In response to ongoing changes in the legal profession and in an effort to provide new insight into the best ways to improve legal training at all stages of a lawyer’s career, the National Institute for Trial Advocacy released a free white paper titled “The Future of Legal Education: A Skills Continuum.” Drawing on insights from leading lawyer development professionals, the paper presents specific, tangible steps that can be taken by law schools, law firms, bar associations and other continuing legal education providers. With skills as the common thread, the paper’s recommendations seek to stimulate discussion and research across all aspects of legal education.
Numerous law firms, including DLA Piper, Sonnenschein, Howrey, and Orrick are transitioning from lockstep to a merit-based compensation system for associates.
The Shifting Associate Paradigm, The American Lawyer, By Dan DiPietro, Lisa Keyes, and Laura Saklad, November 17, 2009 Read »
“Medieval’ U.S. Law Firm Pay Structure Buckles,” Bloomberg.com, Carlyn Kolker, March 16, 2009 Read »
“Howrey to Ditch Lockstep Compensation for Merit-Based Model,” The Recorder, Zusha Elinson, June 29, 2007 Read »
“DLA Piper Announces Pay Cuts, New Compensation Model,” The National Law Journal, Leigh Jones, May 15, 2009 Read »
“Sonnenschein announces associate pay cuts, performance-based compensation system,” The National Law Journal, Lynne Marek, May 21, 2009 Read »
Merit-Based Compensation News, Above the Law.com Read »
Apprenticeship Programs
Similar in many respects to medical residencies and accounting secondments, several law firms have implemented apprenticeships to ensure that their young associates are fully trained and capable of effectively serving clients.
Links to Related Articles:
“Law Firm Apprentice Programs Add Extra Step for New Associates,” The National Law Journal, Jeff Jeffrey, June 30, 2009 Read »
“Drinkle Biddle to Incoming Associates: Homeschooling for You,” The AmLaw Daily, Rachel Breitman, May 11, 2009 Read »
“Day Pitney to Transform Summer Associates into Apprentices,” ABA Journal, Debra Cassens Weiss, August 6, 2009 Read »
The Future of Lawyer Recruiting, Development and Advancement (Session One)
Nineteen industry leaders met on June 24, 2009, for the first invitation-only Roundtable on the Future of Lawyer Hiring, Development, and Advancement, sponsored by NALP and The NALP Foundation and hosted by Arnold & Porter LLP. In nearly three hours of candid discussion, participants —
Concluded that the economic slow-down will have a lasting impact on lawyer hiring and development, including a move away from lock-step lawyer advancement models by many law firms;
Agreed that beginning on-campus interviewing of second-year law students in August is problematic and that different models should be considered;
Explored the ways in which the economy and client needs may change traditional law firm leverage models;
Expressed great interest in development of an apprenticeship model of lawyer training;
Concurred that commitments to diversity would withstand the impacts of the recession;
Concluded that increased competition will create new demands for lawyer training; and
Agreed that where associate retention was once the impetus for lawyer professional development, the new impetus is client retention.
To read the transcript or view the roundtable video, here »
The Future of Lawyer Recruiting, Development and Advancement (Session Two)
The second Roundtable on the Future of Lawyer Hiring, Development, and Advancement was held September 28 in the San Francisco offices of Kirkland & Ellis LLP and brought together another panel of distinguished industry leaders for a discussion about how we might change and improve the ways law firms recruit new associates in the new economy. Highlights included a discussion about whether this industry should move to a matching system similar to the one used by medical schools to place graduates in internships, as well as further debate about how moving the OCI process later in the season might work as a practical matter. Panelists also discussed implementing a common offer date. The discussion produced a hopeful consensus that the legal job market will improve for the Class of 2012, but also an agreement that for now, law firms will proceed very conservatively in the hiring arena.
