Practice Management
Practice Management Tip 4: Navigating Your Workplace
As a junior lawyer, your role varies based on your firm's size, department, colleagues and career stage. Some firms view you as a trainee and invest in your development, while others expect you to generate a return on your salary. Both approaches offer valuable learning opportunities, but the latter demands more initiative and resilience.
To succeed, thoroughly understand your assignments and seek guidance if unsure how to proceed or allocate your time. Regularly report back and actively seek feedback, learning from both positive and negative comments. Accept that mistakes are part of the learning process and use corrections to improve your skills. Focus on understanding substantial corrections and do not hesitate to ask for clarification when needed.
Younger lawyers often struggle to obtain feedback from busy or unapproachable senior partners. Anticipate delays and build extra time for feedback requests. If you need a performance appraisal rather than guidance on specific tasks, be persistent. Some senior lawyers may be reluctant to invest time in appraisals or may feel uncomfortable with the process. In such cases, seek feedback from another appropriate partner. Law firms often have a "sink or swim" approach, so find support wherever you can.
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Practice Management Tip 1: Improving Communications with Client Practice Management Tip 2: Reframing Your Thoughts |
