Smart Strategy


Glaring statistics about associate retention, dismal track records with lateral hires and the revolving door of C-suite professionals shine a harsh light on Big Law workplaces. In high-stakes environments, harbingers of attrition may be lurking in even the most welcoming cultures. Gallup studies attribute most variability in engagement to “middle managers.” Within law firms, this suggests partners may hold the key to transforming their firms into sought-after opportunities with staying power.

Yet not all partners have the skills they need to take on the role of people management and development (let alone the mandate or predisposition). Traditional models of lawyer development—apprenticeship or osmosis (a.k.a. sheer proximity will result in growth) simply didn’t account for teaching how to motivate or develop others. Nor did they place the burden on partners, but instead encouraged the most ambitious of associates to forge their own path.