LOS ANGELES NEW ORLEANS NEW YORK SACRAMENTO SAN FRANCISCO WASHINGTON DC

ATLANTA AUSTIN BOSTON CHICAGO DALLAS HOUSTON LONDON

Associate Training

April 30, 2009

ATLANTA AUSTIN BOSTON CHICAGO DALLAS HOUSTON LONDON LOS ANGELES NEW ORLEANS NEW YORK SACRAMENTO SAN FRANCISCO WASHINGTON DC

Tips for Success

• There is no easy road to success

• There is no single road to success

ATLANTA AUSTIN BOSTON CHICAGO DALLAS HOUSTON LONDON LOS ANGELES NEW ORLEANS NEW YORK SACRAMENTO SAN FRANCISCO WASHINGTON DC

Commitment

• Not 9 to 5, Monday through Friday

• We are relying on you

• Seize the moment

• Take advantage of opportunities

• Make yourself a valuable member of the team

ATLANTA AUSTIN BOSTON CHICAGO DALLAS HOUSTON LONDON LOS ANGELES NEW ORLEANS NEW YORK SACRAMENTO SAN FRANCISCO WASHINGTON DC

Time Management

• Be aware of the schedule of the senior attorneys with whom you work

• Be aware of the case schedule– When working on a project with tight deadlines, check

email and voice mail frequently on weekends, evenings and while traveling

• Be aware of project expectations– Use your judgment

• Work accurately but efficiently– Achieve the best results in the fewest hours

ATLANTA AUSTIN BOSTON CHICAGO DALLAS HOUSTON LONDON LOS ANGELES NEW ORLEANS NEW YORK SACRAMENTO SAN FRANCISCO WASHINGTON DC

Time Sheets

• Know client billing guidelines and expectations

• Must be accurate

• Show the value of your work– Details

– Progression

– Balance between too little and too much

• Submit timesheets on time

ATLANTA AUSTIN BOSTON CHICAGO DALLAS HOUSTON LONDON LOS ANGELES NEW ORLEANS NEW YORK SACRAMENTO SAN FRANCISCO WASHINGTON DC

Time Sheets - Example

• Legal research

• Legal research regarding brief

• Legal research to support argument in motion to dismiss that plaintiffs failed to adequately allege an injury to competition

ATLANTA AUSTIN BOSTON CHICAGO DALLAS HOUSTON LONDON LOS ANGELES NEW ORLEANS NEW YORK SACRAMENTO SAN FRANCISCO WASHINGTON DC

Time Sheets - Example

• Telephone conference

• Telephone conference with client

• Telephone conference with client regarding discovery

• Telephone conference with J. Clements regarding collection of documents to respond to plaintiffs’ second set of document requests

ATLANTA AUSTIN BOSTON CHICAGO DALLAS HOUSTON LONDON LOS ANGELES NEW ORLEANS NEW YORK SACRAMENTO SAN FRANCISCO WASHINGTON DC

Project Management

• Ownership — it is your project

• Follow-up– Until the project is completed

– After the project is completed

• Master the area of law/issue

• Your opinion and insight are important– Speak up if you disagree

• Do not be afraid to ask for help

ATLANTA AUSTIN BOSTON CHICAGO DALLAS HOUSTON LONDON LOS ANGELES NEW ORLEANS NEW YORK SACRAMENTO SAN FRANCISCO WASHINGTON DC

Understand the Assignments

• Ask questions – Repeat it to the senior attorney, if necessary

• Understand what work product is expected

• Be prepared to adjust course– Follow the “leads”

– You may end at a place you did not start

ATLANTA AUSTIN BOSTON CHICAGO DALLAS HOUSTON LONDON LOS ANGELES NEW ORLEANS NEW YORK SACRAMENTO SAN FRANCISCO WASHINGTON DC

Understand the Schedule

• Internal deadlines (e.g., draft to the client)

• External deadlines (e.g., filing date)

• Do not commit to a deadline that you cannot meet

ATLANTA AUSTIN BOSTON CHICAGO DALLAS HOUSTON LONDON LOS ANGELES NEW ORLEANS NEW YORK SACRAMENTO SAN FRANCISCO WASHINGTON DC

Communication - Internal • Ask how senior attorney prefers to communicate

– Know when to communicate in writing/in person

– Use judgment when communicating in writing

• Be responsive– Acknowledge email and voice mail messages, even if

you do not have a substantive answer

– Provide frequent updates

• “Bad news” doesn’t get better with time– Difficulties meeting the schedule

– Difficulties in completing the project (e.g., case on point)

ATLANTA AUSTIN BOSTON CHICAGO DALLAS HOUSTON LONDON LOS ANGELES NEW ORLEANS NEW YORK SACRAMENTO SAN FRANCISCO WASHINGTON DC

Communication - External

• We are in a client service business

• Same rules apply - but bar is higher– Understand how the client prefers to communicate

– Know when to communicate in writing/in person

– Use judgment when communicating in writing

– Be responsive

– “Bad news”

• Submit communications to senior attorney for review

• Copy senior attorneys on all significant external communications

ATLANTA AUSTIN BOSTON CHICAGO DALLAS HOUSTON LONDON LOS ANGELES NEW ORLEANS NEW YORK SACRAMENTO SAN FRANCISCO WASHINGTON DC

The Standard is Excellence

• Attention to detail

• Error free– Proofread

– Typos, Blue Booking, internal consistency

• Proper grammar and syntax– Colloquialisms

– Informality

• Filling in the “blanks”

• Your first draft should not be the “first draft” submitted to the senior attorney

ATLANTA AUSTIN BOSTON CHICAGO DALLAS HOUSTON LONDON LOS ANGELES NEW ORLEANS NEW YORK SACRAMENTO SAN FRANCISCO WASHINGTON DC

The Standard is Excellence

• No project is too small

• We are in the problem-solving business

• Make the senior attorney and client look good

• Make a project or task “easy” for the senior attorney and client

ATLANTA AUSTIN BOSTON CHICAGO DALLAS HOUSTON LONDON LOS ANGELES NEW ORLEANS NEW YORK SACRAMENTO SAN FRANCISCO WASHINGTON DC

Managing Work Flow

• You need an “inventory” of work– Do not work “assignment to assignment”

– Do not wait until you are out of work

• You need multiple “pipelines” for work– Work with multiple senior attorneys

– Clear with your reporting partner(s)

• Become involved in “cases” or “matters”

• Keep track of your YTD hours

ATLANTA AUSTIN BOSTON CHICAGO DALLAS HOUSTON LONDON LOS ANGELES NEW ORLEANS NEW YORK SACRAMENTO SAN FRANCISCO WASHINGTON DC

Outward Focus

• Get involved– Bar associations

– Industry events

– Business groups

– Law school

• It is never too soon to start– Professional development

– Business development

• Over time, develop a plan