5 things you can do to stand out as a junior lawyer

Junior lawyers aren't really assessed on their technical ability in their early years. It matters, but firms expect it to develop over time. Having been both a junior lawyer and a supervisor, here are five things — with examples — I'd focus on instead.

1. Be proactive

The best juniors seek out problems, solutions and opportunities rather than waiting to be handed them. Good ways to show this:

• looking for information you already have access to on the matter (client details, example bills or templates, correspondence);
• following up deadlines (e.g. when a draft you handed up hasn't come back);
• offering to own tasks — coordinating meetings, taking notes, managing the file, preparing first drafts of emails.

2. Take care of the easy stuff

Supervisors expect to change your work for writing style and technical accuracy. The real value a junior adds is everything else within your control, so they don't have to think about it:

• proofreading and formatting;
• naming and saving documents properly, in the right place;
• carefully reading every attachment and relevant document sent to you.

3. Communicate with your team

• let your team know when you have capacity to help;
• if you can't start something immediately, say when you can — instead of just "I'm too busy";
• give a heads-up before leave, and what may need handling while you're away.

4. Be reliable

This is often mistaken for producing perfect work. That's the end goal, but reliability is more about:

• clarifying things you don't understand in good time;
• acknowledging receipt of emails and instructions;
• being honest and upfront when you've made a mistake.

5. Show interest

Many juniors hesitate to ask too many questions — I did too, worried I'd sound dumb. But asking questions is one of the best ways to show you're interested:

• set up a meeting to work through the matter in one go, rather than drip-feeding questions;
• arrange feedback sessions with specific questions, not a general "how am I going?";
• Google the clients and projects you're working on to build background beyond the immediate task.

Supervisors expect to amend juniors' work for technical errors — it's part of learning. But nail these five things and you'll leave a strong impression and build a solid foundation as your technical expertise develops.