Previous Questions:

11/9/06
A very powerful client is coming on to me. I�ve mentioned this to people in my firm, but I think they�re afraid to alienate him.

10/19/06
I only put work that I have actually done on my time sheet, and I've gotten some heat about my billable hours.

10/12/06
I work with a Jekyll-and-Hyde partner -- nice until pressure hits, then a control freak.

10/05/06
I have a real personality clash with a colleague.

9/21/06
As a male associate, I'm told that I don't project enough assertiveness and aggressiveness.

9/14/06
I hit "reply all," not "reply," when e-mailing criticism of a senior partner.

9/7/06
I've been assigned a new junior associate who is much older than I am.

7/27/06
I�m too involved in the gossip at my firm, like who�s having an affair with whom.

7/20/06
Recently I made a big mistake, and the partner who pointed it out was not happy.

7/13/06
My boss let me cut back my work schedule when I had children, but I'm bored with my job.

6/29/06
As a first-year Biglaw associate in my 40's, have I got a shot at making partner?

6/15/06
Expecting a rave review, I was blindsided by some unexpected criticisms and became angry and defensive.

6/8/06
I'm stuck handling a dog of a case by myself.

6/1/06
A lawyer at my firm charms his peers then treats the staff poorly when partners aren�t around.

5/25/06
I work with a partner who everyone loves and who just took credit for my ideas.

5/18/06
I'm a young associate doing well. Should I tell anyone that I'm starting chemotherapy?

5/11/06
I'm not wild about taking on a pro bono case during my summer associateship.

5/4/06
I'm an assistant with a new master's. My office manager suddenly faults my work.

4/27/06
I've been approached by a colleague to go behind an obnoxious rainmaker's back.

4/20/06
I'm an Ivy League, Biglaw associate now off the partner track and diagnosed with a learning disability.

4/13/06
After leaving Biglaw for in-house, I'm having a hard time adjusting to my "less intense" new colleagues.

4/6/06
Constant flirtation from a senior partner drove me out of a top NY firm.

3/30/06
Co-workers believe I'm having an affair with a partner to get ahead.

3/23/06
One of our partners is such a blowhard. He ... just drives us crazy.

3/9/06
I often begin to cry when someone is being critical of me, at my review for instance.

3/2/06
I loathe cursing and sexual jokes. Can an interview reveal "office culture?"

2/23/06
After one drink, I look drunk. How should I handle my firm's social events?

2/9/06
I find it hard to tell a partner when he is making a mistake, even a serious one.

2/2/06
What do I need to do to prepare for a BigLaw summmer job. Should I buy a new wardrobe?

1/26/06
Holly addresses feedback about last week's question from a female associate concerning sexual tension between herself and a married male partner.

1/19/06
I am a third-year and a woman working with a male partner (married, of course -- but always at the office) who really seems interested in me. And I am attracted to him.

1/12/06
Work is mighty slo-o-o-o-o-wwww right now.

1/5/06
What can you do when people won't give you honest feedback, even when directly asked?

12/22/05
I have an employee, an average performer, who regularly complains about co-workers' behavior.

12/8/05
Last year my secretary gave me an embarrassingly nice Christmas present.

12/1/05
I'm a young, attractive and flirty female associate. What can I do to be taken seriously?

11/17/05
I am a low-key person, modest and self-effacing, but, at my review, I was told I lack confidence.

11/10/05
I'm the only one in my team with kids and my boss switches schedules at the last minute.

11/3/05
I am a soft-spoken individual who is always getting "talked over" at meetings.

10/27/05
As an associate, how do I handle going from extremely busy to nothing to do?

10/20/05
How can junior associates remain sane without knowing if partners really like them?

10/13/05
A reader asks if a firm can be right for you if you don't want to socialize with co-workers.

10/06/05
A senior partner is always voicing political opinions as if everyone agrees with him.

9/29/05
Should I go back to the firm I worked in before law school? I liked it there, but I worry people will still see me as a legal secretary.

9/15/05
I'm doing well at my firm and mostly like my job, but there is a partner who is out to get me.

9/08/05
An associate I know has made a couple of blunders. What can she do to get back on track?

9/01/05
I want to work from home one day a week. What is the best way to propose this?

8/25/05
I am leaving my firm because one partner is a bully. Should I say anything before I go?

8/04/05
My boss "shoots the messenger" over bad news, and I am fed up with his tantrums.

