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Ropes & Gray is renowned for its training, ranking #3 among America's
top 100 law firms according to the most recent data collected by Vault.com.
One key to our success in this area is our philosophy that everyone
benefits from effective training — our clients, each associate,
and the firm as a whole. As a service business that is only as good
as its people, the firm has a powerful incentive to actively promote
the professional growth of every associate. Because the firm recognizes
that training is its lifeblood, an extraordinary amount of partner
and associate time is devoted to the effort of improving our training
programs on a year-to-year basis. There are training programs for every
type of law and practice at the firm. Moreover, unlike many firms,
we do not require early specialization, so there are wide-ranging opportunities
to learn from our partners and senior associates while actually practicing
in a variety of areas of the law. |
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The incoming fall associate class listens intently during an orientation session. |
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The hands-on training
obtained from one-on-one working relationships is supplemented by a
formal training program designed to pick up where law school left off.
One of our partners, Rob Shapiro — a former teacher and
current counsel, adviser, and trustee to many schools — heads
up training in conjunction with the firm's
Professional Development Department.
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Yvonne
Osirim (Harvard Law School '07) participates in a formal training program. |
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| The first phase of the firm-wide training
program is a two-day orientation program designed to provide incoming
associates with an overview of the firm; its business strategy, key
policies and processes, pro bono activities, and important firm committees.
Pictured below are scenes from a recent orientation session. |
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Ana Francisco, the firm's Pro Bono Committee chair, presents at the Pro Bono Luncheon held during orientation. |
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Sidd Pattandyak (Boston University Law School '04), left, Nick Madden (University of Virginia School of Law '03), center, and Heather Pierce (New York University School of Law '05), right, participate in a "Hot Topics" panel discussion at orientation.
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Social event during orientation. |
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The firm-wide training program consists
of a series of workshops and courses directed to associate lawyers
at all levels of development at the firm. Topics addressed include
cogent writing, presentation skills, negotiation strategies, diversity,
management skills, dealing with clients and many others. Technology
University ("Tech U") provides a hands on demonstration of
key technology tools used by attorneys to make ethical decisions in
their daily practice. The Corporate and Litigation Departments each
conduct an intensive "Training Camp" for
new associates who have expressed an interest in working in their departments
and involve exposure to many practice groups within those departments.
These introductory training camps are followed during an associate's
first year by more in-depth programs.
In addition, each department has its own training program for
incoming associates. Some are built around department meetings; others
rely on specially designed training sessions. These programs cover
both substantive matters and practice tips. Our Corporate Department,
for example, offers three levels of seminars, while our Litigation
Department uses techniques ranging from web-based training modules
to trial practice sessions in the firm's mock courtroom. |
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Associate Carisa
Klemeyer (Duke University School of Law '02), takes the witness stand as
part of our mock trial program, under the watchful eye of the “judge,”
partner Richard Batchelder. |
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| Training begins in the summer program,
where students have the option to participate weekly in compressed
excerpts from firm-wide training, as well as sessions specifically
designed to train them in basic aspects of commercial practice. And
training never stops: we learn daily from each other, from novel legal
challenges, and from the remarkable breadth of our clients and practice.
And many of us teach at law schools, at bar and professional conferences,
and through the treatises, books and articles that we publish. |
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Informal mentoring is an invaluable supplement
to the learning provided by our formal training programs. Here, Josh Leuchtenburg,
center, shares practice tips with Elissa Port (University
of Virginia School of Law '05), right, and Adam Reiss (Harvard
Law School '04), left. Elissa and Adam were recruited to the
firm during on-campus interviews. Elissa is an alum of our
summer program, while Adam interviewed with us as a 3L. |
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This year, Ropes & Gray hired its first-ever Career Guidance Manager for associates. We are very excited about this new position at the firm, which will provide assistance to associates as they continue to navigate through the various career choices available to them. Offering associates in-house advice on how to formulate career objectives and follow through on them is a distinct service, much different from "professional development" which centers on skills training. To date, only a handful of firms have a person dedicated to providing associates with career counseling.
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