Law Firms
Law Firm Develops Intensive Leadership Training
Posted Nov 16, 2007, 07:56 am CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
An East Coast law firm with more than 160 lawyers has concluded that its future leaders need more training than the kind offered in management seminars or sink-or-swim opportunities.
Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young has developed a two-year leadership program with the help of legal consulting firm Altman Weil, the Legal Intelligencer reports. Four partners and one partner candidate are participating.
The five lawyers handle client development projects with the help of Altman Weil coaches. As part or their initiatives, the lawyers are developing a client relations management software program and creating an alumni network. They also meet with managing partner Jeffrey Lutsky once a month to discuss management topics and the firm’s emphasis on consensus-driven decisions.
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney has a similar program, while Reed Smith has tried a different approach by sending select lawyers to business school for executive training. (The ABA Journal reported on Reed Smith’s program in May 2005.)
Lutsky told the Intelligencer that Stradley Ronon has rejected the notion that leaders are born and not made. "The historical model for law firms is to put somebody in a leadership position without any training ... whatsoever," he said, "often not because of leadership skill but because of a big client, and they hope for the best and hope they don't drive into a ditch."
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Comments
Posted by Peon - 1 year, 2 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes ago
I applaud this type of initiative. Law firm partners may be great lawyers, but that doesn’t make them good managers. In fact, many of the qualities of a good attorney are inapposite to those of good managers—but often not v.v.
Posted by The CHief - 1 year, 1 day, 21 hours, 53 minutes ago
Leadership training is a great idea, but the execution may be too late in the career pipeline. Leadership needs to be developed within the assocate ranks as well, so that by the time someone is in a leadership position, then are comfortable with the role. Once you are in a leadership position it is too late to “test drive” leadership techniques.
Posted by Another Peon with Business Experience - 1 year, 1 day, 21 hours, 43 minutes ago
I spent nearly 10 years as a corporate executive managing large teams of people, prior to attending law school. Now I am a mid-level associate at a large law firm where there is no attention paid to management skills. Associates are promoted to partner with varying managerial abilities - some of whom would not survive a day as a manager in a corporate environment. I applaud this initiative but note also that client relations and rainmaking are not the only skills necessary in a good leader. Since most associates have no prior work experience before they join a firm, their role models tend to be senior associates and partners who also had no prior work experience. Perhaps law schools should follow the lead of the business schools and require student applicants to have at least two years of work experience to apply.
Posted by GTX - 11 months, 3 weeks, 4 days, 5 hours, 14 minutes ago
While business experience is great to have, it should not be a measurement of someone’s leadership skills. Yes, leaders are made not born, but some people can just never be turned into leaders no matter what. Finally, law schools should teach their students how to be more then just law librarians.