Swimming Lessons For Baby Sharks: Practical Advice For New Lawyers

Q: I have heard that there are lots of “unwritten rules” at law firms. Is that true?

ATLSLFBSLogoQ: I have heard that there are lots of “unwritten rules” at law firms. Is that true?

A: Yes. Many practices and protocols exist at law firms that don’t rise to the level formal policies. Still, if you violate them, problems can ensue. This post discusses certain unwritten rules relating to building internal relationships. In future posts, I will cover unwritten rules involving communications, client relations and law firm economics.

1. Treat senior lawyers as your clients.

As a new lawyer, your “real” job is to do whatever you can to make the lives of senior lawyers easier. The job is not just about research and drafting documents. Law firms solve client problems, which entails far more.

You should treat senior lawyers as your clients. That mindset will help you build relationships within the firm and gain valuable skills for providing service to external clients. For example, early on get in the habit of anticipating needs and thinking of ways to be helpful.

2. You have to earn a mentor.

Your firm is likely to assign you one or more mentors. You also need to cultivate relationships that develop naturally with people who will invest in your future. But if you want these mentors to invest in your career, you need to earn that commitment.

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The best way is to excel and demonstrate an eagerness to learn. That will make others want to help you grow. And it gives mentors the confidence that over time you will be able to handle more complex work, ultimately making their lives easier.

Also think of ways you can support your mentor’s career. For example, if your mentor is hosting an event or receiving an award, do your best to attend and show support. Your mentor will likely return the favor.

3. Never say “no.”

Even if you are drowning in other work (multiple post-midnight days), other lawyers won’t like it if you flat-out refuse to take on more. If you give them a direct “no,” they may not ever offer you work again.

At the same time, you need to make sure you can do your current work without cutting corners that will compromise quality. A senior lawyer’s temporary disappointment that you cannot immediately take on new work is far better than cutting corners and getting a reputation for sloppy work.

If a lawyer asks you to take on more work when you are completely overloaded, rather than say, “no,” you need to negotiate. Start by thanking the lawyer for thinking of you.

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Indicate that you have certain all-consuming projects (and name the senior attorneys involved if you think that would be helpful). Offer to start work on the new project after certain number of days. (Remember to add a cushion for emergencies.) Often, a lengthy delay is effectively a “no.”

You could also ask if there are parts of the work that you could start sooner and others that could wait. Another option is to suggest someone else who could do the work.

But if the assigning attorney is someone with whom you want to build an ongoing working relationship, just do your best to take on the new work – without delay.

4. Don’t gossip.

Sometimes listening to office gossip can give you useful information. But don’t spread it. If you criticize others, it can easily get back to them. E-mails and social media posts are particularly problematic. If the wrong people see them, you have no way to deny your authorship.

Getting a reputation as a gossip can also make other attorneys question whether you can maintain client confidences.

When I was a junior associate, an associate a few years ahead of me reveled in gossip. She was fairly close with a senior partner and often had interesting information to share. One day she realized that I never “gave” her any gossip in return. She announced that she would have to stop sharing information if I did not tell her what I knew. I declined, and I expected the information flow to stop. It didn’t.

If you gain a reputation as someone who does not spread gossip, people are likely to be comfortable sharing information. They will be confident that you won’t get them in trouble by passing it on.

Keep your ears open and your mouth closed.

Good luck.

HeadshotBWLPM1Grover E. Cleveland is a Seattle lawyer, speaker and author of Swimming Lessons for Baby Sharks: The Essential Guide to Thriving as a New Lawyer (West 2010). He is a former partner at Foster Pepper PLLC, one of the Northwest’s larger firms. His clients included the Seattle Seahawks and other entities owned by Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen. Grover is a frequent presenter on new lawyer career success at law schools and firms nationwide. Some of the questions in this column come from those presentations. Readers may submit questions here or follow him on Twitter @Babysharklaw. He is not related to the 22nd and 24th President of the United States.