Partner Feedback Flashcards
Gemma / Airwave / Witness Statements
- Don’t use witness statements to argue case
- Stick to the facts and avoid opinion or peripheral matters
Gemma / Airwave / Investigations
- Develop judgment as to when to stop an investigation/ when you’ve gone far enough (e.g. Rugby club email)
- Framing requests in an encouraging and grateful way, that solicits support. Important to remember people are busy, and that they’re doing you a favour by answering your requests.
Khal / Mashreq / Positives
- Very happy with work on disclosure and key documents note
- Past week work on definition of KESP receivable
- Proactive (e.g. “here are my thoughts” on letters coming in)
Gemma / Airwave / Positives
- Forensic analysis
- Ability to range over data sources
- Skill with technical subject matter: plugging gaps, thinking laterally, following through
- Great manner, good at building rapport with witnesses
Khal / Mashreq / Privilege + Relevance calls
Interpolation from Khal email:
- Privilege belongs to the client (know whose privilege is being asserted)
- Dominant purpose test (in connection with litigation or legal advice)
Khal / Mashreq / Tension
When you have a strong disagreement with someone:
- Staying friendly and professional is in your core interest. Being angry and disagreeable is never in your core interest.
- Pick up the phone or go to someone’s office versus going back and forth by email.
Khal / Mashreq / Ownership
Be as proactive as possible to ensure tasks are accomplished. If something needs doing… chances are the right person to do it is you!
If there are doubts over allocation, create a table and allocate that way.
Kate / Attitude to Tasks
Whenever you do a task:
- consider its purpose for the case as a whole.
- think and don’t just execute.
Kate / Interacting with Clients
Build confidence by knowing the detail, listening and understanding.
When gathering information, don’t just blindly assume something: sense check and consider.
Kate / Drafting
Be clear and concise.
- Clean, crisp, short sentences. Let the good points speak for themselves.
- There should never be an emotional element to letters: never a sense of how we feel or what we’re worried about.
- Want the judge to have confidence that what we’re writing is well reasoned, clear and well thought out. Your bad points taint your good points.
- When you write anything, think and remove “so what’s?”
