With the financial year ending in March, it is the season of feedback and appraisals. For many lawyers, this is the time when a year’s worth of hard work, patience, determination, and skill is distilled into a form and conversation that shapes their year and future within the organization.
Most organizations today will acknowledge that feedback matters. In smaller firms, it is typically continuous and woven into everyday interactions. Even if done formally, rarely is feedback documented, leaving partners to rely heavily on memory and observations. What may appear transparent on the surface may conceal subtle unconscious biases.
Larger firms often adopt more structured approaches, with annual or biannual reviews supported by templates or rating scales. Some firms have layered feedback systems that gather input from multiple partners across offices or practice groups and consolidate it into a single assessment.
While these frameworks aim to reduce individual bias, they are not immune to distortion. In such cases, feedback may be mediated by reputation, billing patterns, and visibility. Lawyers who are visible across matters or vocal in group settings tend to travel better through the system than those whose contribution is steady but contained. Irrespective of the framework, feedback gathered internally is inevitably influenced by internal dynamics, unrecognized biases or assumptions.
Internal feedback is necessary but not sufficient on its own. A well-designed feedback framework must prioritize neutrality. Without it, assessments reflect perspective rather than performance, allowing small biases to accumulate into unequal outcomes. Neutrality ensures that feedback measures actual work, contribution, and potential, rather than personality, proximity, or visibility.
This is where external involvement and independent insight can add real value. External review, when used judiciously, provides an impartial perspective, highlighting gaps and offering comparative context without replacing internal judgment. Firms can use such input to calibrate assessments, ensure consistency, and identify areas where internal systems may unintentionally underrepresent certain contributions. In this way, external involvement strengthens existing processes, rather than competing with them.
When feedback systems are well-designed, lawyers gain clarity on expectations and development priorities, while firms can make appraisal decisions with greater confidence and fairness. Thoughtful feedback, supported by neutrality and structured processes, becomes more than an administrative exercise. It becomes an essential tool for aligning performance, nurturing talent, and sustaining long-term growth.
About the author: Samta Thapa is the co-founder and partner of Agragami Consulting, a specialised talent search and advisory firm that works closely with law firm leadership and legal in-house teams on hiring, retention, and talent strategy.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s). The opinions presented do not necessarily reflect the views of Bar & Bench.
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