The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/96072
lessons learned Striking the right balance between wordiness and accuracy in a time entry is a honed skill. that are regularly edited or modified. These office culture advisors are — once again — indispensable resources for new attorneys to gain valuable insights into the billing language preferences of various assigning attorneys and/or clients. Asking for sample bills is perhaps the fastest way to get a solid grasp on the attorneys' and/ or clients' billing preferences. Being accurate in time entry also means reporting all of the time spent on an assignment. New associates often have concerns that they are taking too long on particular assignments and might have a tendency to edit down the "time" portion of their time entries. It is not advisable to alter time entries in this manner, however, because assigning attorneys might look at how long it took an associate to complete a work assignment to assess how the associate is developing in certain competencies and to determine whether he or she is ready not only for more advanced assignments but a larger quantity of assignments. If the assigning attorney is basing these judgments on bad data, associates might soon find themselves in over their heads. In order to best serve your firm and the firm's clients, accurately report all of your time and trust that, if necessary, the assigning attorney will edit the amount of time that is billed to a client. 5. Consider Marketing from Within First While there is much written about the traits that make certain attorneys good marketers of their practice, I'd like to make a single suggestion regarding marketing for first-year associates: When starting out, consider the attorneys within your firm to be your clients. In giving you assignments and matters to handle, practitioners are not only assessing your legal aptitudes, but also your project management and communication skills, your business savvy and many other intangibles that could make you more or less likely to have interaction with external firm clients early in your career. The concept is simple — treat the assigning attorneys as you would an external firm client. Be considerate of the deadlines on projects, communicate with them using their preferred communication means, ask questions to ensure that you are 110 Peer to Peer meeting their objectives, and otherwise handle yourself as someone they would trust with their clients. Good Luck With Your Transition My transition from law school to practicing attorney included many lessons learned, and I'm hopeful the foregoing insights will help you as you enter this exciting profession. Marcy McGovern is an attorney in Littler Mendelson's knowledge management department. She utilizes her prior employment litigation and counseling experience to contribute to the firm's innovative approaches to integrating technology and new processes into practice. Marcy regularly works with technologists and lawyers to collaborate on businessdriven solutions for clients. She also supports various practice groups within the firm. Marcy can be contacted at mmcgovern@littler.com.