Attorney Performance Review Checklist

Export the attorney's billable hours, realization rate, and write-down totals from Clio, Centerbase, or Tabs3 for the review period. Compare against the firm's billable target (commonly 1,800–2,000 hours for associates). Flag months with realization under 85%.

List matters worked, matters originated, and any contingency or AFA matters. Note client retention versus one-time engagements. Originations matter for partnership-track associates and Of Counsel comp discussions.

Send a short feedback form to 3–5 colleagues who staffed matters with the attorney — partners, peer associates, paralegals, and legal assistants. Ask about responsiveness, work product quality, and supervision style. Keep responses confidential to the reviewing partner.

Have the attorney summarize significant matters, wins, and areas where they want more development. Ask them to rate progress on prior-year goals before the meeting so the conversation starts with shared facts.

Pull two or three filings, memos, or transactional drafts from NetDocuments or iManage. Look for substantive analysis, citation discipline, and how heavily the supervising partner had to redline. A heavy-redline pattern signals a development gap, not just a stylistic preference.

Evaluate Rule 1.1 competence in the attorney's primary practice area — issue spotting, statutory and case-law fluency, and judgment on close calls. For litigators, look at motion practice and depo performance; for transactional attorneys, look at deal-doc drafting and diligence judgment.

Pull tickler and calendar history. Any missed deadlines, last-minute filings, or near-miss SOLs are the most important data point in the review — a single missed SOL is a malpractice claim. Note who caught any near-misses.

Sample five client matters and check time-to-first-response on inbound emails and calls. Pull any client complaints or fee disputes from the firm administrator. Slow response is the most common driver of client departures at small firms.

Look at new matters originated, referrals received, and cross-sell into other firm practice groups. For partnership-track attorneys, sustained origination is usually the gating criterion. Note bar-association involvement, speaking engagements, and published articles.

Review any post-matter survey responses, Google reviews, and repeat-engagement rate. For PI and family-law practices, online reviews drive intake — chronic two-star reviews from a specific attorney warrant a direct conversation.

Run a same-day vs. late-entry report from the practice management system. Time entered more than 7 days late is a leading indicator of write-downs and client disputes. Firm policy is typically next-business-day entry.

Sample three pre-bills the attorney edited. Check whether vague entries ("reviewed file 0.5") were rewritten before client send and whether block-billing was broken out. Unedited pre-bills sent to clients drive fee disputes and bar grievances.

Cross-check the attorney's matters against the trust ledger for any negative balances, pre-clearance disbursements, or overdraft notices during the period. A single Rule 1.15 violation is a state-bar reportable event in most states; recurring sloppiness is a separation issue.

Confirm CLE hours on file with the state bar — total hours plus the ethics, diversity, and mental health subcategories required in your jurisdiction. Flag any attorney within 60 days of the deadline who is short.

Note any open or closed bar grievances, disciplinary inquiries, or malpractice claim notices during the period. Coordinate with the firm's malpractice carrier on any open matter before the review meeting — claim status often affects what can be discussed in writing.

Triggered when the IOLTA review surfaced a material concern. Bring the trust-account specifics, the firm administrator's reconciliation notes, and any bank overdraft notices to the managing partner before the review meeting. Decide whether the issue is a coachable lapse or a separation/self-report event.

Under Rules 5.1 and 5.3, supervising attorneys are responsible for the conduct of associates and non-lawyer staff. Note formal mentorship of junior associates, paralegal supervision quality, and contribution to firm-wide training or knowledge management.

Schedule 60–90 minutes in person or by video. Walk through prior-year goals first, then current performance against the categories above, then forward-looking goals. Avoid surprises — anything material should have been raised contemporaneously.

Capture 3–5 specific goals — billable target, origination target, a substantive practice-area depth goal (e.g., second-chair two trials), a CLE/credential goal, and a supervisory or business-development goal. Each goal needs a measurement source and a check-in date.

Cover salary adjustment, bonus eligibility, and — where relevant — partnership-track timing or Of Counsel transitions. Be explicit about origination thresholds and book-of-business expectations rather than leaving them implied.

The reviewing partner finalizes the written review, the attorney signs to acknowledge receipt (not necessarily agreement), and the firm administrator files it in the personnel folder per the firm's records-retention schedule.