National Jurist - October 2007 - (Page 28) sional training on legal negotiation and settlement, writing, and deposition skills. Once or twice a month, the firm even offers lunchtime sessions on personal skills development, with topics ranging from identity theft to financial management. Ropes & Gray also offers training on lawyering skills, including being responsive to clients, effective writing to clients, and effective speaking and oral presentations, Shapiro said. “Really, it’s the attitude and philosophy behind the training program that’s most important,” Shapiro said. Whether an attorney is likely to stay at the firm shouldn’t be the relevant driver for training, says Shapiro. Rather, look for a firm that is willing to invest in its associates’ professional development long-term. At Ropes & Gray, associates’ capacity to learn is most important, Festin said. “When you join a big law firm, [you’re] scared,” she explained. “Even though you went to a very good school and may have performed very well, there is a fear that you don’t know what you’re doing.” The firm understands that, Festin says, and its training programs are designed to keep associates learning. In addition, successful firms pay attention to mentoring and informal training. At Weil Gotshal, associates get to pick three partners they’d like for a mentor and are guaranteed to get one of them, says Spector. In addition, associates evaluate partners and partners are trained in how to interact with associates, from mentoring issues to work assignments. “Part of being a partner’s job is to make sure associates are getting the substantive work they should be getting,” Spector said. How to find your best Interview advice for students who want a firm that is committed to work-life balance BY URSULA FURI-PERRY Probe deep. That is the main interview advice for job candidates interested in work-life balance. Associates and other experts advise students to ask questions about a firm’s formal and informal policies. Question part-time and flex-time schedules, attrition rates, personal leave policies, and any perks that are designed to make associates’ lives easier and less stressful, such as on-site amenities and healthy life initiatives. “My whole focus was on good work balanced with quality of life,” says Patricia Festin, a class of 2004 associate at Ropes & Gray, LLP. “The minute I started talking about work-life balance or pro bono and I was shot down, [that firm] was off my list.” Festin remembers being shocked that quality of life issues weren’t important to some firms. Andrew Canter, a third year at Stanford University who is spearheading a drive to improve quality of life at law firms, recommends asking whether there’s regular dinner service at the firm — its presence may indicate an unstated preference that associates stay past dinner hour. He also recommends students ask whether any men are on part-time schedules — male attorneys may be more likely to go part-time if there’s no stigma attached. Canter says on-campus interviews present the first chance for students to make a positive first impression and meet potential employers. This means students can and must be more proactive about getting information during them, thus influencing not only the interview, but also its outcome. But the jury’s out on whether the on-campus interview is the right place to probe about a firm’s policies and views on work-life balance. Some say it’s too early in the game to ask those kinds of questions. “At that point, you’re really in the evaluation stage,” said Ellen Wayne, dean of career services at Columbia Law School, adding that students should inquire about formal and informal policies once they have an offer in hand. “I advise students that a lot of these questions are not appropriate for the short on-campus interview,” said Gihan Fernando, assistant dean for career services at Georgetown University Law School. “The first thing you want to do in an interview is distinguish yourself and secure the call-back. Students are much more likely to get valuable information in longer interviews when they are interviewing with more than one person.” Because both parties are trying to put their best face forward at the on-campus interview, students may be less likely to get valuable and concrete information, Fernando said. Other legal career professionals believe worklife balance issues can be discussed early on, as long as they are essential to the candidate’s career choices. “When you ask those questions really depends on how central that question is to you and what your ultimate goal is,” said Robinson. “If you absolutely will not work for a place that doesn’t allow people to easily go part-time, then asking those questions early on is fine.” One thing all experts agree on is the need for research and legwork: Students should do as much as possible to explore a firm’s formal and informal policies and stances on work-life balance before the on-campus interview. “The advice on that probably hasn’t changed over the years,” Leipold says. “Try to spend time with other junior associates and really try to understand whether they’re happy.” Leipold says the key is to seek out associates who are two or three years ahead. They can paint a better picture of their work environment than many associates who are new to the firm. Fernando warns students not to talk to people at that firm with which they’re interviewing. He recommends speaking with alumni in the market at other employers to get a sense of the firm’s reputation in the legal community. Studies and surveys by career associations provide another great source of information. For instance, the NALP Foundation has published several studies about work-life balance, attrition rates, and associate satisfaction. The Center for Work-Life Law, part of the Project for Attorney Retention at UC Hastings College of the Law, also has several reports about work-life 28 THE NATIONAL JURIST October 2007
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.