The American Lawyer: Law Firm Associates Have Never Had a First Year Like the Last. Here’s What Some Learned.

First-year associates weighed in on the challenges of working remotely—and the lessons they’ve learned—working virtually during the pandemic.

“There was the opportunity to meet a lot of people in the L.A. office just by running into them in the elevator or someone popping into your office and going to lunch,” said first-year O’Melveny associate Priscilla Hernandez, who acknowledged that while Zoom gatherings and other types of events held remotely do provide some of the same type of opportunities, “it’s not the same.” In a remote work environment, “[d]on’t be afraid to reach out for assistance if you need it, or to ask for clarity on an assignment, or if you have a question on how to use a specific technology,” Hernandez recommended. “I’ve found that people have been very receptive and that has helped make my transition pretty smooth.”  

Hilary Herrington, an attorney training and CLE manager at O’Melveny, noted the positives, including the opportunity “to shift some of the trainings which would have been done locally to a firmwide model” and the ability “to bring everyone together earlier and create a firmwide cohesiveness.” O’Melveny saw an increase in attendance on virtual training sessions, the article notes.

Read the full article here.