Five Easy Steps To Help New Associates Put Their Best Foot Forward

2) Law Firm Protocol and Policies: Most would agree that before visiting a foreign country it is helpful to know a few basic things about one's destination. Information about the native language, the currency exchange rate, whether people drive on the right or left side of the road, and whether an adaptor might be necessary for any electronic devices, provides peace of mind to a nervous voyager prior to landing on foreign soil. Frequently, travelers buy guides to answer these questions and others in advance. Unfortunately, associates entering law firms are not so lucky. Although summer associate experiences, firm Web sites, tales from friends and future colleagues, and various books about how to be a good associate provide some insight, many new associates have little to no knowledge about their particular firm's policies (written and unwritten) until they arrive on day one. Like the novice traveler searching for answers, new associates need and desire what in many cases may seem like very basic information to those of us who have worked in a particular law firm for awhile. Subjects like timekeeping and billing, e-mail etiquette, assignment processes, vacation policies, and whether there is a firm dress code are second nature to seasoned law firm veterans. Share your firm's policies with your new associates, even those that appear obvious, and provide opportunities to answer questions right away. Whether they say so or not, any new associate will appreciate it.

3) Evaluation, Compensation, and Promotion: Most new associates know or should know what their starting salary is. Law students are exposed to salary figures early. Lawyer salary information is just about everywhere ' widely disseminated over Internet blogs, in law school career services offices, through word of mouth, and newspapers. Associates usually receive the real figures through offer letters prior to arriving at their firms, however. Beyond this number, associates know little or nothing about how the process works on a going-forward basis and how their compensation might be determined in the future. Orientation is a perfect opportunity to educate associates on the firm's evaluation and promotion processes. Firms typically attempt to answer the following questions through sessions on evaluation and compensation: Does the firm have yearly reviews and/or midyear reviews? When do the reviews take place? Are they given at the end of the calendar year or another time? Are associates expected to submit self-evaluation memos? Who runs the associate review process? Who delivers the associate reviews? Does a practice leader, office administrator, or some other party administer reviews? Although associates may not technically need this information on day one, offering it early can help to put some of their fears to rest and help them to understand firm expectations up front.

4) The Business of Law: More and more firms are beginning to see the necessity of adding this topic to their orientation programs. For many attorneys, it may be one of the only opportunities to learn about law firm economics. A presentation on the topic might include subjects such as the lifespan of a matter; billing and collections; information about how partners and associates get paid; the importance of properly recording one's time; operations, overhead, and staff costs. Firms typically enlist their CFOs, managing partners, or senior partners to participate. Such individuals have the experience to best communicate and field questions on the topic. A session on law firm operations will undoubtedly give associates a broader picture of your organization and foster an understanding that a firm is indeed a business.

5) Mentoring Opportunities: An orientation program would not be complete without an opportunity for new associates to be mentored by senior members of the firm. The benefits of providing such an opportunity early on are manifold. Associates begin to build important ties from the moment they arrive at the firm. Additionally, they begin to feel that they are part of a team and that others care about their careers from the outset. Furthermore, a mentor can provide important support and guidance and help protect associates from feeling unnecessary frustrations or falling prey to career pitfalls. Mentoring opportunities for new associates come in all shapes and sizes. Some firms assign formal orientation mentors to help new associates become acclimated while others forgo a formal mentor/mentee arrangement and provide opportunities for group mentoring sessions/lectures, associate panels, and social gatherings.

There is never a second chance to make a good first impression. The first impression a firm gives its new associates will undoubtedly remain with them throughout their tenure at the firm and, in some cases, throughout their careers. Offering a solid orientation program that provides good information, clear parameters, and an opportunity for mentorship will not only lay the groundwork for a successful transition from backpack to briefcase for new associates, but also provide a strong foundation for future growth and development and a springboard for becoming strong contributors to their law firm community.

Before beginning any new venture, family and friends frequently caution that 'starting something new is never easy.' This phrase is particularly true for law school graduates seeking to embark on the next phase of their careers. While some are transitioning out of one industry and into the legal field, others are entering the work force for the very first time. Understanding this phenomenon, many firms have developed Orientation/Integration programs to ease the transition from law student to practicing attorney.

Depending on the size of a firm's entering class, space and time constraints, and access to human and capital resources amongst other things, orientation programs can last anywhere from a few hours to a full week or span over one or two hours a week for a few months. Some are held in conference centers and hotels, in a retreat-like setting and include new lawyers from multiple offices of a firm. Others are smaller in scale, held in a firm's local offices and may even involve one-on-one integration sessions in lieu of a formal orientation program. Whether your firm chooses to have a weeklong retreat, one-on-one orientation briefing sessions, or something in the middle, the following provides an overview of some orientation must-haves to help your associates get up to speed quickly and hit the ground running.

