Attorney Development Purpose, Vision And Core Values

Developing the Next Generation of Rainmakers Attorney Development: Purpose, Vision and Core Values If you are in a large firm, how’s your attorney development program working? I was the partner in charge at my old firm and I tried to convince our lawyers that if our program was the best it would help in recruiting, retention of lawyers and client development. If you want to increase the odds of getting the lawyers in your firm behind your Attorney Development program, articulate what the purpose of the program is, what the firm is trying to accomplish and what is expected of the lawyers. That is what I tried to do at Jenkens & Gilchrist. Jenkens & Gilchrist Attorney Development Program Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Chinese Proverb In the book Aligning the Stars, the authors, Jay W. Lorsch and Thomas J. Tierney point out that: “Starmaking” is more important to a firm’s long-term success than “rainmaking.” Talent is the only source of a firm’s competitive advantage. Purpose The purpose of the Jenkens & Gilchrist Attorney Development Program is to enable our attorneys to better serve our clients, to increase our realization and to provide opportunities for greater achievement and career satisfaction. Vision Jenkens & Gilchrist seeks to have an attorney development program recognized as preeminent by our clients, our lawyers and law students. Core Values You will have more fun and success helping other people achieve their goals than you will trying to reach your own goals.  Dale Carnegie   I practiced law for 37 years developing a national construction law practice representing some of the top highway and transportation construction contractors in the US.