Biglaw

Open Thread: Do Performance Reviews Turn Dubious in a Downturn?

By  
on

Performance reviews have never been fun exactly. But these days, when firms are periodically going on “cleanses,” the review process is more nerve-wracking then ever.
We are receiving anecdotal reports of associates who have always received good reviews suddenly being criticized for ridiculously trivial infractions — perhaps to lay the groundwork for a future performance-based dismissal. We are also hearing about reviews being moved up in time at some firms, presumably to accelerate the process of stealth layoffs.
In the worst-case scenario, you may learn that your performance is not up to par and you’re being let go (as happened to approximately 40 Ropes & Gray attorneys during spring performance reviews last week). One of the victims of Ropes’s performance-based firings wrote to us:

First, the idea that this is “performance based” is ridiculous. I received a good December review, got a bonus, and all of the partners I work with have been uniformly shocked that I was on this list (the partners were not informed in advance which associates were being let go, and the onus has been on the associates to inform them — awesome).

The only comment in my review this time around was a vague reference that I was unlikely to make partner….

Indeed, that does seem unlikely now.
An attorney at another firm writes:

During this review period, at least four female associates (including myself) were told that we are not “assertive” or “confident” enough. All four of us are strong, hardworking women, whose only bad comment on the reviews was that we are not aggressive enough.

Well, at least she was proactive enough to write ATL about her firm’s dubious review process.
Have your performance reviews changed from perfunctory to terrifying? Do you fear that seeds of criticism are being planted now in order to justify a performance-based firing later? Are you getting new kinds of criticisms?
We invite paranoid speculation in the comments. We especially welcome the leavening of humor — so if some of the review criticisms you’ve received are so silly or stupid as to be laughable, please do share them. Thanks.

Sponsored

Topics