Saturday, May 31, 2008

Day 5: 1 Secretary, 1 Room, 75 Files.

So we got called, received our Practicing Certificates in a record 5 days and we're all set to go and 'be the dedicated litigators/lawyers the firm wants you to be". The increase in workload was definitely expected, the being thrown into the deep end part by being faced with a plethora of mentions and applications certainly envisaged.

What wasn't factored in was the sheer volume and distribution of files from the lawyers who were leaving the firm/department for subjects ranging from matrimonial matters to insurance to traffic accident cases. I don't know how anyone can consider distribution of the said files to just another Associate and I while the other three newly called Associates were not given a single file (with the exception of one who got a few files) as being remotely equitable or sensible.

I know I'm bitching but I think I'm entitled to bitch when I get an extra 40 plus files on top of the 20 plus files I'm currently working on. Having to deal with 75 files, of which some are large files with trials coming up and affidavits to rush out within the next few weeks, and at least 50 of which are active; is damn hard. Being expected to deal with these files efficiently is well nigh impossible.

And that's not even taking into account the upcoming deadlines to watch out and prepare for, when the writs must be issued, the upcoming PTCs, divorce hearings and mediation sessions, etc. Not to mention that some of the areas and procedures are alien to newcomers like us (Insurance-Nima protocol??, Contested Divorce hearing?!!!) which complicates matters when we are given live files and expected to pick up exactly where the previous lawyer left off with gusto.

It's crazy. My secretary whom I'm sharing with another new associate for now jolly well can't cope. So I'll probably raise some objections to the Head this coming Monday after a status conference for some matri matter in the Family Court and for which our defence nearly got rejected as the prior peeps overlooked the instructions and filed it 2 weeks too late.

Having to face a grumpy old bird as the Plaintiff's solicitor and attend the status conference all by my lonesome self on Monday morning promises to be a relatively nerve wracking affair.

On the brighter side of things, I finally have a secretary and a nice one at that, got a room at the cozy end of the office all to myself and largely abolished the need to do tedious administrative stuff like zapping and filing correspondences etc. Still the spectre of unpacked files and tons of work looms and I'll probably head in tomorrow just to clear some.

Then come Monday, hopefully with some persuasion and presentation of the absurdity of the current situation, things will be better. Hopefully.

9 comments:

sinlady said...

you are absolutely entitled to bitch - for as long and for as much as you want even :)

Aelgtoer said...

Ha ha yep, don't need a licence to bitch.

The only difference is whether the bitching is effective, so say bitching to the Head = more effective than bitching to fellow associates. ^^

Jonathan said...

Well, bitching is cathartic, and it does make you feel better even tho it may not change things .....

I hope your status conference went well today, and that it wasn't too nerve-wracking .... I'm not keen on litigation at all, so I don't regret chucking it .....

I can relate to your sense of being overwhelmed, having just come back to the office, I have so many things to do that I don't know where to start ..... for what its worth, just hang in there (that's what I'm doing :p).....

Aelgtoer said...

My sentiments exactly. Though it would appear that bitching to the Head is less effective than bitching to the partner in charge of the files.

Partner: Ok we'll transfer XXX files to YY and ZZ then, sounds good.

Head: No never mind, just keep the files. Anything ask QQQ to help monitor the files, she's very good at it.

"Ya hallo seccies can only do so much, who's going to have to give advice and push deals thru with the other side? halllo" * rant over*

Stat conference went decently well, didnt screw up and the other side was mostly nice, which I hear is the norm for Fam stuff mainly. God knows the civil litigators can be such a pain. You're doing non-contentious IP?

Yes overwhelmed hmm. I haven't come back before 11.30 since I got called, my seccie looks like she's going to burst into tears and I spent my weekend in office.

Gotta clear the files before they clear me. argh.

Jonathan said...

Yes, i do mainly registration and prosecution work, and at the most, write cease and desist letters and hope that they cave in and settle. If not, I pass it to the enforcement people.....

I'm trying not to work weekends, but workload is quite overwhelming at the moment - going to write to a client to say that I need more time to get his opinion out ..... :P

Your poor secretary, don't push her over the edge, it will be your loss if she is as good as you say she is!

Suzie Wong said...

oh no, you poor thing. but the fact you can still blog clearly shows you can multi task lor, so don't show them you so efficient lor

Aelgtoer said...

Jonathan: Ah C&D letters, like "We are instructed by our clients that you have been distributing illegally subbed versions of our client's work XXX... In the circumstances, we do hereby deamnd that you immediately cease & desist...".

Have a friend who does it, she loves the job. Let's you sound all pompous and nasty without having to dirty your hands thereafter ;p.

My seccie is nice, personality and attitude wise, work wise i love my PM's seccie but k la at least she has a good attitude and she listens.

And of course no one ever pushes your seccie over the brink, unless you're suicidal.

Liti to me is not bad la, matter of fact is, I think inspite of all the weepy women and emotionally unstable men, I think I'm actually starting to get the hang of standing up for the downtrodden, in all senses of the word.

I just don't know if I'm ready for the cut and thrust of advocacy yet. My first open court hearing for defending a client and her mother against a psycho husband who's taking up a PPO due tomorrow. Hope i pull it off la eh.

Suzie: hur hur no i'm not, everytime i see the piles of files on my table and cupboards, i do a mental double take.

And no la i was blogging at home, so it doesnt even count. Don't even have time to open msn in office lol

Jonathan said...

Haha .... yes - and it's always gratifying when they settle and pay damages - makes the work self-financing for client ....

All the best for the PPO hearing today! Let me know how it went....

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