Read the transcript »
Secondments
The best way to learn about a client’s business is to be on the inside. Secondments, the temporary loan of a law firm lawyer to a client for a specific project or to fill a short-term need, can provide that unparalleled opportunity. Many law firms and legal departments have already tapped into this growing trend in the legal industry. Legal Secondments with a Twist, John Wallbillich, Wired GC, June 2, 2009 More »
Lending Lawyers: Secondments Gaining Popularity, Lorelei Laird, GC California, May 20, 2008 More »
Second This! A personal Look Back at My Secondment, Craighton Goeppele, Business Law Today, January 2008 More »
Project Management Training
Clients want lawyers who are better, faster, and cheaper. Several law firms are responding with project management training and other methods such as six sigma to ensure their lawyers are as efficient as possible for the benefit of their clients.
Seyfarth Shaw Says Six Sigma Method Has Cut Client Fees by Up to 50%, Debra Cassens Weiss, ABA Journal, September 14, 2009 More »
Alternative Fees (Part 24): Management & Risk, Jim Hassett, Legal Business Development Blog, September 9, 2009 More »
Developing Legal Talent: Best Practices in Professional Development for Law Firms, Ida Abbott, NALP
Lawyers’ Professional Development, Ida Abbott, NALP
Maximizing Law Firm Profitability: Hiring, Training and Developing Productive
Lawyers, Susan Manch & Marcia Shannon
The Effective Associate Training and Development Program, 2nd Edition, American Bar Association
Best Practices in Attorney Professional Development, American Bar Association
Law Firm Training & Professional Development Best Practices, Institute of Management & Administration
Managing the Professional Services Firm, David Maister
Evaluations/Performance Improvement
You Get What You Measure: Lawyer Development Frameworks and Effective Performance Evaluations, Scott Westfahl, NALP
Beyond the Nuts and Bolts of the Associate Evaluation, NALP
How Associate Evaluations Measure Up, NALP Foundation
Fair Measure Toward Effective Attorney Evaluations, American Bar Association
Commission on Women in the Profession (1st & 2nd Edition)
The Art and Science of 360° Feedback, Richard Lepsinger and Anntoinette D. Lucia
Core Competencies
From Classes to Competencies, Lockstep to Levels, Peter Sloan, Blackwell Sanders
Building Robust Competencies, Paul Green
Constructing Core Competencies: Using Competency Models to Manage Firm Talent, Heather Bock and Robert Ruyak, American Bar Association
"Measuring Up: Maybe You Need a Skills List," Patricia Anne Woods, Business Law Today, July 1996
“Codifying Competencies,” Bryn Vaaler, Law Firm Partnership & Benefits Report, January 2005
“Keys to Successfully Implementing Competency Models to Manage Lawyer Talent,” by Sari Fried-Fiori and Kay Nash, NALP Bulletin, April 2008
“Using Online Learning Resources to Promote Competency Development,” by Steve Gluckman, Professional Development Quarterly, August 2006
“An Examination of the Core Competency Movement,” by Susan Manch, NALP Bulletin, May 2006
The Dictionary of Occupational Titles, U.S. Department of Labor
Integration
Loyalty by Design: A Practical Guide for Developing an Effective Associate Integration Program, Caren Ulrich Stacy & Dusti Plunkett, NALP and NALP Foundation
The Complete Guide to Lateral Hiring & Integration Best Practices for Law Firm Leaders, Institute of Management & Administration
From Law School to Law Practice: The New Associates Guide, S. B. O'Neill and Gerhauser Sparkman
Perceptions of Partnership: The Allure and Accessibility of the Brass Ring, NALP Foundation
What Law School Doesn't Teach You ... But You Really Need to Know, Kimm Alayne Walton, J.D.
