Garrett Coleman '25
Managing Editor
Last week, Dean Kevin Donovan gave two renditions of his professionalism class, this installment being titled: Are You a “Keeper”? The two-hour presentation was directed at firm-bound students, serving as a primer for how the Big Law apparatus works and how to put your best foot forward in the summer internship you worked so hard to secure. For those of you unable to attend, or those who share my level of emotional intelligence and need reinforcement on that front, here is an overview of this helpful class.[1]
Much of the time was spent on the firm business model and its current pressures from the economic environment. One of the first concepts Dean Donovan explained was “leverage.” If your firm has many associates working on large teams with few partners, then it is highly leveraged. This describes most of the firms in the American Lawyer 100. Contrast this to a boutique, in which there are very few associates for each partner. Dean Donovan explained that the tradeoff with increasing leverage is that the firm will be more exposed to recessions, while better able to meet demand in hot times. There was also an explanation on how that beautiful market rate gets into your bank account. Assuming 100% realized billable hours, a junior associate would bring in over one million dollars. What a great investment you are! But the reality is that many of your billable hours will be written off by a partner, so your “actualized” billables will be lower. And for the Big Law model to work, they expect junior associates to be bringing in at least double their salary.
While Dean Donovan said that he does not see an impending 2008 in the broader economy, there is likely to be a coming shock. And, if sustained, that could mean that your summer class of twenty-eight may only yield twenty offers. What comes next are strategies to secure your spot in that top twenty.
Showing initiative to superiors is an ideal way to move up the ladder. Included in the presentation was a recorded anecdote from Cate Stetson ’94, in which she recounted getting lunch with a junior associate. His initiative to ask her to lunch and express interest in her appellate litigation practice group is what put him on the radar. Without that lunch, it is likely that Stetson would not have taken him onto her team, and he would not be as close to making partner. All of this came from a simple lunch request. Building off of that, Dean Donovan mentioned that slower times for your practice group provide opportunities for this kind of soft career work. And lastly, initiative must be paired with good judgment, meaning that you interact with your superiors tactfully and only when you have enough bandwidth to take on more work.
Closely related to demonstrating initiative effectively is your level of emotional intelligence. This has several components, each of which can be improved upon. First, you need to be able to recognize your own emotions and how they are coming across as you interact with others. Dean Donovan gave a personal example of habitually walking fast—idiosyncrasies like these can leave the wrong impression among people who don’t know you well. Another aspect is being able to read the emotions of your coworkers. Reading the room and the body language of your higher ups is a necessary skill. Before going on a long tangent or interrupting to offer a solution, consider whether the environment is conducive to that. This also ties into a general level of optimism, the importance of which was noted by Dean Donovan. Resisting the urge to be fatalistic when under pressure is an important aspect of being enjoyable to work with. And lastly, if some interaction does go poorly over the summer, reach out to the Office of Private Practice to strategize.
Much of this emotional intelligence depends on your presence in the office. While hybrid work can be a tempting escape, Dean Donovan recommends a dynamic approach. For example, if the firm officially has a three-in-two-out schedule, but people in your practice group tend to be in the office on Fridays, then you should follow suit.
There were also smaller and more tangible steps to improve your value at a firm. First, record your time consistently throughout the day, in detail. Waiting until the end of the day is less reliable and will take up more of your free time. And be sure to record the “highest executive function you are using” and incorporate that into the bill. The fact that you are detailing this rather than an assistant means that the firm expects a sincere effort. Second, create systems for yourself that allow you to handle the onslaught of information. Keeping your calendars and to-do lists separate is a good way to prevent confusion.
Towards the end of the presentation, Dean Donovan shared a particularly helpful metaphor. He likened competition among associates in Big Law to selling white T-shirts at a mall. More or less, everyone has the same product. In response to that reality, you should focus on how you are going to sell your image and create a network of return customers. These customers represent the attorneys that like to bring you in for work and will vouch for you in the future. The ultimate goal is to be a “trusted advisor” to several attorneys, meaning that you are a universal resource for their quandaries. This is the path to becoming a keeper.
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jxu6ad@virginia.edu
[1] Credit for the title of this article goes to Ms. Ashley Lo ’25, and her penchant for timely—if tardy—quips.
Also, this article merely scratches the surface of what was covered. A follow-up with OPP is recommended for those who did not attend.