Debevoise & Plimpton is set to roll out a mini-MBA scheme for first-year associates in its London and New York offices.

From this September, all first-year associates in Debevoise's two main offices will receive four weeks of intensive training in solving legal problems in a business context, as well as receiving an insight into the perspective of the US firm's client base.

Presiding partner Michael Blair announced the launch of the new initiative in an email on Monday (22 August), stating that the firm had engaged business education provider The Fullbridge Program.

Fullbridge is headed up by Peter Olson – a senior lecturer on Harvard's MBA programme and a former chief executive of Random House – and Candice Olson, who has held executive positions at American Express and Time Warner.

If the pilot is deemed a success, the mini-MBA programme will be rolled out in each of the firm's eight offices from September 2012.

The firm's head of the talent steering committee, Michael Gillespie, commented: "The programme is part of a broader lawyer development framework at the firm, the purpose of which is to ensure that our lawyers are effective and efficient in solving our clients' business problems with commercially sound legal solutions."

He continued: "Especially in the current climate, but really in any climate, we find that clients highly value a deeper appreciation for the business context of their legal needs."

Michael Blair was appointed as Debevoise's new leader in June, replacing Martin Frederic Evans, who is retiring from the firm at the end of the year.

Fellow US firm Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy launched a similar programme earlier this year in conjunction with Harvard Law School, with the new training scheme rolled out for associates in all of Milbank's offices.

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