New associate fuck up thread (and tips for slacking) Forum

[Anonymous User]

Big law associate less than 6 months in.

Was in a rush, and in a response to counsel for the other transaction party, accidentally copied part of a partner's email to our client (replied to the wrong email chain). Nothing major content-wise, but still something we'd prefer they didn't see.

Really really stupid and avoidable mistake. I think this will be held against me for a while.

[Anonymous User]

i work for a big law screamer who makes all the assistants/clerks cry at least once. Can't even count how many staff and associates this partner cycled through. Obviously this partner's associates, including me, get screamed at, condescended to, and insulted on a regular basis.

Is there such thing as a "kind/nice partner"?

Yes; have you tried reaching out to other partners? When I lateraled, another associate gave me the "work for/ avoid" list, and I was able to land a great team and work for a partner who doesn't like working weekends.

[Lincoln]

Big law associate less than 6 months in.

Was in a rush, and in a response to counsel for the other transaction party, accidentally copied part of a partner's email to our client (replied to the wrong email chain). Nothing major content-wise, but still something we'd prefer they didn't see.

Really really stupid and avoidable mistake. I think this will be held against me for a while.

You'd be surprised how quickly people forget things like this if no actual harm was done. Eventually it just becomes a funny story you tell over team drinks. Don't sweat it.

[Rahviveh]

anyone else find this thread paranoia inducing?

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=276311

[LaLiLuLeLo]

anyone else find this thread paranoia inducing?

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=276311

A little, especially with low hours. But whaddya gonna do?

[ur_hero]

Hoping to hear some more good stuff here this year

[SeewhathappensLarry]

Checking in

[rpupkin]

Big law associate less than 6 months in.

Was in a rush, and in a response to counsel for the other transaction party, accidentally copied part of a partner's email to our client (replied to the wrong email chain). Nothing major content-wise, but still something we'd prefer they didn't see.

Really really stupid and avoidable mistake. I think this will be held against me for a while.

You'd be surprised how quickly people forget things like this if no actual harm was done. Eventually it just becomes a funny story you tell over team drinks. Don't sweat it.

Agreed

[PennBull]

Big law associate less than 6 months in.

Was in a rush, and in a response to counsel for the other transaction party, accidentally copied part of a partner's email to our client (replied to the wrong email chain). Nothing major content-wise, but still something we'd prefer they didn't see.

Really really stupid and avoidable mistake. I think this will be held against me for a while.

You'd be surprised how quickly people forget things like this if no actual harm was done. Eventually it just becomes a funny story you tell over team drinks. Don't sweat it.

Agreed

They won't even remember it over team drinks

[Anonymous User]

Big law associate less than 6 months in.

Was in a rush, and in a response to counsel for the other transaction party, accidentally copied part of a partner's email to our client (replied to the wrong email chain). Nothing major content-wise, but still something we'd prefer they didn't see.

Really really stupid and avoidable mistake. I think this will be held against me for a while.

You'd be surprised how quickly people forget things like this if no actual harm was done. Eventually it just becomes a funny story you tell over team drinks. Don't sweat it.

Agreed

They won't even remember it over team drinks

I'm the first-year. Can confirm it's been long-forgotten

[mehiguess]

I've been an attorney for all of a month and a half and had a pretty solid fuck up at work. I had to call into a webinar conference for our BIGGEST client on how to handle their discovery responses and other important things. I didn't realize by not placing the phone on mute EVERYONE could hear what I saying within the confines of my office. Anyway, another associate whom I'm friends with stopped by my office and during our banter we engaged in racial humor about how my fiance can't find a hairdresser that can do black girl's hair. We talked about more inappropriate stuff briefly, I distinctly remember saying the phrase, "my pullout game gonna be weak honeymoon night so I can get that baby quick." In the middle of our laughter, someone from another branch calls into my phone and explains to me in a not-so-kind way that EVERYONE can hear what I'm saying and to either pay attention or place my phone on mute. My friend, the other associate, was pissed and mortified. She turned blood red and stormed off and I sat there in shock. Oddly enough, the day went on and I forgot about that little ordeal . . . until the MP and firm manger came into my office. I'll never forget when MP asked me, "Were you in here with another person making racially insensitive jokes and talking about your honeymoon?" I was speechless and my negro skin turned chalky white. Through my stammering I rambled about how I used to be a teacher and didn't understand the corporate culture and how phones work and whatever. Mercifully, they found humor in the situation but did explain that phones should always be on mute during webinars and that I should be always paying attention. While I still have a job and everything, I always strive to put my best foot forward at work and that whole thing just set me wayyyy back.

