Programs may help build firm loyalty 

Posted: 1:00 am Mon, November 23, 2009
By Minnesota Lawyer

Experts envision that formal apprenticeship programs will also help firms retain young lawyers.

Firms want to make sure that when they bring people on board they are going to be successful from day one, said Alan Haynes, director of the Career & Professional Development Center at the University of Minnesota Law School. “Having a strong professional development program really helps in that process. … If people feel that firms are more committed to them, from a professional development standpoint, it would help solve some of the attrition problems.”

California attorney Ed Poll, a nationally recognized law firm management consultant, said that most young attorneys yearn for skills training and practical education, and firms that provide that are more likely to have higher retention rates.

“They are giving something that others are not,” he said. “They are inculcating camaraderie and a firm culture that is highly appealing.”

Jodi Standke, CEO of the legal placement firm Talon Performance Group, agreed. “In many ways it’s cost effective for the firms because they are integrating someone in a different way by expanding their relationships within the firm,” she said. “The prediction is that retention rates will go up because it engages someone in the organization right away. I think it’s really good for everyone.”