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May 01, 2007
Introducing Our First "Guest Blogger" Entry: Tips for a Successful Summer, from Michael R. Gordon '85
Next year, the CSO will unveil a "guest blogger" series, in which alumni and practitioners will post their advice and insights on the CSO Blog. As a prelude to this series, here is our first guest blog entry. Michael R. Gordon '85, Partner with Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis LLP in New York City, generously contributed his time and wrote out the following tips on how to have a successful summer work experience. While Mr. Gordon is with a large law firm, there is something for everyone here, whether you are working with a large, mid-size or small firm, or with a public interest, government, academic, business, or other type of employer. Please read on, as his advice will serve you well. And many thanks to Mr. Gordon for his insights.
1. Do excellent work and lots of it; get on the scoreboard at least once per week.
2. Propose solutions, don’t just spot the issues or identify problems.
3. Think, research, write and speak with precision.
4. Return every phone call the same day you receive it; keep voicemail messages informative yet short and sweet.
5. Protect firm and client confidences.
6. Ask questions when you receive an assignment; know what is expected.
7. Bill your time daily – accurately and completely.
8. Make written work product look impressive – and most importantly - PROOFREAD, PROOFREAD, PROOFREAD!
9. Welcome criticism and learn from it.
10. Start off building your reputation. Take initiative and be proactive. Be positive and enthusiastic about everything you do. This includes, assignments, summer events and training programs.
DO
1. Ask as many questions as you need to make sure you completely understand the assignment that’s been given to you, including what sort of deadline is involved. Be candid with your assigning attorney about what’s on your plate and any concerns you have about being able to finish an assignment on time.
2. Spend time learning about the firm – become genuinely interested in the firm. Exhibit an enthusiastic curiosity about the work the firm does. Try also to get a sense of the big picture each time you are assigned to work on something new.
3. Be proactive. If there is a person at the firm who does work you are particularly interested in, give him or her a call and introduce yourself.
4. Take advantage of the firm’s resources. If you are asked to draft a contract or a memorandum, ask to see well-done samples. Talk to associates who have worked with specific partners to get a sense of their individual expectations.
5. Carefully review each piece of work that you hand in for typos and other mistakes; never hand in less than completely finished work to a supervising partner or associate.
6. Strike a balance between the work and social elements of your summer. Take your work very seriously and tread somewhat cautiously at social events. Use the social activities during the summer to demonstrate your level of maturity.
7. Get a handle on budgeting your time early on. Take on as much work as you can without reneging on existing deadlines and underperforming on projects that have already been assigned to you. If you do get caught and don’t think you can meet a deadline report it to your supervising attorney ASAP.
8. People hear about how you treat everyone, including support staff (secretaries, paralegals, recruiting staff and library personnel). Let the word get around that you treat people well.
9. Help other summer associates – you are in this together as a firm. Do ask for help from other summer associates. They may have some insight on your project or they may have worked with the same assigning partner before and can offer you some advice.
DON’T
1. Don’t try to do an assignment without fully knowing what’s involved out of intimidation or fear that a partner or associate expects you to already know everything. Don’t be afraid to ask what you don’t know or understand.
2. Don’t do the bare minimum. Don’t fail to ask any questions about how your work fits into the big picture.
3. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel by ignoring the hours of work done by associates who came before you. Ask the assigning attorney, your mentor or other associates if there are existing memos or research files that may assist you with your assignment.
4. Don’t hide in your office with your head in a pile of paper in order to avoid human contact. When you pass people in the hallways, say hello. Go to the planned events, go out to lunch with as many as attorneys as possible and attend any training programs or practice group lunches that are offered while you are there. Get to know the people who make up the firm.
5. Don’t hand in working drafts or work that has not been proofread to a partner, no matter how laid back he or she may seem. Use this test: Ask yourself whether you would be less than confident in the quality of your work were it to be distributed to every lawyer at the firm for their review. If so, go back and take another look.
6. Don’t let up. As one 3L puts it: "Beware of week six; it’s the point in the summer when the learning curve flattens. There is a tendency to say, ‘I’ve done enough work,’ and get a little lazy." All the work product you produce counts.
7. Don’t focus only on work to the exclusion of enjoying your summer. Firms like to hire people who lead relatively well-rounded lives. Plus the social events are another great opportunity to get to know the people you work with.
8. Don’t be late to anything including summer events, client meetings, training programs or even lunches. Being on time shows that you are dependable.
9. Don’t check your blackberry during a training program even if you see other attorneys do so. It is disrespectful.
Posted by smp20 at May 1, 2007 02:24 PM