WORDS FROM THE WISE
to their benefit too- and will work
hard to give you what you need to
be successful.
Christina McCoy: It is important
to remember that senior support
staff were once in your shoes. I per-
sonally like direct questions, eye
contact, and when the newer staff
takes notes. A common issue I see
with newer staff is the failure to
take notes when receiving advice,
assignments, clarifications, etc. If
senior support staff must repeat
themselves multiple times it shows
a lack of respect and good work
ethic.
Melissa Redmon: With senior-
ity comes experience. Given the
breadth of their experience, senior
staff have a better idea about what
works and what doesn’t work. Se-
nior ADAs need to be competent
themselves. It is crucial that begin-
ning ADAs listen to Senior ADAs
and ask them for advice and help
when they need it.
Ryan Walsh: They have a lot more
experience than you do. Under-
stand that and take advantage of
it. And don’t waste it. You’ll be a lot
better off if they want to help you
rather than the other way around.
3)
Georgia Rules of Profes-
sional Conduct 5.1-5.3 hold part-
ners and managing and supervi-
sory attorneys to greater respon-
sibility for subordinate attorneys
and staff. You supervise several
attorneys and staff—what advice
do you have to manage those re-
sponsibilities?
Marty Ellin: You cannot honor
your obligation from a distance.
Engage the people you supervise,
individually and collectively. Tell
them not only what you think about
a substantive issue but why, and
encourage a challenge to that ap-
proach. Make them feel like a part
of a team. They need your guid-
ance and direction, and also hope
for your support and appreciation.
Christina McCoy: I oversee contrac-
tors working on multiple legal proj-
ects within the company. My advice
on managing these responsibilities
is to do quality analysis checks on
their work, hold regular meetings to
receive status updates, and provide
tasks/goals that are attainable in
their short term projects.
Melissa Redmon: It is most effi-
cient and effective for everyone
to function if they know from the
beginning what exactly to do. It is
helpful at the onset to have a team
meeting so everyone knows their
specific responsibilities. It is also
the place to highlight achievement,
identify and remedy gaps or areas
for improvement, and ask for help.
Ryan Walsh: Always remember that
it’s a team sport, and you succeed
or fail together. Everyone deserves
credit when you succeed, and there’s
no finger pointing when anything
goes wrong. Every act the team
does reflects upon every member
of the team, and particularly, the
lead lawyer. Make sure you manage
accordingly.
4)
How do you approach del-
egating work?
Marty Ellin: Assuming you have the
right people in place, give the staff
everything they need to be success-
ful, including carefully drafted and
specific direction, then, get out of
their way!
Christina McCoy: As the only coun-
sel for the company, delegation is
crucial. I look at delegation in two
respects – external and internal.
Externally, I rely on outside coun-
sel for support on specialized is-
sues, such as, employment labor
law, trademark, litigation, etc. I also
have legal projects, which I oversee,
but delegate the day-to-day task to
legal contracting agencies. Inter-
The Official News Publication of the Atlanta Bar Association THE ATLANTA LAWYER
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