Guest Chapter 17

Name: Margot S. Edwards

Current Position: Wealth Advisor at JP Morgan Private Bank

Former Post-Law School Positions: Partner at Holland & Hart LLP; Member of Firm Management Committee; Adjunct Professor at University of Colorado School of Law; Judicial Law Clerk, Justice Gregory J.

Practice Area: Member of the Private Client Group, which focuses on estate and gift tax planning for individuals and families with substantial wealth

Law School: University of Colorado School of Law, 2006

My Practice Area and Why I Love It

My practice area is intensely personal. It addresses money, death, and private family matters. Clients share information with me that they do not share with anyone else—their hopes and fears about their children, their marriage, their business. I listen first, and the listening is perhaps the most important part of my role. Clients need to share in a confidential, nonjudgmental setting in order to work through whatever is on their mind.

I often then make recommendations, and ultimately give the client peace of mind that they have done or are doing everything they can to address their goals. Whether the clients’ goals are the goals I would choose is not relevant. I do guide clients based on my experience and observation, but ultimately clients are human and they each have their own perspective.

The other significant feature of my practice area is that it requires deep tax expertise in an area of the tax code that most people never think about. This creates a balance between intellectual challenge and human relationships that I believe is unique. The blend of personal relationships with intellectual complexity is what I love about my practice.

Your First Client—the Partners

One thing that I wish all new associates understood is that partners are your first clients.

An excellent associate anticipates the next thing a partner will need, beyond what they requested. If you can anticipate the next logical step, you will thrill the partner, and, frankly, get ahead of the next task you are likely to be asked to complete. The best associate also considers not just the task assigned, but the goal the partner is trying to achieve for the client. This sometimes means that you should make suggestions or find information that the partner didn't request.

When turning a project in, provide the partner with everything they need to review it. If there are other documents, statutes, or cases that would be helpful to have handy, include them with the work product you have prepared. Often these items are available on an electronic filing system or otherwise, but don't make the partner search for them—that just means they must spend more time on reviewing your work. In addition, consider that partners often need to do work in locations that are not at their desk and may not have ready access to files. If you have given them a complete package, they won't need it.

Communication—a Key Feature of Every Good Lawyer

One of the most important features of a good lawyer at any level is communication. Clients are anxious about their deal, their case, their planning. They want to know that someone is thinking about them and that there is progress being made. Keeping in touch so that they know where their project stands is key. If a client emails to ask a question that cannot be answered quickly, respond anyway. It is perfectly acceptable to respond with a note that says something like “What a great question, let me think that through and get back to you in a day or two.” That way the client is not left wondering if you received their email and if you are focused on their question or issue.

Further, if you are not going to be able to complete something for a client in the timeline agreed upon, or otherwise in a timely fashion, tell them. Clients ask lawyers to handle their most worrisome matters and wondering where something is creates anxiety. Our job is to provide peace of mind, and so the best approach is to simply communicate about the delay and assure the client that their matter is important, even if it is taking longer than anticipated.

The same is true for associates working with partners (again, their first clients). Partners worry about their ability to review associates’ work and provide it to the client in a timely fashion. Keeping them posted on your timeline goes a long way to helping partners plan and prioritize their work. It also gives them the opportunity to manage client expectations before a project is late.

Partners also sometimes forget when they asked for a project to be delivered to them. Believe it or not, they can forget which associate they assigned a project to, or even if they assigned it at all. An associate who communicates frequently about their work and the related timelines can really reduce anxiety and help a partner manage their client matters.

Focus on Your Development

Remember that every project is an opportunity to develop as an attorney. You should always exhibit intellectual curiosity about why you are taking a particular approach for this specific client. Why this document, or why are we including this provision in the document? If you don't ask these questions, you won't develop the skills to craft plans for clients on your own. Partners want to take the time to answer your questions—it means that you will be a better lawyer and even more helpful to them. However, they can sometimes forget what it is like to be an associate and so it is up to you to find a time and ask the questions.

One thing that I wish I had done differently is starting with the basics.

Develop Good Habits

Something I did well as a young attorney is to develop good administrative habits. These continue to serve me well now, but it would be easy to stray from them if they weren't fully ingrained in the way I practice. For example, tracking my time daily is important. It avoids hours of going back through emails and calendars to determine what I did in a day. It also means that I capture more of my time.

Another example is doing a good job filing documents and emails so that they can easily be found later. Again, this is a quick task if done on an ongoing basis but saves time in the long run.

Third, I endeavor to return all calls and emails that require a response within one business day. This ensures that I am communicating with my clients in a timely fashion and not creating anxiety for them. It also means that the correspondence doesn't build up to a point of being overwhelming. Finally, it means that other members of a client team can keep moving forward, rather than waiting for a response from me.

You Need a Team

Finally, it is never too early to start developing your team. This is a hard job, and no one should do it alone. Having an assistant, paralegal, and other lawyers around you to help ensure top quality client service is critical. It is also important for your ability to create boundaries and to enjoy your work. In order to create such a team, it is important to integrate others into your client matters and to inspire their loyalty. Develop strong relationships with the people around you so that they want to help you—it pays off many times over.

Take Charge of Your Career

Being a lawyer is not easy. It is high pressure and demanding. Think continuously about what you want from your career and take action to ensure it goes the way that you want. Make sure you get opportunities to do work you enjoy with colleagues and clients who you like. Reach out to senior lawyers you admire and develop relationships with mentors. Your career is far too important to leave to chance.