An Inside Look at the Skadden Annual Review Process

Today, we take an inside look at the annual review process for attorneys at Skadden Arps. In this special report, we'll provide general observations on the Skadden review process, highlight noteworthy comments from leaked attorney evaluations, and show you a few reviews in their entirety. If you're interested in learning more about performance reviews at one of the world's biggest and best law firms, please keep reading....

By David Lat on October 13, 2011 10:16 am

INCOMPETENT GUY
(2009 rating was NA – was on Side Bar: 2010 rating – [ ]
Chargeable Hours: 240 actual hours for 2009 (Side Bar); 250 actual YTD hours through 10/31/10.
Docket: INCOMPETENT GUY has done some document review work, but generally is difficult to employ. He has been asked to leave the Firm by year-end.

So there you have it: a detailed look at the annual review process at Skadden. Although some people in the department were upset when a partner accidentally emailed all of these evaluations to everyone in the department — and understandably so, given the confidential nature of the reviews — the process seems to work well.

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By Barbri

Associates and counsel appear to be evaluated fairly, by a variety of their colleagues, based on the quality of their work. Office politics do not seem to play a major role in evaluations. And, thanks to the partner’s email blunder, the process certainly is transparent!

Earlier: Skadden Partner Accidentally Emails Confidential Evaluations to Entire Department