[Roy McAvoy]

I've been an attorney for all of a month and a half and had a pretty solid fuck up at work. I had to call into a webinar conference for our BIGGEST client on how to handle their discovery responses and other important things. I didn't realize by not placing the phone on mute EVERYONE could hear what I saying within the confines of my office. Anyway, another associate whom I'm friends with stopped by my office and during our banter we engaged in racial humor about how my fiance can't find a hairdresser that can do black girl's hair. We talked about more inappropriate stuff briefly, I distinctly remember saying the phrase, "my pullout game gonna be weak honeymoon night so I can get that baby quick." In the middle of our laughter, someone from another branch calls into my phone and explains to me in a not-so-kind way that EVERYONE can hear what I'm saying and to either pay attention or place my phone on mute. My friend, the other associate, was pissed and mortified. She turned blood red and stormed off and I sat there in shock. Oddly enough, the day went on and I forgot about that little ordeal . . . until the MP and firm manger came into my office. I'll never forget when MP asked me, "Were you in here with another person making racially insensitive jokes and talking about your honeymoon?" I was speechless and my negro skin turned chalky white. Through my stammering I rambled about how I used to be a teacher and didn't understand the corporate culture and how phones work and whatever. Mercifully, they found humor in the situation but did explain that phones should always be on mute during webinars and that I should be always paying attention. While I still have a job and everything, I always strive to put my best foot forward at work and that whole thing just set me wayyyy back.

This is amazing

I'm glad they found some humor in it though - that could've turned out really badly.

[Mr. Peanutbutter]

THAT IS MY WORST NIGHTMARE YOU ALWAYS NEEDS TO MUTE YOUR PHONE OMG


The other day someone dialed into court and you could hear her talking on her cell phone about how she was about to dial in to court call and wouldn’t be making drinks later that evening bcuz the judge always lets these people go on and on

The judge wasn’t in the room yet, but another attorney broke in and was like “DONT WORRY WE’LL BE EXTRA VERBOSE”

[unlicensedpotato]

To people just starting, you should always have your phone on mute unless you're talking (or if it's like a 2 person call). Even if you aren't talking to someone else, putting it on mute cuts down on the background noise.

[Mr. Peanutbutter]

Especially if you’re dialing in on your cell

[MKC]

Instead of the mute button lighting up when it's on, phones should have a giant bar at the top that lights up bright red when it's not muted and reads "EVERYONE ON THE CALL CAN HEAR EVERYTHING YOU'RE SAYING RIGHT NOW."

[Danger Zone]

HOLY SHIT

That is quite the fuck up

[rpupkin]

That's a great story. Although it's embarrassing, the fact that you were making racially insensitive jokes about your own race takes the edge off. If a white attorney made racially insensitive jokes about African Americans in the same context, there's a decent chance they would be fired.

[mehiguess]

That's a great story. Although it's embarrassing, the fact that you were making racially insensitive jokes about your own race takes the edge off. If a white attorney made racially insensitive jokes about African Americans in the same context, there's a decent chance they would be fired.

Yea, you're right. Hence why I said "racial" as opposed to "racist" jokes. Also, needless to say, everything has blown over at this point and all is well. **knock on wood**

[cfcm]

Pro tip along these lines: if you have your phone on mute and are on your headset, but then another associate walks in and you put the phone on speaker, the mute feature doesn't automatically carry over... Learned that one the hard way

[El Pollito]

i'm too paranoid to do really dumb shit while on mute. you guys are nuts.

[barkschool]

I say “hello?” To a muted phone at least 2-3 times just in case of this

[seal]

This isn't really a "new associate" fuck up, but it might belong here anyway. I'm a fourth year associate at a medium-sized law firm. A couple years ago I was tasked with "defending" the 30(b)(6) deposition of a third party that was noticed by the other side. (I put defending in quotes because obviously the third party had its own counsel, and my only job was to lodge objections on behalf of our client and then do a brief cross-examination).

Unfortunately I didn't really comprehend what a 30(b)(6) deposition was. I knew that "30(b)(6)" referred to one of the Federal Rules, and I was vaguely aware that a 30(b)(6) deposition involved a corporation. But I never bothered to read the Rule itself, and I never bothered to figure out how 30(b)(6) depositions worked. Most crucially, I didn't understand that the actual 30(b)(6) witnesses are corporate representatives who are not required to have personal knowledge of the facts to which they testify.

I objected to about 80% of the lead questioner's questions on the grounds that the witness lacked personal knowledge of the events he was being asked about. I then spent about 30 minutes of cross-examination time making crystal clear that the witness lacked personal knowledge of any of the events he had been asked about. One exchange went something like this:

Me: Isn't it true, Mr. Witness, that you haven't seen any of these documents until a few days ago?

Witness: That's right. My lawyer collected them from our servers and gave them to me for my review.

Me: Wait a second, your LAWYER collected these documents?

Witness: That's... right?

Me: And you hadn't seen any of these before your lawyer showed them to you?

Witness: Correct.

Me (triumphantly): No further questions.

The worst part is that, while this deposition was mostly a nothingburger at the time, it suddenly became very important to a specific issue in the case a few months later, so basically everyone on the trial team read the transcript and witnessed me destroy this 30(b)(6) witness on the issue of personal knowledge.

[rpupkin]

Great post.

[cron1834]

This is a good thread generally.