This is the first of the Et Al series, which profiles the sometimes caricatured roles we see in law firms. The Et Al series is intended to be thought-provoking with true to life memoirs, but somewhat irreverent and only semi-serious.

Our first Et Al character is the Gunner, because this is the one you most likely first encountered in law school. You have probably since had at least one encounter with an associate who seems so driven that it is clear his or her drive comes from something deeper than just a desire to be a great lawyer. This is the ultra-competitive Gunner, who is mentally still in law school and thinks associates are graded on a forced bell curve.

I have seen more Gunner Girls than Gunner Guys, but both are out there. Gunner Guy’s competitiveness is usually more overt, but more likely to be directed at work rather than at people. This makes him more tolerable than most Gunner Girls, who are usually more subtle, but far more personal in their one-upmanship. Gunner Girl can be so subtle that you cannot raise the concern with her or anyone else, because she could so easily deny it, justify it, or otherwise make you look like a petty, unprofessional fool.

However sometimes, a Gunner Girl will be more overt. For instance, I was once in a client team meeting where three associates gave status reports to two partners. We were allowed to leave as soon as we gave our report. Nice Guy Associate gave his report first, then me. After I gave my report and got up to leave, Gunner Girl two years my junior piped up with, “Yeah, get rid of the easy ones first!” I wanted to ask her what grade she was in. Instead, I mustered poise and composure and gracefully left the conference room with no reaction, trusting that the partners were paying attention. This was but one offense.

How can you keep a Gunner from ruining your balanced life zen?

One way to bring up, and possibly defuse, the issue in a professional manner is to be helpful. When a Gunner seems particularly out of sorts, you can say something like, “I’m noticing you seem overloaded today. Is there anything I can do to help you?” Don’t worry, she will most likely say no thank you and not hand over her most complicated motion for summary judgment to you, because she is merely showing off with her antics and has too deep a need to feel important to pass off any work to you. If she takes you up on it, stick to your word. Maybe she will ease up, knowing you are for real.

The gentle inquiry approach allows you to point out the issue without making a big deal of it. I say this even though I once tried to help a Gunner Girl and got a hand thrust in my face for it. It was not the first time I dealt with a Gunner Girl who took kindness as condescension. Maybe you will have better luck. Rest assured that her insecurity is ultimately her issue, not yours, even though you may have to deal with the fallout. Another option is to keep your door closed whenever Gunner Girl is on a bragging rampage in the hall (bonus, this makes you look studious as well, deep into your own important work).

For more information on The Gunner, check this out.

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