Yup. If you're a first year, nothing goes external without approval. It might not even be a thing in the four corners of the work product - there might be considerations in play way above pay grade.
As a general principle, as a midlevel, I'd like to put eyes on everything a first year does before it goes to the client. I'm never so busy that I can't at least take a quick look. If the changes are simple enough that I don't want to see it, I'll say that in the tasking email.
That might just be my preference though, others probably have different takes.
EDIT: Apparently no one has a different take!
I'm a 4th year and most of my work is reviewed by a partner or senior associate. I'm in regulatory work, so even as a 4th year I can't just send stuff out on my own. Emails and simple tasks sure, but most of the work gets reviewed by a govt regulator so we bake in a review process internally.
It depends on the manager. Some partners want to review and edit every single email of yours. Other (like me) want you to proactively move the deal forward and I won’t give you anything you shouldn’t be able to figure out yourself
Fellow junior here. Like someone else said here, I always ask for sign off before sending a doc or an email over to a client unless explicitly told to just go ahead. I am struggling a bit tho, as I work with a partner who is oftentimes way too busy and unresponsive. It makes me anxious because the client gets anxious and will ask me things directly
, but at the end of the day, I don’t want to send something without the partner’s ok because I am learning a new area. I follow up via email, text, phone, and even then… it’s hit or miss. If anyone has any advice… please let me know…
Oh, believe me, I’ve tried. I’m best friends with their assistant. The partner doesn’t even make half the meetings that we have set up for them so that I can plead for a morsel of guidance and so they can review the stuff I’ve been reminding them for days and weeks. And unfortunately, it would require me hopping on a plane to literally kick down their office door. 🫠
You’re doing the right thing. If you’re new and you don’t know the exact answer 100% or it’s a task then it’s waiting on the partner/supervisor. Make yourself heard and beyond that it’s up to them. They are busy too and they have a queue of work that they are also triaging. In my experience they know you’re waiting.
General principle is to get sign-off for everything. If the client e-mails often with small tasks (e.g., requesting X document; asks about the next conference for a case, etc.), you can ask the partner/senior associate if it is okay for you to carry out the tasks without specific sign-off to speed things along, and you might get a yes for such purely ministerial tasks.
It can get frustrating when the asks are small and the internal sign-off is annoyingly long, but keep in mind the client's relationship is with the firm and with the partner assigned to the matter, not you. It is good that you want to enhance that relationship with quick responsiveness, but absent specific permission, always have things reviewed internally before sending to a client, no matter how small.
You get my sign off until I expressly tell you you don't need my sign off. Your question alone tells me that you don't have enough experience to make independent decisions yet.
Fair. I’ve gotten mixed feedback because our group is extremely busy, client will want an urgent response, senior lawyer isn’t around, and then senior lawyer thanks me for handling - usually small and I’m 100% of the answer. But good to note if it’s that obvious
Unless I hear otherwise, I assume everything I work on needs to be reviewed by a more senior attorney.
If they are annoyed you’re not operating independently they will tell you to not bother them
Get signoff on anything going to the client. "More senior lawyer" is more fluid and generally depends on the relationship.
As long as you give them everything (i.e., send them the draft email along with the product) and just ask for the a ok it's not so much work that they'll be mad you did it
Longtime biglaw clients are generally quite senior. So getting something from a first year that a partner or senior hadn’t reviewed would be odd. Especially without the partner or senior on cc.
Having to answer questions about that would not be worthwhile for the first year!
You’re a first year. Ask the people you’re working with. Different supervisors have different preferences and it depends on the level of trust you have cultivated in your experience with them, not on a policy.
I'm a senior and I still don't send things to a client until I CMA. Some partners will trust you to do things without explicit sign-off and some want to approve literally everything.
What CYA you should do depends on the significance of things and who youre working with. It could mean just sending a quick email saying "These are quick changes so I can finalize shortly; let me know if you want to take a look before I send to the client." Or stopping by their office and just asking real quick "Hey can I send updates to the client or do you want to review first?"
Once I got more experienced I'd send timegated emails, e.g "I'll send this out by XX unless I hear otherwise" but I 100% would not as a junior
everything goes to a supervising attorney or partner, unless I hear "draft this email and send it to them" or "send new copies of XYZ to client and cc me"
Yesterday I was revising some drafts and I wrote up the cover letter for the partner to sign. She asked if she should read the changes or if I had it handled. I told her to ok my letter since she has a particular way of writing, and that was all.
I don't think first years should be gung-ho about sending stuff to clients without approval.
Never send anything to the client without having it reviewed or getting the okay that a review is not necessary. CYA.
Yup. If you're a first year, nothing goes external without approval. It might not even be a thing in the four corners of the work product - there might be considerations in play way above pay grade.
As a general principle, as a midlevel, I'd like to put eyes on everything a first year does before it goes to the client. I'm never so busy that I can't at least take a quick look. If the changes are simple enough that I don't want to see it, I'll say that in the tasking email. That might just be my preference though, others probably have different takes. EDIT: Apparently no one has a different take!
