New York Lawyer
January 13, 2005

Q:
Our firm has "self reviews" for associates. We are given a series of suggested questions in broadly three categories: billable hours, office management, and community service. There is no requirement to answer the questions, they are meant to stimulate thought. We are also asked to give goals for ourselves for next year, and to state how the firm can help us achieve these goals.

Could you give some general advice on doing self reviews? Also, I did not make my billable hours for the year. Any thoughts on how to best address that?

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A:

"Self reviews," as with any management system, can be a great asset if used effectively by the individuals and firm. If they are used improperly or given short shrift, the process can be a waste of time or can even be harmful. Therefore the value for you ultimately depends on what your firm is like. I�ll assume for purposes of this question that your firm wants to use these self reviews in a positive manner.

First, regardless of what the firm does with your reflections, this is a great opportunity for you to think about what�s going on with your career in a structured way. "They help you formulate goals and think about where you are going," says Bryn Vaaler, Professional Development Partner of Dorsey & Whitney LLP in Minneapolis. So take the time to project into the future, think about where you want to be in a few years, and determine the specific tasks that will help you get there. Think of it as an opportunity to visualize what you would actually like to do, versus how things may be going right now (e.g., the practice area(s) you�re involved in, the clients you work with, the amount of business development you do, etc.).

No matter what, work hard on filling out the self review; I�d answer all the questions thoroughly, even if you�re told you don�t have to. "Take them very seriously and invest sufficient time and effort to do them well," advises Vaaler. "If you don't make a compelling a case for you and your career, nobody else will. Even if you believe self-reviews are not studied carefully by evaluators in your firm, well assembled self-reviews leave a great track record in the files -- one that you would never be able to assemble after the fact." This is a good thing to keep in mind as you pursue the partner track.

Finally, be careful about what you record. This is not the time to err either on the side of too much self-revelation or too much boasting. If you include too much self-criticism (however accurate), it can reduce people�s confidence in you unnecessarily, because you can and should be working on an improvement plan to reduce your defects. If you paint only a sunny picture, with no problems or development needs whatsoever, it�s not credible and likewise may reflect poorly on you. So sift through your development needs and express them in terms of how you can best aid the firm -- not "my research skills are pathetic," but "I have a goal of strengthening my research skills so that I can provide solid work for the firm."

On your billable hours shortfall: it depends on how important billable hours are in your firm. If, as a practical matter, that�s all the firm cares about, I�d be a good lawyer and meet this problem head on, rather than waiting for it to be raised. You don�t have to go on and on about it, but admit it frankly, say you�re not happy about it, talk about whatever circumstances contributed to the shortfall (emphasize that these are "explanations, not excuses"), pledge that you�ll pick up your hours in the future, and be done with it.

If billables are less emphasized, (and especially if you know that plenty of people haven�t made their billables and haven�t suffered for it) then wait until it�s raised by the reviewing attorney. Any answer you have should be couched as: you understand the firm�s expectations; you are concerned as well and want to rectify the situation; here are the steps you are going to take to make that happen; and you look forward to your review next year where you�ve met your billables. This final point enables you to hand the reviewer a vision of yourself as being successful rather than in your present position of having fallen short.

Sincerely,
Holly English