Professional Development
At Hunton & Williams LLP, we challenge ourselves to stay at the forefront of the legal industry. To help meet that challenge, we are committed to providing our attorneys with the finest professional development available. Because our attorneys are among the brightest in the world, our formal and individualized on-the-job programs are comprehensive and challenging. They are the core of what keeps our attorneys working at their best.
The Office of Lawyer Resources and Development ("OLRD") oversees and coordinates our firmwide lawyer policy and program initiatives. Broadly covering all aspects of professional development from recruiting to training to promotion, OLRD works closely with the firm’s Associates, Diversity and Recruiting Committees.
The firm's Associates Committee is comprised of a group of partners drawn from across the firm's offices and teams. The Associates Committee manages the associate evaluation and compensation program, develops and implements various firm policies affecting associates and provides support and counsel to individual associates. The firm also has a full professional staff in our Business Development and Communications departments that provide training, support, marketing and pitch development assistance to help our lawyers learn essential business development skills. These dedicated resources and strategic relationships are critical to the continuing success of our firmwide professional development initiatives.
Formal training programs begin on day one for all new first-year associates as part of the firm’s Associate Orientation Program held in September of each year. We also host a Lateral Associate Orientation Program each year for those that have joined the firm. These multi-day programs bring all of our new and lateral associates together and provide comprehensive and practical information about the firm and life at the firm, including our strategic goals and initiatives, professional development programs, tips for success, business development resources and risk management practices. At the completion of these programs, each associate is armed with the insight necessary to begin a successful career at Hunton & Williams and relationships with their colleagues in other practice areas, offices and countries.
Associates also can expect further opportunities during their careers at the firm for both formal and informal training. The firm provides significant and varied formal in-house training that imparts excellent skills-based and institutional knowledge in a use-now format. New associates meet for periodic seminars to help further their integration to law practice. Fourth-year associates come together annually for a two-day negotiation and leadership skills workshop. And this year, our senior associates will participate in a new program focusing on leadership skills and practice. Additionally, the firm has conducted a series of International Associates Training Programs for those in our overseas offices focusing on practice, training, client development and communication skills. These programs sometimes include associates from our U.S. offices to further encourage cross-office practice training and relationships.
In addition to our firmwide training initiatives, our teams and practice groups provide both formal and informal training. For example, our litigation team has conducted a series of "lit school" programs focusing on skills-based training for lawyers at all levels. All of our practice groups work hard to provide new associates the on-the-job training they need to be successful, from industry information to practice area methodologies as well as the support they need to become fully integrated into their practice areas and with their teams.
We also recognize the importance of mentoring for our new associates. All first- and second-year associates are paired with a more senior associate from their own practice areas. The senior associate serves as "coach" and is instrumental in helping a new associate adjust to the firm. To ensure success, we monitor the program at regular intervals throughout the year.
Associates receive regular feedback from the partners and senior associates with whom they work. Each spring, associates take part in a formal evaluation process and, as part of the formal process, are encouraged to prepare professional development plans to facilitate discussions with their supervisors and practice leaders regarding their overall professional development and skills training. Each associate receives a written evaluation containing specific comments from partners who have supervised his or her work. The appropriate team and practice group leaders, supervising partners and an Associates Committee member review the written comments with each associate and discuss steps for future professional development.
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"At Hunton & Williams, we strive to provide our clients the highest quality legal services, which is one of the reasons we are committed to providing state-of-the-art training programs for our attorneys -- not only when they first arrive, but also throughout their careers."
-- Judith Itkin, Partner in Charge of Lawyer Resources, New York
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