Some of the most useful lessons you learn as a junior lawyer aren't found in training manuals.

They're the small expectations around how you communicate, send work up for review and prepare for meetings... things you often pick up simply by watching more experienced lawyers work.

Whether you're a trainee solicitor or a newly qualified/junior associate, here are three worth knowing.

1. If in doubt, send your draft for review

It isn't always obvious when an associate, senior associate or partner expects to review your work before it goes out.

Ideally, have a quick conversation at the start of a matter about how the people you're working with like to operate and what they expect to see.

But if you're ever unsure, send it to them, particularly if it's going outside the firm.

It's much better to be told “you don't need to send these to me in future” than to find out afterwards that they expected to review it.

As you become more experienced and build trust with the people you work with, you'll naturally develop a better sense of what you can handle independently.

2. Flag when someone has already reviewed your work

If another lawyer has reviewed your work before you send it to someone more senior, say so. For example: “With thanks to Sarah for reviewing, please find attached the revised draft.”

It's a small detail, but it gives the recipient useful context. A partner immediately knows that the document has already been through another layer of review before reaching them. It also gives appropriate visibility to the person who spent time reviewing the work with you, and avoids the inevitable “Sarah, have you already looked at this?”

As a junior lawyer, getting into the habit of providing this kind of context makes communication considerably smoother.

3. Arrive early to important meetings

For important in-person meetings (client meetings, witness interviews, negotiations and the like) don't aim to arrive at the meeting room at exactly the scheduled start time. Get there early.

Depending on the meeting, that might mean checking the room, testing the IT, making sure any materials have arrived, printing documents or simply being around in case somebody senior needs help before everyone arrives. 

Sometimes there will be nothing to do. That's fine. The point is that by the time the meeting starts, you've already checked and sorted everything within your control.

It's part of a broader skill that's particularly valuable as a junior lawyer: learning to anticipate what might need to happen next rather than always waiting to be asked.

Small habits make a difference

None of these things involves particularly complicated legal work, but that's precisely the point. As a trainee solicitor or junior associate, becoming someone people trust to work with often comes down to lots of small habits: communicating clearly, understanding how your team likes to work, anticipating what needs doing and keeping track of the details. 

That's part of the thinking behind The Daily Planner for Lawyers by BUREAU™ — a planner designed around the realities of legal practice, with dedicated space for managing your matters, priorities and working day.

Shop The Daily Planner for Lawyers and discover a planner designed around the way lawyers actually work.