Investing in Our Attorneys Over the Arc of Their Careers

Other firms plan for attrition … at Foley, we plan for careers. We invest in our attorneys at all levels with programs that provide equitable opportunities for development and advancement and build dialogue, communication, and trusting relationships.

These programs feature a range of professional skills training on individual and interpersonal abilities in areas such as:

• Business development
• Law firm metrics and economics
• Effective communication
• Management and leadership skills
• Négociations

From orientation and integration to training, mentoring, and many other resources, the firm’s professional development offerings are designed to help our attorneys advance their professional goals at every stage of their career.

Explore Foley’s tenure-based programming:

New Associate Orientation

This multi-day, in-person orientation program helps our newest attorneys start to integrate into the firm. Participants learn about life at Foley, kickstart their career development journey with a variety of training programs, meet and get to know one another, and take part in several fun social activities.

The agenda for New Associate Orientation includes:

• Presentations by Foley attorneys and business professionals on topics like career development; diversity, equity, and inclusion; pro bono initiatives; and community engagement activities at the firm
• Business development and marketing advice for new attorneys
• Firm operations and practice management tips
• Professional responsibility expectations
• Writing workshop with tips for honing effective communication skills

Participants also hear from their department leaders and participate in their first Foley Academy legal skills training programs in their designated practice area.

New Associate Academy

This six-part, virtual series introduces our new first-year associates to key resources and business practices that will help bolster their success as a first-year associate at Foley. These programs build upon content that was delivered at New Associate Orientation and address the most frequently asked questions from our newest attorneys, regardless of practice area.

The sessions, hosted over our associates’ first year at the firm, cover a variety of relevant and practical topics from working with an administrative assistant and professional communication, to understanding the evaluation process and developing an elevator speech.

Hear associate Grace Fucci reflect on her experience with Foley’s New Associate Orientation and New Associate Academy.

Tier II Academy

Newly promoted “Tier II” associates participate in a multi-day, in-person program designed specifically to orient the firm’s mid-level associates to their new role. The Tier II Academy kickoff provides meaningful guidance as well as the opportunity to connect with peers across the firm’s platform as they develop their practice at Foley. The sessions teach critical skills at a time in their career when they are starting to assume more substantial responsibility on client matters and look toward promotion to senior counsel.

Partners, senior counsel, and members of our law department leadership speak on topics focused on business development, business of law and client management, and professional skills. Participants also learn how executive coaching can support them in their transition to the role of a mid-level associate and beyond and have the chance to take part in an individual, in-person introductory coaching consultation with one of Foley’s in-house executive coaches.

Beyond the Tier II Academy kickoff, all mid-level associates continue to participate in the Tier II Academy virtual series of programs that build on these foundational skills as they advance in their careers. These progressive Tier II Academy topics range from business planning and pricing legal matters to advanced concepts in time and project management. 

Hear senior counsel Kristin McGaver Sikora reflect on her experience with Foley’s Tier II Academy.

Senior Counsel Meeting

This multi-day, in-person training is focused on the skills our senior counsel are working to hone as they advance to partnership. The meeting places an emphasis on practice and business development as a senior counsel and provides an opportunity to connect and network with colleagues from other offices.

“It was great to get together and meet the other senior counsel in the firm. The programming was very helpful and informative.”

Senior counsel participate in programming designed to help recognize and define their personal approach to business development and develop or advance a business plan that leverages their strengths through actionable goals that support the development and maintenance of a partner-level practice. They further or establish connections with peers and firm leaders and gain a deeper understanding of the value in approaching problems and serving clients as a member of a diverse, high-performing team.

“It was really helpful to network and get feedback on what is expected from future senior counsel.”

Firm leaders across our three law departments, members of the Partner Selection Committee, and key individuals from administrative departments who support their practice and professional development deliver content on delegation of work, providing meaningful feedback, leadership, and business development.

Promoted Partner Program

As our newest partners start this exciting chapter in their careers, we bring them together for a multi-day, in-person training to help them prepare to be successful in this new role. The program’s content — delivered by firm leaders, experienced partners, and business professionals — focuses on business and professional development, client service, management, law firm operations, and leadership. It also emphasizes the importance of leadership, mentorship, and relationships for newly elevated partners as they move forward in their careers at Foley.

The program includes a reception and recognition dinner to celebrate this career milestone for our newly promoted partners. The evening includes a special segment during which each promoted partner is introduced by a designated presenter.

We asked our 2024 new partner class what making partner means to them, what contributions they hope to make in this new role, what program played a part in their professional success, and what advice they would give to associates. Read what they had to say.

The programming, collaboration, and comradery provided by these tenure-based trainings are just some of the many reasons why our people are #HappyatFoley!

PEAK (Partner Excellence Actionable Knowledge)

This regular and comprehensive curriculum of programs and resources expands upon the firm’s existing training offerings to meet the unique professional development challenges of our attorneys who are more established in their careers and equips them with strategic insights and practical tools to drive sustainable business growth, establish a collaborative and inclusive leadership culture, and navigate the complexities of managing a modern legal practice.

Foley partner Leigh Riley — who helped develop PEAK, having been cultivating the idea since becoming a partner herself over two decades ago — says of the program:

“As you approached becoming a partner, there was a ton of training programs to prepare you. And then it felt like the minute you made partner, the training stopped. I believe it’s so important to have training available for our partners around the whole arc of their career.”

Consisting of both live sessions and on-demand modules, PEAK focuses on refining the key attributes of a successful Foley partner, including a vision for cultivating a vibrant, growing practice grounded in robust client relationships; capacity for leading diverse teams; a passion for developing and mentoring talent; and a pattern of firm stewardship seen through living Foley’s core values.