Navy and gold graphic of two empty chairs facing each other across a marble desk with an open review folder and gold pen, titled How Do I Run Performance Reviews at My Law Firm

How Do I Run Performance Reviews at My Law Firm?

November 11, 2026•6 min read

The short answer

Tie every review to the role. Before anyone sits down for a review, they should already know the main responsibilities of their job and the numbers that show whether it's going well. Hold short check-ins through the year, then use a formal review to look back, agree on what to improve and set goals for the next period. When reviews are built this way, nothing in them comes as a surprise.

Why most law firm reviews don't help

In many firms, reviews happen once a year if they happen at all. The attorney or owner fills out a generic form the night before. Feedback is vague, the conversation drifts to pay, and both people leave unsure what should change.

Staff notice. A review that feels like a box being checked tells them their growth isn't a priority. Good people start looking elsewhere, and the ones who are struggling never get the clear direction that might have helped them improve.

Start with clear roles

A review can only be as clear as the job it measures. Write down the five or so main responsibilities for each role, and the numbers that go with them. For an intake specialist, that might be response time to new leads, consultations booked and signed cases. For a paralegal, it might be tasks completed on time, case stages updated and client calls returned within a set window.

Our post on how to build an org chart for your law firm walks through defining roles and responsibilities.

Check in throughout the year

The best reviews are mostly a summary of conversations that already happened. Hold short one-on-ones every week or every other week. Use them to clear roadblocks, give feedback while it's still useful, and catch problems early.

A quarterly check-in on goals keeps the bigger picture in view. If someone is falling behind, they should hear about it months before a formal review.

A simple review format

Look at the numbers. Go through the role's key numbers for the period. What improved, what slipped and why.
Review the responsibilities. For each main responsibility, agree on whether it's being done well, needs some work or needs a lot of work.
Talk about how they work. Communication, reliability, teamwork and how they handle clients. Use specific examples.
Ask for their view. What's getting in their way? What support do they need? What would they like to learn or take on?
Set two or three goals. Make them specific and tied to the role or to the firm's priorities for the coming quarter.
Write it down. Both people should leave with the same written summary.

Keep pay separate when you can

If raises are decided in the same meeting, the conversation tends to become about money. Many firms hold the performance conversation first and handle compensation in a separate, shorter meeting. Either way, be clear about how raises are decided so the process feels fair.

What to do when someone is struggling

Be direct and specific. Name the gap, show the numbers or examples, and agree on a plan with clear expectations and a date to review progress. Offer the training or support they need. If things don't improve after a fair chance, you'll have a documented history to guide the next decision.

Before any discipline or termination, check your obligations under employment law where you operate. A short call with an employment attorney can prevent problems.

Common mistakes

Reviewing people against expectations nobody wrote down
Saving all feedback for the annual review
Letting the most recent month color the whole year
Talking more than listening
Ending the meeting without written goals

What it looked like at a growing firm

At the firm where I was COO, the team grew from 6 people to more than 18. With that many new roles, clear expectations mattered more than ever. Every role had written responsibilities and its own numbers on the weekly scorecard, and department leads held regular one-on-ones with their teams. When review time came, the conversation was about growth and next steps, because the day-to-day issues had already been handled along the way.

Frequently asked questions

How often should a law firm do performance reviews?

A formal review once or twice a year works for most firms, supported by regular one-on-ones and a quarterly look at goals.

Who should conduct reviews at a law firm?

The person's direct manager. In a smaller firm that may be the owner or an attorney. As the firm grows, department leads should take this on.

What should a law firm review form include?

The role's key numbers, its main responsibilities, how the person works with others and with clients, their own feedback, and two or three goals for the next period.

Should attorneys be reviewed too?

Yes. Associates benefit from the same structure, with numbers that fit their role, such as case progress, client communication and billable work.

How do we make reviews less awkward?

Hold regular one-on-ones so nothing in the review is new, use specific examples, and spend as much time listening as talking.

Where to start

Pick one role and write down its five main responsibilities and the numbers that show it's going well. Share it with the person in that role and schedule your first one-on-one. If you'd like help setting up roles, scorecards and reviews across the firm, the Free Firm Gap Report will show you where the gaps are.

Get your Free Firm Gap Report

Or call 813-565-3050 to talk it through.

law firm performance reviews

Michele Margetts

Michele Margetts is the founder of Navigated Results and a fractional COO for law firms and service businesses between $500K and $20M in revenue. As COO of a law firm, she helped grow revenue from $2.49M to $8.31M.

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