What Rookie Duty Were You Glad to Shed As You Gained Seniority?

Question of the Week

What Rookie Duty Were You Glad to Shed As You Gained Seniority?

Posted Jan 17, 2008, 09:13 am CST

By Reginald Davis

We read in Legal Times recently that when Justice Samuel Alito Jr. joined the U.S. Supreme Court two years ago, the previous junior justice, Stephen Breyer, had a hard time breaking himself of the well-known rookie-justice custom: Answering the door during the court’s private conferences.

Breyer told the Journal of Supreme Court History, "I had been used to it like a Pavlovian dog."

This made us wonder …

What duty or responsibility did you have as a “junior”—rookie associate or beginning partner—that you were glad to be rid of as you gained seniority?

Answer in the comments section below.

Read last week’s question and answer about clients who probe your political views.

Our Favorite Answer From Last Week:

“MB” wrote, “I’m from New Hampshire, where we have all this political questioning down to a science. ‘Undecided until I’m in the booth’ is a respectable answer, and based on the results of this primary, it’s the most honest!”

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Posted by Reformed Litigator - 10 months, 2 weeks, 18 hours, 3 minutes ago

Picking up the tab at biz-dev meals.
Posted by robert e thomas - 10 months, 2 weeks, 16 hours, 18 minutes ago

being the firm’s unofficial librarian
Posted by M - 10 months, 2 weeks, 8 minutes ago

Having to provide a mountain of research before anyone would listen to my advice.
Posted by Former Editor - 10 months, 1 week, 6 days, 23 hours, 13 minutes ago

Having to edit every piece of correspondence, every memo, brief and article for a partner who had never mastered any form of writing, let alone legal writing.
Posted by Bruce E. Avery - 10 months, 1 week, 6 days, 23 hours, 6 minutes ago

I’ve been a lawyer for 31 years, the last 15 in solo/3-lawyer firm, and I haven’t found a duty that I no longer have to do.
Posted by TGR - 10 months, 1 week, 6 days, 22 hours, 17 minutes ago

The really awful, dreadfully dull and monotonous, detail oriented “due diligence” review in loan or acquisition deals
Posted by Only a Few Rungs Up - 10 months, 1 week, 6 days, 22 hours, 10 minutes ago

Getting every single family law case to go through the firm.
Posted by Disgruntled - 10 months, 1 week, 6 days, 20 hours, 41 minutes ago

Answering the phone when the staff would pretend like they didn’t hear it.
Posted by JE Gordon - 10 months, 1 week, 6 days, 20 hours, 32 minutes ago

Handling all the secretarial divorces in the firm. With each one I talked the parties into staying together, at least long enough for another associate to be hired who would then be granted the privilege of handlng the dissolution.
Posted by Nathan J. Robfogel - 10 months, 1 week, 6 days, 18 hours, 32 minutes ago

As the most junior associate it was my job, almost 50 years ago to put away the books in the Firm Library, and to appear and bail out clients who managed to get arrested late at night.
Posted by Cover Girl - 10 months, 1 week, 6 days, 14 hours, 45 minutes ago

As a junior associate at both firms where I have worked, I was the person who everyone got to cover for them. I have been told to cover mediations on the other side of the state, bench trials where defenses are stricken, early morning hearings and countless depositions (especially on Friday afternoon). A partner once called me while I was on vacation to tell me I’d be covering a summary judgment hearing for him the day after I got back. (Fortunately I had written the motion). So in addition to managing my own cases, when people scheduled a haircut or happened to be double-booked or just didn’t feel like going, I was the cover girl.
Posted by Newbie - 10 months, 1 week, 6 days, 6 hours, 55 minutes ago

It’s not a “duty,“ but as the least-experienced attorney in my organization, I bear the brunt of insecurity when we have a budget shortfall. About four times in the past two years, I have been told “we’ll have to let you go by ____ (date),“ but before that date has come some miracle has happened (i.e. a budget windfall, or another attorney quits, etc) and I get to keep working there. Once I was within days of my “end date.“ I had taken my diplomas and art off the walls, taken most of my personal belongings home, before my reprieve came. I try to put it out of my mind and just focus on working and winning trials, but this situation sucks. I’ll sure be glad if and when the day comes when I am no longer the attorney with the least seniority!
Posted by J - 10 months, 6 days, 23 hours, 8 minutes ago

Big research projects on cases with little money at risk—the work needs to be done, but there’s a good chance the time will be reduced, especially at my higher hourly rate. Now, I supervise a junior associate who needs the experience and has a lower hourly rate (hence, less like to have time written off, or at least, will have less time written off). Win win for both of us!!
Posted by Ron Matlock - 10 months, 6 days, 21 hours, 27 minutes ago

In a small firm of six lawyeres, the rookie lawyer was expected to be the first to arrive and the last to leave every day. So this included making the first pot of coffee and turning off the lights and shutting down the copier!

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