7/28/05
My firm is letting me go, and I think that I am being blamed for errors by the support staff.

7/21/05
I took a year off after my first year of law school to have a baby.

7/14/05
What can I do about working for a blowhard partner? This pompous jerk drives me nuts.

7/7/05
I plan to have a baby after I've been at my new firm for a reasonable time. What's "reasonable?"

6/30/05
Partners in our firm can�t make a decision to save their lives.

6/23/05
I can't wait to finish my first year of practice so I can change jobs. Why? My boss is terrible.

6/16/05
I supervise a secretary and paralegal who are at each other�s throats.

6/9/05
I am a Biglaw staff attorney contemplating taking a paycut as an associate at a smaller firm.

6/2/05
What types of things are employers looking for in a summer associate?

5/26/05
I am a NY lawyer making less than $40,000 a year. Help!

5/19/05
Two older lawyers take exception to the way that associates, and women in particular, dress.

5/12/05
Readers talk back about how much a male, first-year Biglaw associate should spend on his suits.

5/5/05
How much should a male first-year associate at a Biglaw firm be spending on his suits?

4/28/05
Will partners resent it if I start a new job and am pregnant shortly thereafter?

4/21/05
I've been practicing law for 12 unhappy years, and I'd like to find a new profession.

4/14/05
In response to your column last week, I think you missed a couple of possibilities.

4/7/05
Younger male associates often bristle at getting criticism from senior women.

3/31/05
I work with a couple of people who are incessant gossips.

3/24/05
What can minority attorneys do to cope with the "extra scrutiny" to which they are subjected?

3/17/05
How is it possible that law continues to be one of the most segregated industries in the nation?

3/10/05
I'm a government lawyer who loves my job except for one thing: politicians.

2/24/05
What can a young female lawyer do to get more business other than taking male clients out to dinner?

2/17/05
As a woman lawyer, it irks me when men tone down the obscenities because "there's a lady present."

2/10/05
A senior partner is angry with me and has begun spreading false rumors about my personal life.

2/3/05
How should I deal with a backstabber?

1/27/05
How do billable hours translate into real hours worked?

1/20/05
What can you do about a colleague who is constantly complaining?

1/13/05
What's the best way to address missing my billable hours target for the year?

1/6/05
At my review, I got some unfair criticisms, and I didn't know what to say.

12/23/04
After failing the bar twice, I lost a great job. I'm still unemployed and becoming depressed.

12/16/04
I�m always getting interrupted in meetings or in conferences.

12/9/04
A male associate offers his perspective on the gender-salary gap.

12/2/04
A study found young women lawyers earn less $14,000 than their male counterparts. Why?

11/18/04
As a 2L, is it too soon to be thinking about a practice specialty?

11/4/04
I have an important male client who I think "likes" me. Any tips on heading him off?

10/28/04
I have a colleague who is trying to recruit co-workers into a cult.

10/21/04
I'm in a position with a small firm that's going nowhere, but the hours are great.

10/14/04
I have a senior co-worker who is always talking. I mean this woman can talk.

10/7/04
I�ve been criticized by those who report to me for being harsh, but I just want work done well.

9/30/04
What can associates do about partners who provide no feedback?

9/23/04
I now supervise an associate I've been friendly with for years, and I realize his work isn't very good.

9/16/04
I am a new partner with an older colleague who has been a great mentor to me. But I feel I need to establish a more separate identity.

9/9/04
Is facial hair acceptable? I look eighteen years old clean-shaven.

9/2/04
Readers' comments about the difficulty of being a "nice" senior associate.

8/26/04
I feel that I am too nice.

8/19/04
What can an associate do to make management realize they undervalue the importance of support staff?

8/12/04
I'm a second-year at an AmLaw 100 firm who's thinking of quitting to pursue an MBA.

8/5/04
I'm a young associate, and I can't seem to get the "real world answer" about billable hours.

7/29/04
Should I bypass an overwhelmed assigning partner to work for a broader number of partners?

7/22/04
How can a laid-off associate handle "off the record" slurs by former co-workers?

7/15/04
When firms lay off associates who received good reviews, are they risking lawsuits?

7/8/04
I agonize over minor setbacks at work.

6/24/04
I work with another partner who is always one-upping me, and it gets on my nerves.

