Nearly all associates, if they really think about it, can cite to an example of their own sheer laziness. At the very least, associates can cite to times when they consciously delivered an acceptable, but not exceptional, work product. In a moment of true confession, too many of us would acknowledge having handed in a pile of highlighted cases in response to a research assignment, or submitting a motion to a partner with the tag “early draft.”
In this new year, we challenge young attorneys to take ownership of the final work product. That’s right — independent thought and analysis are back in 2010. We call on our colleagues to research, proofread and edit as if “the buck stops here.”
