LegalJob was recently asked whether it is appropriate to ask a partner for an explanation for some of his decisions regarding how much of his billable time was written off or discounted.
This is a thoughtful question and the advice ties together at least three of the best practices discussed in Making Partner:
LegalJob believes it is very appropriate to have the conversation as long as the associate has the awareness to be sensitive about overstepping. So much of this communication depends on how you frame the issue and your tone.
To achieve best results and avoid a defensive or adversarial posture from the partner, LegalJob suggests the following steps/method of proceeding:
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