From the Associate’s Desk: Top Five Takeaways from Trial One Year Later

Less than 365 days after passing the bar, I boarded a flight across the country for the jury trial of a lifetime. Little did I know that what unexpectedly turned into a grueling 20 days away from home would shape the associate I would become.

The experience was just like the movies. We had the whole shebang. From my firm, our trial team consisted of three skilled partners, plus me. We also had local counsel and a handful of other helping hands. Our team worked day and night and spent countless hours in our war room. There were wins, there were losses, and there was a lot of learning in between.

One year later, I am a better associate because of those 20 days. Not only did I learn invaluable lessons on navigating a multimillion-dollar jury trial in federal court, but—little did I know at the time—I also learned invaluable takeaway lessons that apply to an associate’s everyday practice.

At a high level, everything I learned falls under one common theme: Make your superior’s life easier. It’s that simple. Being able to anticipate your team’s needs, react quickly, and fill in the blanks will get you far, both in trial and in practice. After a year of reflection, I’ve broken that down into my top 5 tips from trial applicable to an associate’s everyday practice.

1. Anticipate team needs. While it’s true that you can never go wrong by offering to help, that doesn’t always add the most value. Instead, anticipating team needs and acting on them can be much more productive. For one, it saves time and prevents distraction. It also more effectively alleviates stress. Anticipating your team’s needs can come in many forms. Some examples include making checklists or indexes, creating timelines, or even having research, objections, or arguments thought out and ready to go. While working on a matter, continue to think about ways you can anticipate needs to alleviate later concerns.
2. Learn where you add value. Associates wear a lot of hats. And what hat we wear can depend on many things, including the case, the team, and the setting. There are no cookie cutter roles for associates, and you likely will add value in different ways depending on the situation. In some cases, you may be at the forefront and in others, you may be in the background. One day you might contribute by taking the lead in drafting a brief and the next you might be best utilized by creating an exhibit chart behind the scenes. Be versatile and open to new roles. Learning where and how you can add value to a specific team or for a specific task can make you a much greater asset.
3. Know the file. In cases large and small, there is a lot to keep track of. Chances are, your superior hasn’t spent as much time in the weeds as you have. And even if they have, they likely have other things at top-of-mind. Simply knowing where documents or facts are in a file can add a great deal of value. Especially in time-sensitive or stressful situations, being able to pull a document or locate a certain fact can make or break a case. It won’t go unnoticed when you can quickly locate or reference documents and other materials in your case file.
4. Remember the details. In a similar vein, it’s important to remember the details and be a knowledgeable resource for your team. Facts related to dates, parties, prior testimony, and even a case’s procedural posture can be extremely valuable to know offhand. Whether during a team meeting or at the counsel table, the ability to answer questions and refresh your superior’s recollection is an esteemed skill.
5. Stay current. You don’t always know when a case on the backburner will pick back up again. Sometimes stagnant issues resurface. This might look like posttrial motions and an appeal after you thought a case was over, or it might be a judge asking a question during oral argument about something that hasn’t come up in a while. Best practices are to stay current on a matter until final resolution. Staying current prevents the delay in getting back up to speed and allows you to contribute on the spot.

My bonus tip is to enjoy it! Litigation is hard. Litigation is stressful. Litigation is demanding. But litigation is rewarding, stimulating, and purposeful. Enjoying the process will only contribute to your growth and success.

Adapting your mindset to proactively take actions that make your superior’s and team’s life easier will help you add immense value as an associate. Whether at trial, in the office, or anywhere in between, tailoring your actions to accomplish whatever is needed will always be helpful.

Finally, most experiences don’t come around often. When they do, relish in them, maintain a positive outlook, and stay present. You’ll probably come out the other side better than you started.