Agree with this. And as a first year, you should want a senior person’s eyes on everything you can get them to look at. CYA
I'm a 4th year and most of my work is reviewed by a partner or senior associate. I'm in regulatory work, so even as a 4th year I can't just send stuff out on my own. Emails and simple tasks sure, but most of the work gets reviewed by a govt regulator so we bake in a review process internally.
Which regulatory field
Securities/BD/RIA and MSB work mainly.
The “I’m going to send this to the client unless you have any issue with it” email usually gets a more senior lawyer’s attention in my experience
LOL this is very true, use this liberally OP.
It depends on the manager. Some partners want to review and edit every single email of yours. Other (like me) want you to proactively move the deal forward and I won’t give you anything you shouldn’t be able to figure out yourself
Fellow junior here. Like someone else said here, I always ask for sign off before sending a doc or an email over to a client unless explicitly told to just go ahead. I am struggling a bit tho, as I work with a partner who is oftentimes way too busy and unresponsive. It makes me anxious because the client gets anxious and will ask me things directly , but at the end of the day, I don’t want to send something without the partner’s ok because I am learning a new area. I follow up via email, text, phone, and even then… it’s hit or miss. If anyone has any advice… please let me know…
[удалено]
Oh, believe me, I’ve tried. I’m best friends with their assistant. The partner doesn’t even make half the meetings that we have set up for them so that I can plead for a morsel of guidance and so they can review the stuff I’ve been reminding them for days and weeks. And unfortunately, it would require me hopping on a plane to literally kick down their office door. 🫠
You’re doing the right thing. If you’re new and you don’t know the exact answer 100% or it’s a task then it’s waiting on the partner/supervisor. Make yourself heard and beyond that it’s up to them. They are busy too and they have a queue of work that they are also triaging. In my experience they know you’re waiting.
General principle is to get sign-off for everything. If the client e-mails often with small tasks (e.g., requesting X document; asks about the next conference for a case, etc.), you can ask the partner/senior associate if it is okay for you to carry out the tasks without specific sign-off to speed things along, and you might get a yes for such purely ministerial tasks. It can get frustrating when the asks are small and the internal sign-off is annoyingly long, but keep in mind the client's relationship is with the firm and with the partner assigned to the matter, not you. It is good that you want to enhance that relationship with quick responsiveness, but absent specific permission, always have things reviewed internally before sending to a client, no matter how small.
You get my sign off until I expressly tell you you don't need my sign off. Your question alone tells me that you don't have enough experience to make independent decisions yet.
lol this
Fair. I’ve gotten mixed feedback because our group is extremely busy, client will want an urgent response, senior lawyer isn’t around, and then senior lawyer thanks me for handling - usually small and I’m 100% of the answer. But good to note if it’s that obvious
A 1st year sending something without sign off to a client would be a bold move towards unemployment (in my opinion).
I was running deals (with the principal doc in agreed form) at the end of my first year, was that unusual?
Send everything to your supervising attorney until they tell you otherwise.
Unless I hear otherwise, I assume everything I work on needs to be reviewed by a more senior attorney. If they are annoyed you’re not operating independently they will tell you to not bother them
Get signoff on anything going to the client. "More senior lawyer" is more fluid and generally depends on the relationship. As long as you give them everything (i.e., send them the draft email along with the product) and just ask for the a ok it's not so much work that they'll be mad you did it
If there’s any substance to it, get sign off. If it’s being told by the client to change the margins or add a signatory and their title, do that.
Always get signoff (6th yr)
Longtime biglaw clients are generally quite senior. So getting something from a first year that a partner or senior hadn’t reviewed would be odd. Especially without the partner or senior on cc. Having to answer questions about that would not be worthwhile for the first year!
Communicating directly with a client without proper oversight is a good way to get yourself fired.
Oh boy
You’re a first year. Ask the people you’re working with. Different supervisors have different preferences and it depends on the level of trust you have cultivated in your experience with them, not on a policy.
I'm a senior and I still don't send things to a client until I CMA. Some partners will trust you to do things without explicit sign-off and some want to approve literally everything. What CYA you should do depends on the significance of things and who youre working with. It could mean just sending a quick email saying "These are quick changes so I can finalize shortly; let me know if you want to take a look before I send to the client." Or stopping by their office and just asking real quick "Hey can I send updates to the client or do you want to review first?" Once I got more experienced I'd send timegated emails, e.g "I'll send this out by XX unless I hear otherwise" but I 100% would not as a junior
everything goes to a supervising attorney or partner, unless I hear "draft this email and send it to them" or "send new copies of XYZ to client and cc me" Yesterday I was revising some drafts and I wrote up the cover letter for the partner to sign. She asked if she should read the changes or if I had it handled. I told her to ok my letter since she has a particular way of writing, and that was all. I don't think first years should be gung-ho about sending stuff to clients without approval.
It depends