career progression moving from trainee to assistant to partner
TRANSCRIPT
Career ProgressionMoving from trainee to assistant to partner
Career ProgressionMoving from trainee to assistant to partner
Paula SkinnerPartner
25 May 2012
Me!/ Background
/ Career history
/ Personal transition
/ Areas considered during appraisals
/ Your career progression
/ What makes a good lawyer?
– Historically
– 2012
/ What I have learned at each stage?
/ Top tips!
Career history/ Strathclyde University/ The Glasgow Graduate School of Law/ Dundas & Wilson - trainee/ McClure Naismith - assistant/ Scottish Enterprise Investment Team/ Sigma Technology/ Harper Macleod LLP/ Course Co-ordinator - Company Law/Diploma in Legal
Practice
Personal transition at Harper Macleod
/ Assistant – January 2005
/ Associate – September 2006
/ Partner – April 2011
Your career progression
/ Trainee
/ Assistant
/ Associate
/ Partner
Areas considered
/ Client relationships
/ Technical legal knowledge and business skills
/ Training, development and reviews
/ Teamwork
/ Financial performance
/ Improvement and innovation
/ Business development
Trainee/ Strong commitment
/ Professional and polite
/ Knowledge of law and willingness to learn
/ Communicates clearly
/ Plans workload
/ Punctual
/ Willing to adapt
/ Comes prepared for meetings
Assistant
/ Understands client’s business/ Appreciates how important relationships are/ Attends client events/ Adheres to firm policies and systems/ Ability to work in a team/ Takes full responsibility for own behaviour and
performance
Assistant continued
/ Suggests topics for training/ Able to recognise and admit mistakes/ Contributes to group discussions/ Assists in estimating client costs/ Delivers client service cost effectively/ Aware of firm’s wider client offering/ Involved in press articles, bulletins
Associate/ Takes client instructions
/ Gives “added value” advice
/ Can undertake competent work without supervision
/ Can suggest improvements to systems
/ Fixes mistakes
/ Leads training sessions
/ Conducts appraisals
/ Appreciates and acknowledges success of offers
Associate continued/ Can set meeting agenda and manage meetings
/ Understands important of targets
/ Maximises billing opportunities
/ Complies with Solicitors’ Accounts Rules
/ Pursues client opportunities
/ Develops proposals for future business opportunities
/ Networks
Partner/ Lead advisor/ Ensures others are building relationships at right level/ Works in partnership with clients/ Developed reputation in legal market as having good
legal skills/ Well developed variety of interpersonal skills/ Manages others/ Ensures clear objectives for team/ Contributes to ensuring team targets are met
Partner continued
/ Responsible for risk and quality of own work and team
/ Puts client and others at ease in social settings
/ Introduces additional work
/ Contributes to tenders
/ Ambassador for firm
/ Cross sell across firm
/ Intelligence/ Dedication/focus/ Attention to detail/ Argumentative?/ Confidence
/ Ability to deal with stress/ Good negotiator/ Experience/ Accept limited
responsibility at start/ Leadership
What makes a good lawyer? Historically
What makes a good lawyer? 2012
/ Personable/ Persistent / Innovative / Empathy / Attentive / Prompt at returning calls
/ Adaptable/ Relationship focussed/ Practical / Creativity/ Problem solving ability/ Understand client’s
needs and affairs
Qualities that make you a better person in life generally!
Attitude makes all the difference!
What have I learned at each stage?
Top Tips/ Speak to others within department
/ Ensure comfortable with systems
/ Familiarise self with research tools
/ Be aware of firm generally
/ Save good styles
/ Attend training and social events
/ Diarise properly
/ Be realistic about deadlines
/ Speak up (within reason!)
