Legal News

Associate Advice from the Corner Office: Part II

By Dan Slater

Think of any email you send as being on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. So be careful before you press send. . . . First impressions are lasting; make a good one. — Susan Galli, hiring partner, Ropes & Gray

If post-Memorial Day start dates still apply, we’re at T-minus-three- weeks until 2L’s report for summer work — or, at the very least, report for a heckuvalot of iced teas. To get you ready, Loyal LB Readers, we bring you the second installment of “Associate Advice from the Corner Office.” This week, Susan Galli, 51, steps up to the plate. A deal attorney at 900-lawyer Ropes & Gray, Galli (Williams, Harvard Law) has been at Ropes for 23 years and now doubles as the firm’s hiring partner. Here, she offers a few tips for summers, incoming first-years and everyone else working their way through the law firm jungle.

It’s a balancing act: Galli says Ropes tries to hire people who are independent thinkers, but can work collegially. “When we hire people, we rely on them right away,” says Galli. “We don’t double-check their research. But at the same time, you want someone with good judgment who knows when to check back. So it’s a balancing act of doing enough work on your own, but coming back when it’s time to ask thoughtful questions, like, ‘I’m at a fork in the road, which way should I go?’”

Don’t be ‘inappropriately impatient’: Over time, your role is going to change, says Galli, so focus on working your way up the learning curve, even when the work seems dull. “At the beginning, what kept me motivated through several due diligences was that I was learning, so it didn’t seem dull,” says Galli. “You wouldn’t want to be learning forever, but I realized that when I was reading those documents, no one else was going to read them. So at the beginning, the learning curve that keeps you scared every day kept me motivated.” Galli advises that even when you have to do routine things longer than you’d like to, take the long-term view of what you’re trying to accomplish. Don’t be “inappropriately impatient.”

But take control of your career: Your role does need to change over time, Galli says, so don’t forget to take control. “If you’re not getting any closer to the things that will continue to help you learn – if you’re on your third doc review, and not getting a mix of work – then that’s different.” Here’s what you can do, she advises: talk to the people who are assigning work, and let them know you’re happy to contribute. Also, without trying to go around an assignment system, reach out directly to people in the firm – partners, senior associates and peers – to get the word out that you’re enthusiastic. “Don’t panic, stay positive, and think about how to get to where you want to be.”

As always, Law Blog Readers, let us know what you think about Galli’s advice.

Photo: iStockPhoto

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on May 05, 2008 (boomark / email).