Given recent changes in the legal industry –from the rise of alternative fee arrangements to the decline of lock step compensation – associate training is in the spotlight more than ever before. But what are firms actually doing today to train associates?

To find out the state of law firm professional development initiatives, Practical Law Company and ALM surveyed partners, professional development specialists, law librarians and administrative staff about their own associate training programs. We asked questions about training techniques, time devoted to training, program oversight, client involvement and more in order to assess the landscape.

This report is meant to help law firm leaders, professional development specialists and other firm administrative staff better understand how peer firms tackle associate training so that they can, in turn, develop and implement programs that successfully prepare attorneys for practice.

Methodology

• ALM Legal Intelligence and Practical Law Company jointly produced a survey focusing on associate training and professional development in law firms. Thesurvey was sponsored by Practical Law.

• Between the dates of August 17, 2010 and September 17, 2010, ALM Legal Intelligence conducted an online survey which was administered via email invitation to a confidential, web-based questionnaire.

• ALM sent an email invitation to 7,546 recipients.

• Practical Law sent an invitation to anadditional 24,637 recipients.