What has become painfully obvious is that being a successful and effective lawyer requires lots more than mere intellectual capital and that we cannot reasonably expect law schools to teach students how to fill the role of irreplaceable advisers and to become meaningfully engaged in their communities. Moreover, the undeniable reality is that once new associates become fully engaged in the practice of law, such training becomes episodic at best.
Just a few weeks ago, our latest group of law school graduates arrived. Rather than rushing to embed them in their chosen practice specialty groups, relying almost exclusively on what they have learned in law school and what they may pick up from their new colleagues, our newest lawyers were instead immersed in a two-week training program—The Academy for Professional Development . This was the second incoming class of new lawyers to attend the academy.
