Brady & Associates

Career Planners, LLC

DESIGNING EFFECTIVE TRAINING PROGRAMS
By Kathleen Brady
Training lawyers is expensive in terms of time and actually dollars spent. Brutal time and work
pressures in an ever-changing legal marketplace sometimes cause senior lawyers to resent being forced
to pay the price. However, while cutting training programs appears to be a quick, easy way to save
money and increase billable hours, not training associates will ultimately have a greater negative impact
on an organizations bottom line.
Without training, junior associates take longer to become productive. Firms are likely to see client
dissatisfaction grow as a result of ill equipped attorneys, which will in turn, lead to write-offs.
Unfortunately, the cost benefit analysis comparing training programs to write-offs is not easily identifiable
on a balance sheet. Instead of opting for the quick fix and lopping off expensive training programs,
consider viewing them as critical, long-range investments that can be amortized over years. Smart legal
employers will seize the opportunity to develop meaningful training paradigms to give their organizations
the competitive edge.
The goal of training is to change attitudes, behaviors, competencies or skills. There are a variety
of techniques, resources and strategies that can and should be used to promote learning and professional
development of attorneys at all levels of experience. Given the variety of learning paradigms available,
even organizations with limited resources can design and implement effective attorney training programs.
Limited resources are rarely the true obstacles to the development of such programs; commitment and
support are!
Designing effective training programs is a 7-step process.
1. Determine audience needs. Legal employers and associates should be clear about the benchmarks
being used to measure professional development. Such guidelines can be delineated by class year,
practice area or other characteristics deemed critical for success at your organization. Keep in mind,
learning must be tied to experience. It is pointless to offer Defending Depositions to first year
associates if they will not be defending depositions until their 3rd or 4th year. Identify a time line
indicating when, in the course of an attorneys career development, specific skills are needed.
Remember to include substantive knowledge, oral and written communication skills, technology
training as well as client development and management skills.

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New York, NY 10005

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Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 212-918-4626
www.careerplanners.net

2. State learning objectives. What do you want to have happen as a result of this training program?
To say you want participants to be better lawyers is not a meaningful answer. To say you want
drafting skills to be stronger or knowledge of project finance to be deepened is.
3. Select faculty. Too often, program designers focus on the presenters and what they want to talk
about as opposed to what the audience needs to know. Once it is determine what the audience
needs to know, select an instructor who is reliable and, when possible entertaining, who can help
you achieve the stated learning objectives.
4. Identify learning activities. Lectures are the easiest and least effective form of training. Adults
learn best when they are asked to DO something. It is easy to understand the concepts behind
effective negotiationsit is quite another to actually apply them. Case studies,
hypotheticals/analytical exercises, simulations, task-based breakout groups and role-plays should
be integrated into training programs whenever possible. Training should provide people with an
opportunity to test-drive new skills.
5. Prepare a timed agenda. This serves two purposes: it provides instructors with structure and
prevents rambling; and it gives participants some control over their time. Client demands often
interfere with training seminars. If the participant can see when breaks are scheduled or which
sections are less relevant to their needs, they can more effectively balance the competing
demands for their time and make the most of their training experience.
6. Identify resources. To reinforce learning, written materials are critical. Provide additional sources
for those interested in more in-depth information.
7. Decide if programs should be mandatory or voluntary. There are pros and cons to both
approaches. Obviously, if programs are mandatory, there will always be a full house. However, it
will also be filled with people resentful of being told what to do. (Lawyers, in particular, HATE to
be told what to do!) If the programs are voluntary, and they are quality, people will attend.
Ensuring that training programs are quality programs is critical. And, while content is the most
important component of a high quality program, if logistics are neglected, the program will be a flop. For
example, deciding when and where the program will be held can make or break its success. If the culture
at the organization is such that the day begins at 10 a.m. and the program is scheduled for 8:00 a.m.,

New York Office

48 Wall Street, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10005

Philadelphia Office
1800 JFK Blvd., 3rd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 212-918-4626
www.careerplanners.net

participation may be disappointing. If it is an off-site location, make sure there is a business center, strong
cell phone service or phone banks, etc. Training programs must be convenient for the participants.
Room set up is also an important consideration. Different room set ups support different learning
activities. For example, theatre style is effective for lectures, but impedes a training session where
participants need work space to draft documents. Also, make sure the room temperature is appropriate.
If participants are focused on being too hot or too cold they will not learn. Finally, remember the adage,
feed them and they will come. Food always enhances training programs.
There are a number of ways to reduce costs without sacrificing the quality of your training
programs. For example:

Eliminate give-aways. Associates do not really need the t-shirts, baseball caps, key chains, etc.
giveaways that firms typically use to entice them to attend programs. Focus instead on building
programs that are relevant to their experience and they will attend with or without the free gifts.

Concentrate on Substance not Form. Handouts are critical to any successful program.
However, substantial savings can be had if you resist the urge to have documents color printed
on bond paper and spiral bound for in-house programs. Participants need written materials that
are neat, readable and filled with useful information. Save the fancy presentations for client
outreach.

Feed themjust less. Significant cost savings can be realized here without totally eliminating
food. Consider breakfast meetings instead of luncheons. Coffee and bagels is usually cheaper
than sandwiches, or better yet, host mid-afternoon meetings with cookies and beverages. In
some instances, brown bag lunches may also be appropriate.

Use free resources. Call your Lexis and Westlaw representatives to see what experts they can
offer up to supplement your training efforts. Consider using senior associates and of-counsel to
teach substantive seminars and administrators to teach client development/marketing, research
skills, and soft skills.
Finally, when thinking about training and associate professional development, firms should think

more broadly than formal classroom seminars. Firms can create a culture of learning by making
adjustments to day to day practices to enhance training opportunities and career development. For
example, link assignments to skill development. Typically, assigning partners give an assignment to an
associate who has successfully completed a similar assignment before. Consider assigning associates to
projects where they can learn how to perform new tasks. Foster mentor relationships and encourage
associates to spend time with senior attorneys where they can observe and ultimately emulate successful
behaviors.

New York Office

48 Wall Street, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10005

Philadelphia Office
1800 JFK Blvd., 3rd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 212-918-4626
www.careerplanners.net

Those responsible for associate training and development must constantly remind associates that
they should not view training as a passive activity. It is important for people to take responsibility for their
own professional development. With every assignment, attorneys should be thinking about what was
learned and how this new knowledge or skill can be applied to different situations.
Training lawyers is expensive. However, the cost of NOT training associates is a price too high
for legal employers and ultimately, the profession to pay.

Kathleen Brady is founder of Brady & Associates Career Planners, LLC. With over 18
years of experience counseling attorneys on career development issues and job search
strategies, she is a recognized expert on topics including career planning for the
experienced attorney, networking strategies, interviewing techniques and recovering from
a layoff. Brady has comprehensive industry knowledge, having served as Assistant Dean
of Career Services at Fordham University School of Law, National Director of Staff
Recruitment and Development at Jackson Lewis and Manager of Associate Professional
Development at Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy, LLP. She is also a past president of
the National Association for Law Placement and a founding member of the NALP
Foundation for Research and Education. The experience she has gained working on both the employer
and school side of the recruiting process enables her to provide unique insights into the career
development process for attorneys in transition.

New York Office

48 Wall Street, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10005

Philadelphia Office
1800 JFK Blvd., 3rd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 212-918-4626
www.careerplanners.net