Making moves

Do you ever feel like you can’t ask that question? Maybe it’s a question every associate would struggle to understand, but it feels like you should know the answer?

Many associates start with sink-or-swim experiences, knowing that each day will bring difficult questions they’re not confident in answering. But with the right tools and training, associates can have the know-how necessary to build trust across the firm that they’re up-to-speed and on the right track.

And for associates like you, this also means expanded knowledge and expertise, which could provide the right steps on the way to partnership.

This ability to expand skills can advance your career, especially as you face each new challenge that comes with moving up the ladder. It can free you from feeling like the minute you finally grasp a legal matter you end up right back at square one on a new file or in a new practice area. It means that even out of your comfort zone, you still feel secure in knowing where to turn to get answers.

Does your firm equip you with the necessary technology and tools to hit the ground running as an associate?

If not, you have an opportunity to bring innovation to the firm, augmenting revenues, and producing positive results in your practice. By proactively managing your career, you can be a source of positive change at the firm and set yourself apart in the talent pool.

You’re not the only associate who struggles with researching a new subject, but spending hours searching for precedents that are relevant and that you can trust is inefficient. At the same time, starting with primary resources that are outdated and don’t provide the level of specialized expertise, you need hinders your practice. Partners want associates working at the utmost efficiency. The right legal tool should help you quickly familiarize with new practice areas, drafting documents and templates to provide clear and trusted answers.

Feeling like you’re alone on an island is bad enough. Working that way only leads to more wasted time.

How do you get firm leadership onboard?

Show them that access to resources and expertise gives an associate like you a better starting point, a smaller learning curve, and the ability to contribute immediately. Instead of struggling with imposter syndrome or committing rookie mistakes, you’re able to quickly provide expertly drafted documents, and senior-level guidance.

Make sure all your bases are covered and get the job done right the first time, saving time, energy and brain power so you can add value and insights. By equipping associates with the right tools and technology to produce efficiently and accurately, firm leadership can focus on business development, high-leverage cases, and other matters important to the future of the firm.

Showing leadership a tool with which you can learn independently and get answers to even the most difficult questions builds trust. It shows that you’re the successful lawyer they hoped for during the hiring process and reduces the need for write-downs or correcting mistakes.

It takes time to build your career and practice with confidence. But the time required can be lessened if you and your firm invest in the best tools available to grow your expertise, expand the variety of cases you can accept and increase profitability.