Associate Asks Advice: Is It a Good Idea to Review Law Firm Partners?
A midlevel associate at a BigLaw firm has been asked to participate in a planned “upward review” of partners. But, concerned about a possible downside to evaluating his superiors, the associate asked a columnist for advice.
In response, Linda Laufer of Morgan Lewis & Bockius says in her New York Lawyer (reg. req.) column that such reviews are helpful to partners and give associates a chance to have a greater voice in the operation of the law firm for which they work.
But before participating, she advises, the associate should (1) determine whether “the survey is conducted by an independent consultant on a secure external website” and (2) find out if anyone at the firm has access to participant names or survey data. Additional caution may be appropriate, according to Laufer, if the associate works in a small office or a small practice group.
Noting that some reviews give associates a chance to comment about individual partners, she provides a further warning: “If comments will be provided verbatim to partners, be sure that you do not refer to matters that reveal your identity.”
Laufer serves as the firmwide director of attorney development at Morgan Lewis.
