Market Areas > Practice Management > Replacing lockstep

Replacing Lockstep Advancement: Building Alternative Tracks for Associates

Course Description:

Is lockstep a thing of the past? 

The long tradition of lockstep advancement is changing.  Orrick recently announced its “new talent model” that allows associates to advance at a pace based on developing skill sets. These changes, on the heels of Howrey and Drinker Biddle’s alteration of associate training, compensation and billing, seems to indicate a trend that’s gaining momentum. 

Happier clients, faster ROI of costs incurred during associate ramp-up, higher associate retention, better work/life balance and high value legal service are just a few benefits that our expert faculty will discuss during this information-packed CCM audio conference on CD.

A must for every law firm rethinking the associate experience, during this informative program, you’ll also learn: 

• Why change? How client demands are fueling the rapid fire changes to associate tracks
• How new associate tracks transfer the cost of training associates away from clients
• How to implement and define associate duties and levels with well-defined performance criteria for advancement
• Ideas for measuring and placing associates based on capabilities rather than graduation date
• Compensation models for new associate tracks- bonuses vs. amount of hours billed
• Training for new associates- formal sessions vs. on-the-job training
• Trenches or training? How some firms are handling new hires

Featured FAculty:

Ida Abbott, Founder, Ida Abbott Consulting LLC

Ida Abbott has been advising professional service firms, professional associations and corporations about talent development, management and retention since 1995. She has long been recognized as a leader in the fields of mentoring and professional development, and has been elected a Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management. Ida has held leadership positions in many bar associations and legal organizations, and currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Academic and Professional Development Committee of the International Bar Association. She is a founder and former board member of the Professional Development Consortium, an association of professional development specialists at major US and international law firms.

For many years, Ida has been at the forefront of efforts to promote women in the legal profession. She is co-founder and Director of the Hastings Leadership Academy for Women at the University of California Hastings College of the Law, where she is also a Faculty Fellow. She is on the Advisory Board of the Women in Law Empowerment Forum and the Editorial Board of www.womeninlaw.com.

Anthony S. Volpe, Shareholder, Volpe and Koenig, P.C.

Anthony S. Volpe is a founding shareholder of the intellectual property firm Volpe and Koenig. He has corporate and private practice experience in securing, licensing and enforcing all aspects of intellectual property rights in the U.S and abroad. Tony is an experienced litigator and negotiator who has appeared before state and federal courts, administrative agencies, the United States Patent and Trademark Office Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences and the International Trade Commission. His technical experience includes fiber optics, electrical connectors, batteries, games, toys, drug delivery systems, material handling equipment, motor vehicles, medical equipment and consumer products. Tony has authored many articles on intellectual property law, the business of law and law firm management and is a frequent presenter at intellectual property seminars in the United States, Canada and Europe.

Kristy Weathers, Director of Professional Development, Sutherland

Kristy Weathers has been the Director of Professional Development at Sutherland since 2006. In this position, she works with firm management, the Professional Development Committee and individual practice groups both to assess the firm's training needs and to craft and implement the firm's professional development strategy.  For three consecutive years since 2007, Sutherland has ranked among the top 5 law firms in the country for associate training. The firm also has been nationally recognized for its Career Planning Program, which was implemented in 2007.  This comprehensive program provides a structured approach to professional development through detailed firm and practice group guidelines, individualized career plans and partner plan advisors.

Prior to joining Sutherland, Kristy was a lawyer on King & Spalding's Tort & Environmental Practice Group, where her practice focused on toxic tort and other litigation matters. For over a decade, she handled individual and class action cases involving various chemicals, including mercury, PCBs, TCE and other solvents. She also worked as a staff attorney for Chief Judge John Ruffin of the Georgia Court of Appeals from 2003 until 2005, and managed King & Spalding’s professional development department from 2005-2006.

MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE:

Pricing:

Your CD recording includes the complete audio conference presentation, audience Q&A and presentation materials.

CLE:

CCM provides audio conference attendees with CLE credit processing services. To expedite CCM processing your CLE request, please complete and submit the evaluation form available from CCM at the conclusion of the audio conference. It will be necessary to enter the following information: name of each attorney requesting CLEs with full contact information, including e-mail address, bar number, and the state in which the attorney wants credits. Each attorney requesting credits must submit an evaluation.

Please be advised CCM audio conferences are subject to approval from each CLE issuing organization and approval is not guaranteed (state bar associations in Delaware, Indiana, Kansas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania do not grant CLE credits for audio conferences). The approval process takes approximately 6 - 8 weeks for most organizations but can take as long as 3 - 4 months. You will be notified via e-mail with the final status of your CLE application.

Any person applying for CLE credits must attend the audio conference from start to finish (attendance will be taken for compliance reasons). Requests for CLE credits must be received no later than two weeks following the conclusion of the audio conference or live conference. CLE credits are not available for CD recordings.

If you have any questions regarding CLE credits, contact Jill Adler at 631.368.2082 x 21 or jill.adler@meeting-matters.com.

Each CCM event presents a variety of information and is presented for each organization to develop its own approach and methodology.