New Associates Program

In your first year at the firm, our goal is to provide both the challenging opportunities and the training and support that will enable you to become an accomplished lawyer.

Orientation and Training

The firm places significant emphasis on the training and professional development of its lawyers. New associates participate in both administrative and practice-specific orientations. The administrative orientation is meant to provide you with the resources and practical advice you need to adjust to law firm life. Practice-specific orientations are designed to give you the fundamental skills and substantive knowledge to take significant responsibility for clients and cases early in your career.

Joining a Department

New associates may request a department before joining the firm. Because most offers are extended and accepted well in advance of arrivals, we cannot guarantee an assignment to a specific department. However we make every effort to accommodate your preferences and will advise you shortly before your arrival about your assignment. In most cases, new associates receive their first choice. When that is not possible, we are almost always able to provide an assignment that fits the associate's general preferences.

When you join a department, our goal is to involve you quickly in its work and professional community. Each of the firm’s departments has an assigning partner or a workload committee, often supported by a professional manager who helps to allocate work to account for both our clients’ needs and our associates’ development. Your mentors also are mindful of your mix of work, especially in your first months.

Mentoring, Feedback and Other Support

When you join us, you will enter a mentoring program designed specifically for you. Our New Associates Program is dedicated to your professional development and integration into the firm. It plays an important role in helping you learn to navigate the firm and your department, ensuring that you are on track to become a successful lawyer, and in making it possible for you to overcome any obstacle in your first months at the firm. Mentors are senior lawyers from a mix of practice areas. In addition, each new associate is teamed with a peer mentor who provides practical advice and guidance.

After your first year, you will participate in:

• A benchmark program that provides a clear outline of the skills and types of experience you should typically gain as your career progresses. You will be assigned a partner who helps to ensure that you receive the appropriate variety of assignments to achieve these career benchmarks.
  
• An evaluation program that involves a mentor who will ensure that you will receive detailed, balanced reviews every six months, and have a chance to discuss the evaluations fully.
  
• An upward evaluation program that asks you to give senior lawyers feedback. Through training and “upward” evaluations, the firm puts substantial effort into developing the ability of senior lawyers to train, lead and motivate more junior lawyers effectively.