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Every year, Vault Law’s annual associate survey polls tens of thousands of associates from hundreds of the nation’s most prestigious law firms about both the relative prestige of firms other than their own as well as the working conditions at their own firm. Besides this, we also ask each respondent for practical advice for law students and prospective laterals, as well as a sample of interview questions they were actually asked. Our survey also distinguishes between large and midsize law firms. Below is a cross-section of the advice volunteered to us by associates working at the large law firms we surveyed.
“Find a good fit, work your hardest when you are on the clock, and value and respect your down time. This is a profession, and your lifestyle will change, but remember that you can only do excellent work when you are thoughtfully and intentionally caring for yourself.”
“You are never going to know how to take a deposition until you start taking depositions. Seek out and accept stretch assignments, even if you are not sure that you are "ready" to do them.”
“Have autonomy over your piece of the deal. Even if your role is limited, make it yours and give yourself a process with deadlines and milestones. People often wait for instructions which is understandable but the best associates set themselves apart by being proactive.”
“Take the process and work seriously, but don't waste energy worrying about things you can't control. Work hard and be responsive. Don't procrastinate.”
“Network as aggressively as possible. The more people you meet, the more you learn about practice areas, firm culture, and the market that you will be working in. Building a robust network is how you build leverage to steer your career early on and learn things about the profession that are not written down and are not taught in law school.”
“Don't obsess or freak out about failures, they will happen, you're doing great, just keep at it and always do your best on every task even if it will be reviewed multiple times after you.”
“Ask questions! You're not expected to know everything, so ask what you don't know, especially to more senior associates.”
“Learn how to manage your workload - it's important to work hard, but also to do good work. If you're constantly underwater, your work won't be good.”
“Focus on maintaining a good attitude, applying maximum effort, and cultivating relationships with senior attorneys. Senior attorneys are aware that juniors are new and inexperienced and will often provide help and guidance if you ask, so long as they believe you are trying your best.”
“Work hard and do good work so that you have leverage to protect your mental health and free time. Stick up for yourself because you cannot rely on others to do so for you.”
“Vault rankings are a decent proxy for the quality of work and training you'll receive at a law firm.”
“Don't be a passenger - if you want to make a switch or have a change that needs to occur, you can't sit by and assume someone else will change it for you.”
“Ask questions early and often, and don't hesitate to ask for prior examples of the type of work that you're assigned. Taking the time to understand expectations up front and talking through issues with senior attorneys is one of the fastest ways to improve and build trust.”
“Be open to trying any assignment that comes across your desk to widen your experience/expertise, and try to learn/understand all facets of litigation, whether it be the substantive law, the procedural rules (both general and local), the filing requirements, and even preparing exhibits/supporting documents. The more people like to work with you and you have experience to assist, the more they likely will keep coming back to you.”
“Admit when you are wrong or have made a mistake. We all make mistakes and this is the only way to actually learn and develop trust. Always be open to feedback.”
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