With summer and new associate season
approaching, now’s a good time for attorneys to consider how to get the most of
out their associates. I’ve found the tips below help associates improve their
writing and help attorneys get the most bang for their associate buck.
Be Specific
“Improve your writing” (while perhaps
true) isn’t the type of helpful feedback that summer and young associates need.
If an associate’s writing is lacking, provide the associate with specific
information about what aspects of the writing need improvement. Is the
associate’s grammar and sentence structure poor? Does the associate fail to
adequately outline the facts? Is the explanation of the law cursory? Does the
analysis need more in-depth treatment?
And while you’re at it, offer explicit
suggestions for improvement (e.g., you should also have included facts X, Y,
and Z in your Statement of Facts). Being specific with the associate about the
areas of his or her writing that need improvement greatly increases the likelihood
that you’ll see that improvement.
Give Feedback Verbally and In Writing
Associates generally learn more from
written feedback when they can ask the attorney questions about why the
attorney made certain changes to the associate’s work. Consider marking-up a
portion of the associate’s work then sitting down with the associate for a few
minutes to explain the comments. Letting the associate ask questions about
specific changes and then revise his or her own work (as opposed to having an
administrative assistant make changes) will help the associate better
understand your expectations and the areas in which he or she needs to improve.
Be Timely
There’s no denying that lawyers are
busy people. Finding the time to sit down with an associate to provide feedback
can be a challenge. But both you and the associate will benefit if you provide the
associate with feedback quickly. First, the associate’s written work is still
fresh in his or her mind, making critiques easier to see and understand.
Second, the associate can begin to improve his or her work immediately (rather
than spending months doing work “wrong). And, third, by providing timely
feedback, the attorney will hopefully see improvement on the next assignment
(as opposed to continuing to receive sub-par work over and over again).
Give Praise, When Due
Studies have shown that most people
respond best to positive reinforcement than to other behavior modification
techniques. One thing many associates learn early in practice is that criticism
is everywhere but praise is non-existent. Particularly for young associates,
the pride in having an attorney tell you that you did a good job can sustain
you through the long periods when you’re still learning to practice law and
making mistakes on a seemingly daily (or hourly) basis. Offering a few words of
praise and encouragement will go a long way toward ensuring that the associate
continues to work to improve.
You’ll do yourself, your firm, and
your associate favors by providing helpful, specific feedback that the
associate can use to improve his or her writing.