Your New Lawyer: The Legal Employers Complete Guide to Recruitment, Development and Management, Second Edition, American Bar Association -- Section of Law Practice Management
Lawyer Training
The Effective Associate Training Program: Improving Firm Performance, Profitability, and Prospective Partners, Austin Anderson and Arthur Green, American Bar Association
Effective Strategies for Teaching Adults, Don F. Seaman and Robert A. Fellez
Planning Programs for Adult Learners: A Practical Guide for Educators, Trainers, and Staff Developers, Rosemary S. Caffarella
A Business Skills Curriculum for Law Firm Associates, S. Chitwood, A. Gollieb, B. Mara
Adult Learning Methods: A Guide for Effective Instruction, Michael W. Galbraith
Attaining Excellence in CLE: Standards for Quality and Methods of Evaluation, American Law Institute-American Bar Association
Teaching for Better Learning, American Law Institute and American Bar Association
The Corporate University Handbook: Designing, Managing and Growing a Successful Program, M. Allen
The Adult Learner: A Neglected Species, Malcolm S. Knowles, Gulf Publishing Company
Educating Lawyers: Preparation for the Profession of Law, W. Sullivan, A. Colby, J. Wegner, L. Bond, L. Shulman, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
The ASTD Training & Development Handbook, Robert Craig
Associate Retention
Update on Association Attrition, NALP Foundation
The Lateral Lawyer-Why They Leave and What May Make Them Stay, NALP Foundation
Keeping the Keepers I & II: Strategies for Associate Retention in Times of Attrition, NALP Foundation
Managing Law Firm Recruitment and Retention in a Downturn, NALP Foundation
Career Development/Work-Life Balance
Ask the Career Counselors: Answers for Lawyers on Their Lives and Life's Work, K. Morris & McCall, ABA
Judge for Yourself: Clarity, Choice, and Action in Your Legal Career, H. Bradley & M. Babberger, ABA
The Creative Lawyer: A Practical Guide to Authentic Professional Satisfaction, American Bar Association
The Lawyers Career Change Handbook: More Than 300 Things You Can Do With a Law Degree, Hindi Greenberg
The Lawyers Guide to Balancing Life and Work, George Kaufman
I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What it Was: How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It, Barbara Sher
In Pursuit of Attorney Work-Life Balance: Best Practices in Management, NALP Foundation
Mentoring/Coaching
The Art of Mentoring, S. Reddy, Ph.D.
The Lawyer’s Guide to Mentoring, Ida Abbott, NALP
The Lawyer as Supervisor, Manager & Motivator, Sheffer & Sparrow
Education for Judgment: The Artistry of Discussion Leadership, C. R. Christensen and D. Garvin
Coaching and Mentoring: How to Develop Top Talent and Achieve Stronger Performance, Harvard Business Review
The Handbook of Coaching, F. Hudson
Generational Issues/Diversity
The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and Societies, Scott E. Page
Connecting Generations, C. Raines
Beyond Generation X, C. Raines
The Xers and the Boomers: From Adversaries to Allies—A Diplomat’s Guide, C. Raines, J. Hunt
Generations at Work: Managing the Clash of Veterans, Boomers, Xers, and Nexters in Your Workplace, R. Zemke, C. Raines, B. Filipczak
Gender on Trial: Sexual Stereotypes and Work/Life Balance in the Legal Workplace, H. English
The Diversity Toolkit: How You Can Build and Benefit from a Diverse Workforce, William Sonnenschein
Ending the Gauntlet: Removing Barriers to Women's Success in the Law, Thomson & Legalworks
Generations: The History of America’s Future, 1584 to 2069, William Strauss & Neil Howe
Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation, Neil Howe & William Strauss
VAULT/MCCA Guide to Law Firm Diversity Programs, Vera Djordjevich, VAULT
Cascading Gender Biases, Compounding Effects: An Assessment of Talent Management Systems, Catalyst
Compensation, Benefits and HR Policies
NALP Associate Salary Report (www.NALP.org)
Jobs & J.D.'s: Employment and Salaries of New Law Graduates, NALP
Professionalism/Interpersonal Skills
True Professionalism, David Maister
Reading People, JoEllen Dimitrios, Ph.D. & Mark Mazzarella
Emotional Alchemy, Tara Bennett-Coleman
Emotional Intelligence, D. Coleman
Networking/Business Development
Aligning the Stars: How to Succeed When Professionals Drive Results, Jay W. Lorsch
Make Your Contacts Count, Anne Baber & Lynne Waymon
The First 5 Minutes, M. Mitchell
Rainmaking, Ford Harding
Creating Rainmakers: The Manager’s Guide to Training Professionals to Attract
New Clients, Ford Harding
The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century, Thomas L. Friedman
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, Malcolm Gladwell
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