by Molly Coughlin, Assistant Director for Law Career Development
Tackling your summer work assignments can be an intimidating part of the job. It is important that you seek, receive, complete and follow up on your projects with professionalism and enthusiasm. Consider these tips as you embark upon this important aspect of your job performance:
1. Seek Assignments Thoughtfully. Some employers may assign your specific projects. If so, accept them enthusiastically and remain open to learning about new practice areas and legal skills. If you have flexibility in choosing your assignments, choose wisely. Consider which practice areas seem the busiest, and which areas you would ultimately like to focus your practice on. Try to work for a number of lawyers so that you receive evaluations from multiple perspectives.
2. Come Prepared. When receiving an assignment, bring a pad of paper and a pen with you. Be sure to take detailed notes that you can refer to later about the project and the supervisor’s expectations.
3. Get the “Big Picture” Perspective. Make sure you know the purpose behind your project, what it will be used for and by whom, and where it fits in into the grand scheme of things. It is a good idea to find out what other attorneys are working on the project, should you need guidance.
4. Understand the Scope of What You Are Being Asked to Do. Sometimes a supervising attorney will ask you to look under every rock and sometimes he/she will just ask you for a general overview of a research topic. Sometimes the attorney wants a formal memorandum, and sometimes he/she wants an outline or an oral report. Make sure that you understand exactly what the supervising attorney expects of you. Be an active listener and ask questions when you are unclear. It is a good idea to ask the attorney for a recent example of a particular type of document that you are being asked to prepare.
5. Confirm the Due Date and Time Expected on the Project. Ask if the attorney has an expectation of how many hours you should spend on the assignment, and when asking for a deadline, be specific, e.g., not “Friday,” but “Friday, June 12 at 9:00 AM.”
6. Listen Carefully. Before embarking on your new assignment, confirm your understanding of what needs to be done, as well as how and when. Often upon hearing again what they have asked you to do, supervising attorneys may revise their initial directions.
7. Get Guidance When You Come to Forks in the Road. If you find yourself at an unexpected fork in the road on a project, stop and contact the supervising attorney for clarification before spending numerous hours and resources going in the wrong direction. Remember to value attorneys’ time when seeking guidance.
8. Communicate. It is your responsibility to keep the attorneys you work with informed as to the status of your projects. Do not wait for the assigning attorney to ask you how the project is going. In the absence of communication, attorneys may leap to a negative conclusion about the status of the project and your work habits.
9. Make Sure Your Work Product is Professional in Appearance and Content. Even if an attorney asks for a “rough draft,” never turn in a true draft, e.g., make sure that your work product is free of grammatical errors, spelling mistakes and improper citations and formatting. It is a good idea to print out your work product and read it aloud, or have someone else review it for you before you turn it in. Self-evaluate your product: Have I answered all the questions? Am I presenting it well? Will my work product be easy for the attorney to use?
10. Meet Deadlines. Turn projects in by the deadline, or earlier! If a project is taking much longer than expected or if you are being pulled in too many directions to meet the deadline, it is critical to tell the attorney well in advance of the deadline.
11. Seek Feedback and Handle it Gracefully. In a perfect world, you would receive an evaluation of each project after it has been submitted. In reality, this does not always happen. If feedback is not forthcoming, show initiative and actively seek an assessment of your work. Such feedback, particularly if it is constructive criticism, can help you adjust your work style and get on track. Remember that feedback is among the most important developmental tools in a job, so be open to receiving it – good or bad.