6/17/04
Why can't older workers manage the interviewing process better in terms of their appearance?

6/10/04
I'm a summer associate at a large NY firm who has displeased some attorneys.

6/3/04
A colleague and I are identified too much with each other.

5/27/04
I've been told, "Don�t hang around with support staff so much if you want to make partner."

5/20/04
BigLaw is definitely not for the faint of heart.

5/13/04
Can sensitive people survive at New York's notoriously aggressive top firms?

5/6/04
I'm a first-year associate, the first lawyer in my family. How do I become a rainmaker?

4/29/04
I am a female associate who vastly prefers to work for male rather than female attorneys.

4/22/04
I'm a very young female attorney, 23 to be exact, and I need to wear braces.

4/15/04
As my firm's only female associate, how can I make professional contacts?

4/8/04
I am sometimes asked whether my firm has women or minorities who can work on the matter because the client is concerned about diversity.

4/1/04
I�m an African American female, and I strongly suspect that I�m being brought along on client meetings for my color and not my ability.

3/25/04
I am getting set to relocate to New York, and I despair over my credentials!

3/18/04
Two of my firm's top money makers are always late for meetings, wasting everyone else's time.

3/4/04
I recently changed jobs, and at my new firm it feels like I can't do anything right.

2/26/04
It's absurd for a guy billing what my boss charges per hour to be poring over the tiniest details.

2/19/04
I am inhouse with a major insurance company, but the work is the most unfulfilling I have.

1/29/04
I am clerking for an abusive judge who is not providing a decent learning experience.

1/22/04
What do you think of "kissing up"?

1/15/04
I and other "contract attorneys" are treated very rudely by partners and associates.

1/8/04
The employees at my midsized Manhattan firm weren't invited to the holiday party -- only clients.

12/18/03
At our holiday party, lawyers got very drunk and/or were seen in compromising positions.

12/11/03
I'm a partner and associates at my firm get to give reviews of their bosses.

12/04/03
I�m having trouble managing on a day-to-day basis with the uncertainty of a shaky job market.

11/20/03
If I want to participate in sports talk in the workplace, what are some practical tips?

11/13/03
I am seeing a Manhattan attorney who hardly seems to have time for me. Can I get some advice?

11/6/03
I switched firms to work in new practice areas, but one partner overloads me with his work.

10/30/03
What do you think of the idea that women "opt out" of top jobs to spend time with family?

10/23/03
I'm a second-year at a NY firm marked by ego and an "old boys' school" atmosphere.

10/16/03
Can I be disbarred for downloading music from Napster-type Web sites?

10/9/03
I just had a very positive review that gave me no help in planning my career.

10/2/03
There is an associate in my group who pads her hours. Am I obligated to turn her in?

9/25/03
I work for a senior associate who makes stupid mistakes and takes credit for my work.

9/18/03
I am a Republican associate at a Democrat firm. I'm screwed, aren't I?

9/11/03
I told an interviewer I was reading Harry Potter in French. She wasn't impressed.

9/4/03
I had an affair a few years back and I just found out my "ex" will be lead counsel on my next deal.

8/14/03
I work for a firm that has an unusually strict dress code.

8/7/03
Is your second year too early to leave a law firm for in-house?

7/31/03
I'm graduating from a top five school with good grades, and I don't have a job lined up.

7/24/03
I am looking to switch firms and have a baby. Should I do my resume or the baby's room first?

7/17/03
I am a married attorney who recently slept with a client while on a businees trip.

7/10/03
The partners at my firm are not supportive of my second career as a competitive ballroom dancer.

7/3/03
I used to secretly date a senior associate at my firm, and it ended badly. Now I am being laid off and I think he is why.

6/26/03
Knowing how unlikely it is to make partner in a large NY law firm, why should any associate sacrifice their personal life to be rewarded only with more sacrifices?

6/19/03
I am a third-year with no interest in making partner: I have a social life and am out the door at five. Why do the other associates hate me?

6/12/03
I am a married associate working with another associate who is interested in me sexually.

6/5/03
I am a man who has been very successful. But I am often shut out by sports talk.

5/29/03
I am a woman who has been very successful. But I am often shut out by sports talk.

5/22/03
I work with another associate who always begs for help at the last minute.

5/15/03
Given the dire economy, how can a minority attorney find an opening, much less a mentor?

5/8/03
A new associate here botched his first assignment and has gotten almost no work since.

