One-Off Legal Research
One of the first things you'll be asked to do, as a #BigLaw litigation associate, is research a discrete issue.
We call this a "one-off" project, meaning it relates to an ongoing, substantive matter, but you're not being invited to join that team (yet).
Instead, you're handling a single research question that the others on the team do not have time to look into (or whose hourly rates make it less economical for them to handle the research).
This will feel expected and straightforward. However, you should make sure you get answers to these questions before digging in:
🧐 What is the matter number to which I should bill my time?
🧐 How long does the assignor anticipate this will take?
🧐 What is the deadline (and is it firm or soft, internal or external)?
🧐 What underlying documents will give you greater context for the issue? What facts do you need--and if you don't have them, where can you find them?
🧐 What jurisdiction(s) should I limit the research to? If more than one, what is the most to least preferred?
🧐 In what format does the assignor want the final product (an email, a phone call, a formal memo)?
🧐 Who should I contact with questions and what is their preferred method of communication (phone, email, instant message)?
Once you have the final product, keep this in mind:
🤯 Don't be afraid to Google things--or run it through your firm's internal AI tools (trusting but verifying every step of the way).
🤯 Most partners (or supervising/assigning attorneys (and clients)) prefer a short answer (or executive summary) to start. Give them the answer up top, with a brief explanation of why you reached that conclusion, noting that the more fulsome analysis follows.
🤯 Considering the facts: do you need more? Is there additional discovery you can recommend (and offer to draft)? Additional due diligence you need (and offer to go get it)?
🤯 Highlight close calls and unfavorable findings, alongside the helpful bits. Don’t hide this and don’t shy away from having an opinion about the strengths and weaknesses along the way.
🤯 Offer to keep digging. Even if it seems clear, and especially if there are uncertainties and/or you’ve hit the estimated time allowed to research, make yourself available to do more work—on this topic, which will eventually lead to more substantive projects.
Research and writing should become your bread and butter, something you look forward to doing.
And yes: summarizing research is legal writing, and it is as important as brief writing.
As you grow as a litigator, you’ll do less, but you’ll also be able to do the research you are tasked with at a more efficient and targeted pace.
This is a small—but very important—part of what #BigLaw litigation associates do.
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