Reed Smith, San Francisco (Photo: Jason Doiy/ALM)

It's only been about a year since Reed Smith implemented enhanced training and billing requirement policies for associates. And now it's upgrading again.

The firm announced the next wave of its “associate life initiative” Tuesday, as it looks to implement suggestions made by its associate committee over the last year. Highlights include changes to its billable hour policy, making it more customizable for lawyers preparing to take parental leave and for those who take on part-time schedules.

Associates also will be presented with more professional development options, including a reestablished business of law program covering law firm economics, enhancements to a real-time feedback program and opportunities for certifications in technology and business skills.

Reed Smith announced a spate of improved associate benefits in May 2018 and said the most recent changes, which are being implemented globally across the firm, are intended to build on that.

“When we announced this last year, we made very clear that this initiative was not going to be one-and-done. That this is a living, breathing initiative,” said Casey Ryan, Reed Smith's global head of legal personnel, in an interview.

Like the first iteration, she said, the most recent changes are informed by associates' requests.

“We built the program to grow and change as we learned more about associates' needs and as the industry evolves. The new wave of improvements reflects the continuous feedback we have received from our associate committee,” global managing partner Sandy Thomas said in a statement Tuesday.

According to the firm, the most significant update is a new policy for associates who have gone part-time, called “True Up.” If these associates find themselves working more hours than anticipated under their part-time arrangement, they can now be compensated for the extra time, up to the amount for a 100% full-time schedule.

Doug Cameron, managing partner for the Americas, said this eliminates the stress that may accompany the transition to part-time, when associates may have been worried about how to manage the workload on a reduced schedule.

The firm has also adjusted its “Ramp Up” program for new parents, so that it also allows for lawyers to “Ramp Down” before leave. Initially, this program allowed attorneys returning from parental leave to do so on a graduated schedule over the course of four months, while being compensated fully throughout that period. Now, lawyers can cut down on hours for the four months before their parental leave with full compensation or split the four months before and after as they please.

Casey Ryan, Reed Smith.

After the firm announced its Ramp Up program last year, “associates we're saying the same challenges exist before leave,” Ryan said. The new policy allows them to use that flexible time period in a “bespoke” manner, she said.

Still, she noted, Ramp Up got the most positive feedback of any initiative in the first part of the associate life program. Ryan said some lawyers have told her it made the difference between feeling like they had to seek an in-house position or like they could stay at Reed Smith.

Among the changes to professional development, Reed Smith's professional learning program, which allows associates to devote up to 140 billable hours a year to activities like pro bono work or shadowing, now also allows them to use up to 50 of those 140 hours for certification or accreditation in specific skills through “Reed Smith University.”

For example, Ryan said, lawyers may become certified in technology and the law or legal project management. These courses will be taught by internal instructors to start, she said.

The firm also said it will add internal recognition programs for associates and promote their participation in its wellness program.

Asked how much Reed Smith has invested in its associate life initiatives, Ryan said it's difficult to quantify the cost without knowing how many lawyers will use the benefits. However, she said, “the firm expects the return on investment to be greater than the cost.”

Cameron said young lawyers are increasingly making career decisions based on cultural factors besides compensation, and benefits like these go a long way toward retention. In the last year, he said, he has seen a noticeable change in morale.

“I think it just boosted the entirety of the associate population,” he said.

Ryan said the flexibility around part-time work and parental leave will make a particular difference for women at the firm, creating more opportunities for female lawyers to stay in the pipeline toward partnership, leadership and higher pay. And in general, she added, enhancing associate life gives the firm an edge in the war for talent.

“I think compensation is always going to be critical. But as millennials and new lawyers look at where and how they are going to spend their days, things like this are going to be game-changers,” Ryan said.

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