Law Practice Management
New BigLaw Perk for Struggling Associates: Career Counselor
Posted Feb 8, 2008 3:04 PM CST
By Martha Neil
Faced with the likelihood of associate flight, given high attrition rates, a growing number of BigLaw firms are trying a new tactic: hiring an in-house career counselor to help junior attorneys develop professionally.
The career counselor's role is to offer associates "a neutral and confidential third party to go to with questions: How do I stay on track to make partner? How do I better build my practice? How can I switch practices? How do I get out of here?" explains the Recorder.
Even if counseling leads to a new job elsewhere, that may mean future business for the former law firm if the associate has left on good terms—especially if the new position is with a client or in the public sector. However, the result of such efforts is often a happier and more productive attorney who opts to stay with the firm, proponents say.
"We see that as kind of retaining our talent in a different way, in a different capacity," says Diane Downs, the manager of attorney development at Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker.
"Some people will leave whether they talk to me or not," adds Jessica Natkin, who was the first career guidance manager at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati before becoming a career counselor for Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. "So I try to help them to figure out what they want to do so they leave as a friend of the firm."
As discussed in an earlier ABA Journal article, having a single career guru coordinate the firm's associate training efforts is also a BigLaw trend.
- How B of A’s GC Got Fired: Leave Now, and Leave Your BlackBerry Behind
- Schools Ranked by 'Super Lawyers' Produced
- Law Firm Price Wars Break Out as Some Try ‘Loss Leader’ Bids for Work
- Five Questions for Law Firms Abandoning Lockstep Compensation
- Judge Jails 2 Attorneys for Contempt in 4 Days
- Reed Smith Will Ask Nonequity Partners to Pony Up Possibly 15% of Pay
- Court Deputy Ordered to Apologize or Face Jail After Taking Lawyer's Paperwork
- Skadden Jumps on the Bonus Bandwagon
- ABA Executive Director Resigns
- Nasty Attitude to Co-Worker, Naughty Word in E-Mail Cost 2 Their Jobs
Should Supreme Court Justices Be Able to Review News Accounts Before Publication?
Comments
erin
Feb 12, 2008 10:35 PM CST
“so they leave as a friend of the firm”???? Give me a break. The whole point of this approach, by biglaw’s’ own admission (!), is to RETAIN people. If a career counselor does not deliver this result - he or she is fired. It’s a built-in conflict of interest in a job description of the “counselor.” Assuming the career counselor is not looking to be fired, a better job title would be “rat”, “pusher”, or “professional abuser of associates’ trust”. I seriously question the ethical standards of any law firm that is not only ok with this, but promotes this as a so-called service for associates. The mere suggestion that biglaw is interested in associates for the sake of associates at the expense of its own profit margin is absurd, and I feel bad for anyone who falls for it. The best way to get “career counseling” within a law firm is to develop a relationship and friendship with a senior associate or better yet partner - whose job description does not include reporting back to the management on the associate’s “progress.” Get real and drop the false advertising, please, as this is a huge turnoff. I am much more inclined to go for a firm that is open and honest about facts like tough hours, discretionary bonuses, and expectations of personal sacrifice. These three items are true across the board at Biglaw, and patronizing associates with programs like “career counseling” leave me with much disappointment.
Flag this comment
Add a Comment
We welcome your comments, but please adhere to our comment policy.
Commenting has expired on this post.