5/1/03
I have a buddy who I realize does lousy work. What should I do?

4/24/03
I am a grossly overworked legal secretary, sick of taking work home to keep up. What should I do?

4/17/03
The male attorneys at my small firm socialize constantly, excluding the female associates. What should I do?

4/10/03
My firm has a rainmaker with a reputation for shoddy lawyering, dishonesty and making associates do things that could get them disbarred.

4/3/03
I am a third-year associate and the partners I report to tell me I do great work. Other associates criticize me about petty details, but I think they're just being jackasses. What can I do about them?

3/27/03
I am a recently married mid-level associate in my firm having an affair with one of the firm's partners, who is also recently married. Should I be looking for a new job?

3/20/03
One of my partners is sharing confidential financial information about our firm with associates. What should I do?

3/13/03
How is age a limiting factor in being hired and promoted in big law firms?

3/6/03
How can I deal with an overly chatty co-worker with too much time on her hands?

2/27/03
All law firms seem to think short-term, hiring lots of people during good times and firing lots during bad times. Boom or bust, associates are overworked until they burn out. Help!

2/20/03
I have been receiving overtures from a male partner with a reputation for preying sexually on female associates. What should I do?

2/13/03
I work under a partner who can't write. Am I crossing the line if I correct his work?

2/6/03
I work with a partner who reads the "Harry Potter" books. Should I be worried?

1/30/03
How can I deal with a colleague who dominates meetings and denigrates others?

1/23/03
I have been told that I came across badly in a recent hearing.

1/16/03
Our firm just drove out a lateral with a terrific book of business.

1/9/03
I look very young for my age. How can I establish my credibility?

1/2/03
Aren't there other ways than layoffs to deal with a slow economy?

12/26/02
My firm is big on playing team sports. I stink at all of them. Can I still make partner?

12/19/02
I really would like to become a public interest lawyer but have no idea where to start.

12/12/02
What do you think of e-mail as a vehicle for criticism?

12/5/02
How is it reasonable for any large firm to expect associates to "generate business"?

11/21/02
I work with a partner who makes a big deal about asking for advice he never takes.

11/14/02
I'm a female who is criticized by women I supervise for not showing enough "sisterhood."

11/7/02
I'm about to be reviewed by a partner I have had no contact with at all. What should I do?

10/31/02
I work long hours, but because I am a father, I put in some of those hours from home after I put the kids to bed. A partner has told me I don't spend enough time in the office and questioned whether I can "cut it." What should I do?

10/24/02
I am an underpaid, overworked and stressed out attorney and mom. Help!

10/17/02
Okay, I've had it. I just finished three weeks working morning, noon and night on a huge matter, and at the end of it, there was not even a simple thank you from the partner in charge. What is wrong with people?

10/10/02
Morale at my firm is nil with everyone anxious about layoffs. It's brought out a nasty level of competitveness -- everyone tries to make coworkers look bad while casting themselves as indispensable. What can be done?

10/3/02
One of my partners has a way of getting associates to confide in him and then using it against them. What can I do?

9/26/02
How can I deal with a client who is a nasty bully, always yelling and complaining and bitching?

9/19/02
How can a female associate develop client relationships without risking gossip or sexual harassment?

9/12/02
I have never had a formal performance review and could use the feedback.

9/5/02
The partner I work under won�t take the time to answer questions.

8/29/02
What can I do to address discrimination against African-American men, not women?

8/15/02
How should a partner deliver feedback to associates?

8/8/02
I work with someone who is always slipping in critical remarks as "jokes."

8/1/02
Two years ago my firm merged and it's still like two armed camps under one roof.

7/25/02
Is there a way to deal with my firm's disparagement of a quirky but brilliant lawyer?

7/18/02
What can be done about lack of support of practices that were once hot and now are not?

7/11/02
I am aware that an female associate is being harassed by a client. What should I do?

6/27/02
I'm a male lawyer working with a female attorney who is a flirt. What can I do?

6/20/02
I work with another partner who is always one-upping me, and it gets on my nerves.

6/13/02
Our managing partner is a great guy, but he ignores the tough questions. What can I do?

6/6/02
Do firms really credit pro bono work towards making partner?

05/30/02
Should I step in between two partners who clash constantly?

5/23/02
How can I approach a partner about his unproductive brother?

