Attorneys as Supervisors: Are we prepared?

For those of us planning to work for established firms after law school, we likely will be working with a variety of staff in support roles. As such, we will have a role in delegating tasks and, in some capacity, supervising the work of support staff. Although it is inevitable that we will be, at some point, supervising an employee, law schools provide no education on how to effectively manage employees.

Lawyers thrust into roles where they must supervise or manage others are usually unprepared to do so effectively. Employee turnover is an issue for firms; the more turnover of employees the more often wages are spent on training, onboarding, interviewing, and other non-billable tasks. Law school graduates are unprepared to intentionally manage others rather than passively doing so. Tasks such as performance appraisals fall to the back burner of client needs, but lacking effective management to retain employees poses a burden on client service.

What is the solution? Firms with the budget to do so can hire Human Resources professionals to fill the gap, but they would also have a learning curve in adjusting to the law firm office environment. Otherwise, attorneys should take it upon themselves to read books on people management, attend seminars, and discuss management techniques with colleagues in other industries.

Good management leads to happier employees which increases productivity and, ultimately, service to clients.