First, I have spent hours of my life waiting outside partners' offices, sending follow up emails, texting them and calling them to get them to review a document by the time that has been requested. They make the deadline very rarely and I am stuck in the position of being chased by other attorneys while waiting partner sign off all the time. I think the worst was when I went to sleep with my phone next to me, got an email several hours later, and it was photos of a hand mark up sent to me over 8 emails. I had to implement and turn those comments to corporate that night, as this was a cross border client and the corporate lawyers were up waiting for these comments so they could send the document out.

Second, I have, more times than I can count, been asked to review a document of a type that I have never seen before. I have not been given even an idea of what the applicable law is or what to look out for other than the fact that I am an [x] type of lawyer, so it has something to do with that specialty. Partner isn't available to answer questions and there are no midlevels or seniors on the deal because we few midlevels/seniors.

Third, I have on multiple occasions emailed partners with questions from clients, other firm attorneys, accounting firms, etc. I typically try to answer the question, tell the partner what I think the answer should be and ask them to confirm. Crickets. Many times, I just never get a response. Same thing with documents that need partner sign off before going to the client. If not pressing, it just doesn't get reviewed or acknowledged as an outstanding item. As a junior, I do get nervous about sending out documents/answering questions without review or discussion and I don't have seniors/midlevels on these deals).

While for some, this may be an environment in which they can strive. I don't think it is for me. I need a little bit more direction and responsiveness and I'm finding that I am putting too much stress and energy thinking about whether I need to follow up with a partner or just make decisions (which they will then call you out immediately if you make the wrong call). What has been the experience of others?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4261715&forum_id=2#38235373)

Welcome!

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4261715&forum_id=2#38235426)

As for the being asked questions--again, you cover your ass. 10000% better to be the position of "junior who has to hem and haw because he doesn't know anything" than "dipshit who just blew up our ERISA/tax/antitrust/regulatory structuring because he thought he could be a big guy without a partner's support".

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4261715&forum_id=2#38235456)

And if somebody asks you to send your comments before a partner in your field has reviewed just say no. Nothing good can come from that

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4261715&forum_id=2#38235488)

But OP is not there yet.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4261715&forum_id=2#38235503)

Agreed about the caveats point, too.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4261715&forum_id=2#38235517)

unless you're tax/antitrust. in which case the partners should be involved, heavily.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4261715&forum_id=2#38236126)

if the entire deal or pricing or a special indemnity depends upon, e.g., transferring radio stations or leaky underground storage tanks, then OP had better not fuck something up if that's what he's working on

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4261715&forum_id=2#38236001)

2. Forward follow up email to the person chasing you and say you are chasing.

3. Call Partner and hang up after the first ring.

4. You have officially done everything you can, never mention it again. If someone follows up with you, repeat steps 1-3.

For client, send acknowledgement of receipt to client. Then repeat steps 1-4.

For opposing counsel, ignore completely. If they call, don't pick up.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4261715&forum_id=2#38236827)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4261715&forum_id=2#38237831)

So long as you are nice to the corporate juniors and pretend that you are also very troubled by the failure to achieve partner sign off on version 12 out of 37 of the OM at 1 AM, there will not be any consequences. You only get fucked if you piss off someone by ignoring their requests, yelling at them or sending a shitty email. Everyone who has been in a law firm for three years knows to expect flaky behavior from specialist partners and inability to sign off by specialist juniors.

Over time, this will either get better (you get staffed on better matters, people answer more of your emails sooner and invite you to meetings, you get some small degree of autonomy to sign off on irrelevant crap without getting yelled at) or it won’t (you get stuck on the same sort of shit matters forever and spend your days explaining to a rotating cast of clueless junior corporate associates why you can’t just call your boss’s cellphone repeatedly until he answers, and why you, a grown man with 20 years of education and 5 years of experience, lack authority to sign off on Cahill’s standard comments to the gross-up). If the latter, definitely lateral as recommended above.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4261715&forum_id=2#38238028)

Get out of this situation.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4261715&forum_id=2#38238041)

Also, this happens in corporate practice groups all the time too.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4261715&forum_id=2#38239019)

I’m following up on the below and moving this to the top of your inbox. Please let me know if you have any comments to my markup. If it would be helpful, I would be happy to discuss and walk you through the issues. Corporate has asked for comments by COB today, so we should get back to them soon.

Many thanks,

Diligent associate

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4261715&forum_id=2#38239290)