5/16/02
Should I sleep with my colleagues to get better assignments?

5/9/02
Will blowing off having drinks with my colleagues after work harm my career?

5/2/02
I am working for a major screamer. Am I being a masochist? Should I get out of here?

4/25/02
I'm a first-year associate; everyone else in my class has work to do, but I'm getting nothing. How can I get on the right track?

4/18/02
Since we've had layoffs, the relationships between partners and associates at my firm have turned into "us against them." What can be done about it?

4/11/02
Should anyone care about an associate-partner affair?

4/4/02
Is it worth pursuing a judicial clerkship if I only want to do corporate/transactional work?

3/28/02
I'm drowning in work! How can I turn down assignments without guilt?

3/21/02
In my firm, people wrangle about the stupidest things. Is there anything that can be done about this pettiness?

3/14/02
What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a lawyer?

3/7/02
An associate I work with gets off on being flippant and contrarian. How can I rein him in?

2/28/02
Which will be better for my career: A big firm in a big city, or a smaller firm in a medium-sized city?

2/21/02
How can I get my firm's executive committee to make decisions faster?

2/14/02
The partner I work with is pretty strange. How can I insure others in the firm don't think I'm just as out-there as he is?

2/7/02
My partners are arrogant, self-centered and pompous. Should I switch firms?

1/31/02
Female associates at my firm dress far too provocatively. How can I make them stop?

1/24/02
An African-American associate in my firm looks like he's ready to leave. How can I convince him to stay?

1/17/02
My firm is a "family" -- but one filled with incompetents. How can I convince my partners to cut the deadwood?

1/10/02
Is cheap, raspy toilet paper a sign my firm doesn't care about its associates?

1/3/02
My boss is a real bastard in negotiations; I'm more low-key. Which approach is better?

12/27/01
Associates say I don't listen to them; I disagree. Who's right?

12/20/01
How can I fight back against a backstabbing colleague?

12/13/01
Should I tell an associate that a colleague is constantly backstabbing him?

12/6/01
My friend just failed the bar exam. What should I say to him?

11/29/01
What can you do when people make stupid "joke" remarks that are offensive?

11/15/01
Should associates be compensated for clients they bring to the firm?

11/8/01
Should I date an associate from another department?

11/1/01
My firm trots me out to law students as a mother/partner Superwoman, but I feel like a hypocrite. What can I do?

10/25/01
Why do so many law firms view associates as expendable?

10/18/01
I hate big-firm life. How can I choose a new job that I'll like?

10/11/01
How can I help a colleague who lost several friends in the World Trade Center attack move on?

10/4/01
How do I deal with a headstrong associate?

9/27/01
How do I deal with the partner who only says "no"?

9/20/01
What matters more to making partner: who you know or what you know?

9/6/01
What can be done about a partner who manufacturers client "emergencies"?

8/23/01
Are the rules of legal grammar ironclad or subject to interpretation?

8/16/01
An associate we hired had great grades but a terrible work ethic. How can we avoid the same mistake again?

8/9/01
How can firms make lateral associates feel welcome?

8/2/01
Associates in my firm can�t write and can�t spell. How can I get them to improve without seeming like a pesky perfectionist?

7/26/01
I told my supervising partner that our client�s case was a loser; he upbraided me and hasn�t given me an assignment since. Was I wrong to speak frankly?

7/19/01
My first-year associate won�t work weekends. What�s wrong with these kids today?

7/12/01
Can whining about one�s job be a symptom of depression?

6/28/01
How can a small firm handle rapid growth without losing that "family" atmosphere?

6/21/01
An associate I supervise is loud and obnoxious � even for a lawyer. How can I give her a fair evaluation?

6/14/01
How do I fend off a partner who disparages me to others?

6/7/01
Should my firm have a written policy that sets criteria for allowing flex-time work arrangements?

5/31/01
Should I fire an associate just because he�s a major-league whiner?

5/24/01
I rejected joining a firm when I heard a partner loudly berating an associate. Was I too impulsive?

5/17/01
How much flirting is too much?

5/10/01
A male partner in my firm prefers to supervise female associates. Is something funny going on here?

5/3/01
Everyone treats me like the office den mother. How can I talk less and work more, without upsetting my colleagues?

4/26/01
How can I bill more hours without resorting to padding my bills?

4/19/01
Should we reject hiring a law student because she was snooty to the receptionist?