Only 45% of New Partners Are Satisfied with Training; Some Tell of Isolation, Lack of Guidance
A survey of new partners in the top 250 law firms in North America and London found that most felt prepared for their new role, but only 45 percent were satisfied with their formal training.
The American Lawyer surveyed about 5,600 new partners before a conference it held last month for BigLaw lawyers promoted to partner since 2008. Sixty-one percent said their new jobs were what they’d expected, and 20 percent said their jobs were better than expected, the Am Law Daily reports.
According to the publication, it’s not surprising that only 45 percent of the new partners were satisfied with their training. Fewer than half had received formal training in business development or leadership skills or had received a 360-degree review.
“Overall, the partners seemed to fall into two groups,” the Am Law Daily says, “one concerned about a lack of training and direction, the other full of gratitude to mentors who had, over the years, shown them how to write business plans and manage cases, and who are still available to them.”
The anxieties became apparent in answers to open-ended questions, according to the publication. Many new partners expressed concerns about the ability to attract clients. And several told of a personal crisis. “Having been promoted, they now found themselves lonely and isolated,” the story says, “facing a very unclear career path without guidance or formal training.”
