Ok. So this is going to brief, because I really don’t want to post much about my summer job for fear of disclosing too much of the super secret, high profile, ultra sexy projects I’ve been working on…. Ha, ha. No, really, over a beer we can talk, but I figure etiquette requires me to refrain from holding forth on the particulars of my summer experience to-date. Instead, a universal piece of advice that I was given by one of the senior associates at my firm (and a VLS grad, no less):

“Make it easy for them and make them look smart. “

Do you understand? Do your work, plus theirs. Make your work product impeccable. Anticipate your senior’s needs and make sure that they have to do as little as possible before presenting deliverables to the client. In retrospect, this really applies to law school work as well – make sure your professor knows exactly what you’re asserting and why, and make sure that grammar and formatting are otherwise unassailable. If you don’t do at least that much, how do you expect to convince a client or a judge that you’re making good legal sense?

Here’s my addition: “Trust your gut.” There are many instances in which I have sent off a piece of analysis that I felt was polished, but thought might need more touch up. Result – the partner included my analysis in the client memo without revision. The other side of that coin: “Trust your gut.” There have been an equal number of times that I felt an issue needed clarification, but I didn’t clarify. Result – the senior associate asked for clarification.

Bottom line: You know what you need to do. For chrissakes, do it.

Jeeze – am I on to a life lesson? I can just see the admonition now – “Chrissakes, Joshua Belcher, get your a$% in gear and just take care of your s%!$#.”  Just for the record, that’s going to apply to you, too.