David Chee’s advice to new attorneys was recently featured in a Law360 article entitled “What New Associates Need to Do To Launch A Great Career.” In the article, Mr. Chee notes that new attorneys are likely to likely to become involved in many unfamiliar tasks and assignments.
He advises that new attorneys should, “ask many questions, and seek the advice of [their] more experienced associates or partners if [they] need clarification on the task. Always be open to new ideas and consider that advice, but regardless of who the advice comes from, if [they] make a decision, [they] must be accountable for your decision, and never pass the buck or the blame to someone else. It is important to have a positive attitude and demeanor in all of [their] interactions and work, and remember there is no task that is beneath [them]. Treat everyone with respect, from the managing partner to the janitorial staff. An associate can be trained to do certain work, but there is no amount of training that can give an associate a pleasant personality or an eagerness to learn.”