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Join Us  Evolution of a Lawyer
Most big firms have large, impersonal training programs that group associates by year of graduation from law school and/or practice group. Garvey Schubert Barer takes a different approach. Our training program is dynamic and individually tailored to each associate. While some training is provided in-house, we also call upon outside experts in several areas to help associates improve their skills. For example, most associates and some summer associates attend Gary Kinder's highly regarded writing course to help refine their writing skills. Litigation associates are encouraged to take advantage of the intensive NITA training courses in deposition and trial skills. Many senior associates work with an outside consultant to develop marketing skills.
This training support is extended to those who wish to develop a practice niche that does not currently exist within the firm. Unlike most large firms, associates are not forced to limit their practices to existing practice groups if they have a sincere interest in another area of law that is compatible with the direction of the firm's larger practice. The firm supports associates who are interested in developing a new practice by helping them get involved in activities that will allow them to develop a client base, and by providing access to the necessary training (such as CLEs) they need to develop skills in their area of interest.
As a real life example, one of the firm's associates wanted to practice in the area of bankruptcy because of its unique cross-over between a litigation practice and a business practice. He spent his first two years doing any litigation that would get him into a courtroom and then focused on building a bankruptcy practice. The firm supported this interest by allowing him to obtain the necessary training, and today he is an owner at the firm, with a thriving, full-time bankruptcy practice that is highly regarded both locally and nationally. Another of our attorneys developed a practice representing athletes, artists, and entertainers. This practice did not exist at the firm before he started it. Now he represents clients, such as Venus and Serena Williams, with national prominence.
Law school graduates will quickly find, if given the opportunity, that practical, hands-on training is invaluable to their development as attorneys and allows them to learn by doing, rather than by taking notes or always watching others at the expense of clients. Associates at Garvey Schubert Barer are given the practical opportunity. They will quickly find that their careers are very different from those of their friends at other large law firms. Our new associates take on more responsibility more quickly than their counterparts at other firms and are provided more support in taking on their responsibility. The firm encourages client contact from very early on in an associate's career. The firm's liberal pro bono policy, described in Commitment, increases opportunities for associates to gain courtroom and board room experience while earning chargeable hour and billing credit. This practical, hands-on approach to an associate's development assures that an associate's strengths are built upon and maximized to their fullest potential.
Each associate is assigned an owner-level mentor, and the mentor and associate are encouraged to have frequent contact with each other. The mentor acts as a sounding board and provides advice on any issue, whether work-related or not. In addition to the mentor, new associates are also assigned a "buddy" from the associate ranks, who helps integrate the new associate into the firm's social life.
Garvey Schubert Barer uses its evaluation process to encourage the development of each attorney's professional skills. Unlike most other firms, the evaluation process is interactive and individualized, and not a one-way assessment of associates. As part of the process, associates are encouraged to give confidential feedback on the owners and senior associates with whom they work. They are also encouraged to identify areas in which they desire further training and to specify goals they would like to achieve over the following year, such as taking more depositions, gaining courtroom experience, or closing more transactions. The firm accommodates those requests as much as possible. The reason we go to such extraordinary efforts to help our associates develop their professional skills to the fullest extent possible is quite simple - we hire each associate with the expectation that he or she will become an owner.
Moreover, Garvey Schubert Barer is not interested solely in its attorneys' development as lawyers. We would like to see our attorneys develop in all aspects of their professional and personal lives. The firm is aware of and responsive to the needs of its lawyers outside of the workplace, which is demonstrated by its flexibility and creativity in developing modified work schedules for employees. The alternative arrangements include telecommuting and part-time schedules. In addition, Garvey Schubert Barer was one of the first firms in the Northwest to have a paid sabbatical program.
Because we expect each associate to become an owner of the firm, we believe that associates should also participate in firm management throughout their associate careers. This involvement takes the form of participation on major firm committees (with the exception of the Executive Committee), including the Associate Committee, which is responsible for preparing associate reviews. Associates are involved in firm-wide decisions, such as strategic planning, and are asked for input on issues such as associate compensation and benefits. We have been highly successful in integrating lateral associates and Of Counsel into the firm, in part because we involve them in so many ways.
Our attorneys are bright, ambitious, and work hard to provide top quality legal work for the firm's clients. However, one of Garvey Schubert Barer's distinguishing features is the pleasant and cooperative work environment. Associates are not judged against each other, and as a result, they work together in a noncompetitive atmosphere. Attorneys are willing to take time to listen to each other, provide advice and assist each other in solving our clients' legal problems. This collaboration not only benefits our attorneys, but it also assures that our clients are receiving the best possible advice and work product.
Garvey Schubert Barer has a tradition of hiring exceptional associates in order to make the best legal talent possible available to its clients. We continue to seek highly qualified and motivated individuals who will work hard, but will balance that work ethic with an appreciation for the value of a life outside the firm. If you meet this description, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please contact Elaine Jackson in our Seattle office, Carla Roberts in our Portland office, or Renée Alston in our D.C. and New York offices.
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