1) Firm History, Structure, and Vision: Each and every law firm has its own story, its own history, and aspirations for the future. Each is different, wrought with twists and turns, rough patches, and successes. Some read like tragedies, others like comedies. All are unique. Whether your firm is in its infant stages or celebrating its 100th birthday, it is important that you share its history, structure, and vision with the newest members of your community. There are many creative approaches for delivering this information to your new hires. Some firms provide timelines and flow charts that highlight important firm events, reporting relationships, and structures, while others create videos using in-firm actors to tell the firm's story. Still others take a more conversational approach and enlist firm leaders to deliver 'fireside' chats. No matter what your approach might be, sharing the firm's story will inevitably foster a sense of camaraderie and team spirit, give associates a better sense of their community, and provide them with good baseline knowledge that can (and will) be shared with others outside of the firm.

2) Law Firm Protocol and Policies: Most would agree that before visiting a foreign country it is helpful to know a few basic things about one's destination. Information about the native language, the currency exchange rate, whether people drive on the right or left side of the road, and whether an adaptor might be necessary for any electronic devices, provides peace of mind to a nervous voyager prior to landing on foreign soil. Frequently, travelers buy guides to answer these questions and others in advance. Unfortunately, associates entering law firms are not so lucky. Although summer associate experiences, firm Web sites, tales from friends and future colleagues, and various books about how to be a good associate provide some insight, many new associates have little to no knowledge about their particular firm's policies (written and unwritten) until they arrive on day one. Like the novice traveler searching for answers, new associates need and desire what in many cases may seem like very basic information to those of us who have worked in a particular law firm for awhile. Subjects like timekeeping and billing, e-mail etiquette, assignment processes, vacation policies, and whether there is a firm dress code are second nature to seasoned law firm veterans. Share your firm's policies with your new associates, even those that appear obvious, and provide opportunities to answer questions right away. Whether they say so or not, any new associate will appreciate it.

3) Evaluation, Compensation, and Promotion: Most new associates know or should know what their starting salary is. Law students are exposed to salary figures early. Lawyer salary information is just about everywhere ' widely disseminated over Internet blogs, in law school career services offices, through word of mouth, and newspapers. Associates usually receive the real figures through offer letters prior to arriving at their firms, however. Beyond this number, associates know little or nothing about how the process works on a going-forward basis and how their compensation might be determined in the future. Orientation is a perfect opportunity to educate associates on the firm's evaluation and promotion processes. Firms typically attempt to answer the following questions through sessions on evaluation and compensation: Does the firm have yearly reviews and/or midyear reviews? When do the reviews take place? Are they given at the end of the calendar year or another time? Are associates expected to submit self-evaluation memos? Who runs the associate review process? Who delivers the associate reviews? Does a practice leader, office administrator, or some other party administer reviews? Although associates may not technically need this information on day one, offering it early can help to put some of their fears to rest and help them to understand firm expectations up front.

4) The Business of Law: More and more firms are beginning to see the necessity of adding this topic to their orientation programs. For many attorneys, it may be one of the only opportunities to learn about law firm economics. A presentation on the topic might include subjects such as the lifespan of a matter; billing and collections; information about how partners and associates get paid; the importance of properly recording one's time; operations, overhead, and staff costs. Firms typically enlist their CFOs, managing partners, or senior partners to participate. Such individuals have the experience to best communicate and field questions on the topic. A session on law firm operations will undoubtedly give associates a broader picture of your organization and foster an understanding that a firm is indeed a business.

5) Mentoring Opportunities: An orientation program would not be complete without an opportunity for new associates to be mentored by senior members of the firm. The benefits of providing such an opportunity early on are manifold. Associates begin to build important ties from the moment they arrive at the firm. Additionally, they begin to feel that they are part of a team and that others care about their careers from the outset. Furthermore, a mentor can provide important support and guidance and help protect associates from feeling unnecessary frustrations or falling prey to career pitfalls. Mentoring opportunities for new associates come in all shapes and sizes. Some firms assign formal orientation mentors to help new associates become acclimated while others forgo a formal mentor/mentee arrangement and provide opportunities for group mentoring sessions/lectures, associate panels, and social gatherings.

There is never a second chance to make a good first impression. The first impression a firm gives its new associates will undoubtedly remain with them throughout their tenure at the firm and, in some cases, throughout their careers. Offering a solid orientation program that provides good information, clear parameters, and an opportunity for mentorship will not only lay the groundwork for a successful transition from backpack to briefcase for new associates, but also provide a strong foundation for future growth and development and a springboard for becoming strong contributors to their law firm community.