How to Manage the Expectations of the Lawyers you Work for without Compromising Serviceability

  • 31 janvier 2020
  • Joël Rocque, associate at Emond Harnden LLP

One thing that often strikes my colleagues working at other medium-sized law firms is the distribution of associates and partners in our office (there are almost two  partners for each associate). 

If you find yourself in a similar position, you may run into a situation where you are asked to complete work on a file when your plate is already full of work from other “internal clients” - far too full. You may also run into this situation even if the number of partners and associates is more balanced. Either way, this problem is complicated further by the ever-increasing demands of private practice and the continued rise of the digital age.

How do you approach these situations? How do you maintain serviceability while managing the expectations of multiple “internal clients?” In the spirit of the New Year, I consulted with some of my colleagues and came up with the following strategies to assist you to continue to meet expectations while not compromising the quality of your work. Here are some strategies that have proven useful over the past few years.