OUTBOUND TRAINING - It's true that young lawyers can learn a lot just by observing their more seasoned counterparts, but it's also true that osmosis alone doesn’t cut it for young associates nowadays. They want specific, hands-on instruction for the tasks they’re being asked to complete. Unfortunately, not all partners crave the extra work of coaching young lawyers, nor do they want to pass the cost of remedial training sessions onto clients. The solution? As Law.com's Dan Roe reports, third-party providers are stepping in to help law firms get associates up to speed on key tasks without detracting from partners' billables.
'NO' IS A FOUR-LETTER WORD - In-house counsel had hoped they’d long ago shaken the reputation of being slow-moving and fearful of risk. But a new study has found that remains a huge problem—so much so that business units intentionally keep legal in the dark on new initiatives until the key decisions have been made. So how can a legal department avoid playing the proverbial Toby to the rest of their organization's Michael Scott? “What I often recommend is, first of all, you should train your in-house legal staff to never say, ‘No,’" Ken Callander, managing director of the legal consulting firm Value Strategies, told Law.com's Trudy Knockless. "You say, ‘Let’s work with you to figure out how to make this work. I understand what you’re trying to do. That’s great. We’re part of your team, and we’re going to help you figure that out.’”
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