage up.” Or, in the alternative, enjoy the never ending fire-drills from foreseeable problems.
Chief
Law firms are too focused on procuring work and selling hours. Managing falls by the way side.
But whether you’re in a law firm, corporate America, or even blue collar/retail, you need to manage up.
Pro
Please provide an example of an “internal deadline” that senior attorneys ignore.
The internal deadline is for you - not them. :)
This is difficult to answer b/c it depends on the sr. associate and what makes them take action.
1st - be a good jr associate. make sure your work product is as close to final as possible. This will make your assignments "easy reviews" and they may knock them out faster. If your work product is poor, then they may dread reviewing your stuff and put it off.
2nd - Manage up. Clear communication and stating the "why" can help (this is due by Friday because Partner Susie want to review it over the weekend b/c she is traveling next week). Also, consider adding a calendar invite/deadline on there calendar with a 2 days reminder (be careful with this tactic. it can easily backfire if they are protective of their calendar)
Also,try to provide grace when possible. What you think is a big deal could be a very minor issue in comparison to their other tasks. You would be surprised how often sr associates shield juniors from b.s. and negative perceptions
Being realistic about the priority and empathetic about their work load is step 1. If something becomes truly urgent, you reach out to them and explain why it’s urgent and the ramifications of pushing it - professionally, of course. They may not know the significance of the internal deadline and assume it’s a lower priority than it actually is.