“I’m your level. We’re both up for partner. Why do you get to determine our entire approach to the case and I just do defensive discovery? That puts me in a junior position. I should be able to give my opinion,” Colette shot back. It seemed as if she had prepared for this meeting. Her eyes and voice were hard, and her body seemed coiled and alert in her chair. “Maybe I should’ve approached it differently, but it seemed to me that my best tactic was to show my ideas as to how to win this case.”

Audrey stepped forward. “You have another case that you direct as the senior associate.”

“I’m asking to share strategy, not to take it over,” she said. “That’s an important distinction. You have to be able to see these nuances.” She straightened the paper clips on a stainless steel bird-shaped Alessi magnetic paper clip holder. “I doubt anything could hurt your standing with Hunter. It’s awkward for me—Hunter favors you, and the team loves you. It would’ve been much better for me if I had my own case with Hunter rather than joining your case as a second to you.”

“Yes, it’s not ideal.” Audrey nodded, but made direct eye contact with Colette. “But I don’t think the solution is to try to backstab me.”

Colette flushed then. “It’s not as if you are my best friend. I barely know you.”

“We’re supposed to be a team,” Audrey said, walking towards Colette to stand by her desk. Colette stood up, towering over Audrey.

“Hunter gave me a similar lecture about being a team player. But unfortunately, in this circumstance, it is not as if the whole team is going to the championship and will win a trophy ring. There’s a good chance only one of us will get picked for partnership, and it won’t be me if I’m the junior player and you’re the star. I have to do what’s best for me and show Hunter that he’s not treating me fairly by relegating me to some junior position.”

“You should do what’s best for the client,” Audrey said.

“That’s what I did,” Colette snapped. “We should lead with Rothman. It’s ridiculous to lead with your worst case.”

“It’s not. Prosecutors in white collar cases start at the bottom and work their way up so that they have the best case against the main target. In this case, we are building up our defenses.”

“Unless this approach works better for opposing counsel because they’re the plaintiff. That’s more akin to a prosecutor.”

“We don’t have a strong case for Rothman right now, so I don’t see the advantage of starting with him. Even the points that you cite in your memo—I don’t find them compelling,” Audrey said.