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Learning the Craft - Associate Milestones/Skills


nayaab05

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nayaab05
  • Lawyer

I was wondering what the big milestones were post-articling once you become an associate at a law firm.

What I’ve been able to gather so far is that once you start as an associate, the focus should be on learning the craft and building your skills, but what does “learning the craft” and “building your skills” mean tangibly? I am particularly interested in asking this question because I hear a lot about lawyers not getting the big deals and files to end up coming up short in their application for partnership or other competitive opportunities.

Again, a lot of the assumptions I have are based on observations and conversations. Open to being told things are otherwise.

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Aureliuse
  • Lawyer

I practice exclusively in family law. My experience might be starkly different than someone in other areas of practice.

Here is what I think they mean:

Learning the Craft: Know what "you don't know." Know that what you know has much greater depth/complexity. Learning how to balance your life and not let law to become "all-consuming." Identify areas where the law is not settled in your practice area. Building a professional network of colleagues. Getting to know the quirks of the judges in each court. Knowing your limits in terms of billable hours.

Building Your Skills: Handling a greater variety of files in your practice area. Improving your written and oral advocacy. Having greater tolerance and competence for difficult files/opposing counsel.

Some of my milestones:

Successful on 1st motion

Successful on 1st trial

(family law exclusive) Not let absolutely vile comments/remarks by OC/client get under my skin

(family law exclusive) Develop an easy to forgive, easy to forget attitude (aka let bygones by bygones)

Resolving a file two previous senior counsel could not resolve

Losing on issues on motion/trial when I had the "right of way" in law.

Tendering my resignation as protest to my employer's unethical practice (something strictly forbidden by Rules of Professional Conduct) and advising a prospective client to look for legal representation elsewhere.

 

Edited by Aureliuse
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