Talent in the Legal Profession

Executive summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix

About the authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv

Chapter 1: Why is there a talent acquisition and retention battle? . . . . 1
By Anne Harnetty, managing director, Jonson Beaumont Ltd
What were people looking for pre-COVID compared to now? . . . . . . . . 3
What do value propositions look like? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Will firms have to redefine their recruitment strategy to deal with the current market conditions? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
What part does culture play in the retention battle? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
What do staff really want? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Chapter 2: A career in law – changing attitudes to the legal profession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
By Victoria Cromwell, head of new business and account management, BARBRI
The changing face of the legal profession and its effect on recruitment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Generative AI – friend or foe? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Wellbeing and the legal profession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
New routes to qualification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Attracting talent early from diverse talent pools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Do aspiring solicitors still view law as a “career for life”? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
In-house and beyond – alternatives to private practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Has the legal profession lost its shine? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Chapter 3: Changes to the legal profession – how a career in law could look . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
By Charlotte Smith, founder, Level7
Entering the profession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
A career in the law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
The legal profession’s sex and elitism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
The motherhood penalty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Motherhood from a wider lens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Peak to pivot – the journey beyond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Redefining legal careers – adapting to new trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Silicon Valley as a catalyst for change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
What does the future look like? A technology-driven legal evolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
The change catalyst of 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
The changing face of modern legal professionals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Traditional views on making partner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Adapting to AI and multidisciplinary expertise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Culture and leadership in the law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Advocating for change in the legal profession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Chapter 4: The SQE and QWE – building a talent network for the future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
By Robert Dudley, head of employability and engagement, BARBRI
Upskilling and building commercial teams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Paralegals and the QWE “bank” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Growing talent from the ground up through apprenticeships . . . . . . . 47
Creating a new and improved workforce with improved diversity and inclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Chapter 5: What do recent graduates and junior lawyers really want from firms? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
By Serena Brent at Mayer Brown, Sophia Margetts at Osborne Clarke, Suhail Mayor at DLA Piper, and Chrissie Wolfe, LAB Consultancy

Chapter 6: Attracting and retaining diverse talent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
By Caroline Vanovermeire, global director of talent, leadership, and organizational development, Dentsu and Kathryn Rousin, global director of learning and development, White and Case LLP
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Understanding underrepresented talent pools in law firms – navigating diversity and inclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Progress and strategies for attraction and inclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
The role of employer branding and employee value proposition in law firms – strategies for success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Engaging and retaining diverse talents in law firms – nurturing a culture of inclusivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Chapter 7: Firm culture and the importance of trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
By Jean-Baptiste Lebelle, head of HR, and Alice Boullier de Branche, senior HR manager, Allen & Overy
Is loyalty an old-fashioned notion? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Taking into account the expectation of the new generation . . . . . . . . . 83
The different leverages of a firm’s culture that have an impact on talent retention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
How to build a firm culture that is attractive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
The importance of designing and delivering an authentic people’s promise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Chapter 8: Redefining legal talent – a question of purpose . . . . . . . . . . . 91
By Chrissie Wolfe, solicitor and founder, LAB Consultancy
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
What is the expected talent lifespan? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
What is the primary purpose of the business during that time? . . . . . 95
What skills and attributes do we need to align with that purpose? . . . 99
Where do we find this talent? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Chapter 9: Interpersonal relationships and (re)building a culture of firm loyalty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
By Lara Selem, co-founder, Selem Bertozzi Consulting
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
The impact of remote work on interpersonal dynamics in law firms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Strategies for effective communication in the virtual era . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Fostering social connections in hybrid work models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Prioritizing mental health and wellbeing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Cultivating a culture of loyalty in law firms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
The role of leadership in shaping the firm’s culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Innovative approaches to team building and engagement . . . . . . . . . . 115
Facing challenges in building loyalty to the firm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Future outlook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Chapter 10: What legal can learn from other industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
By Tea Hoffmann, managing principal, Law Strategy Corp
Hire based on need, not on tradition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Design an innovative hiring process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Overhaul your interview process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
State your expectations and hold your lawyers accountable . . . . . . . . . 123
Create an extensive onboarding process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Create meaningful mentor relationships, not just mentoring programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Undertake mentor training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Chapter 11: The impact of technology on attracting (and retaining) talent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
By Tara Waters, partner and global chief digital officer, Ashurst LLP
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
A short history of the evolution of technology in law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
The role of technology in law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
A growing and diverse legal talent base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
How technology impacts talent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Technology as a positive differentiator for new talent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Chapter 12: Beyond the bonus – rethinking the approach to motivating legal talent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
By Rebecca Holdredge, director of knowledge management, and Becky Jo Morgan, director of practice operations, Levenfeld Pearlstein, LLC
The call for change – shifting professional desires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Unlocking potential – the power of non-financial incentives . . . . . . . . 144
How emerging departments can energize talent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Looking ahead – the future of motivation in a law firm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Integrating new motivational approaches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Chapter 13: Developing talent in the exponential age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
By Catherine McGregor, director of professional development at Chief Legal Executive, and executive coach
Future readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
The legal department talent landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Reframing development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Impact of remote working . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Benefits of coaching on professional development in the legal profession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Leader as coach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Differences in feedback given to women and minority ethnic individuals and how to correct biases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Chapter 14: A little HELP – rewarding and nurturing talent . . . . . . . . . . . 167
By Molly Peckman, founder, Molly Peckman Training & Development
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
H = Honesty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
E = Empathy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
L = Listening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
P = Professional development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Next steps for partners who want to HELP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

Chapter 15: Keep your talent engaged – how to cultivate a skill building discipline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Patrick McKenna, author, lecturer, strategist, and advisor to the leaders of premier law firms
Step 1: Begin to develop a learning culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Step 2: Encourage partners to debrief on their most recent client matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Step 3: Have groups debrief together on engagements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Step 4: Capture and codify each group’s knowhow database . . . . . . . . . 183
Step 5: Have each partner identify their personal skill gaps . . . . . . . . . . 184
Step 6: Ensure the creation of personalized skill-building plans . . . . . 185
Step 7: Ensure that each partner“owns”their career development . . 186
Step 8: Include skill development in goal setting, evaluation, and reward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Step 9: Have an investment fund available to finance projects . . . . . . 187
Step 10: Communicate success stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Chapter 16: Succession – transition strategies for lawyers, law firms, and clients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
By Heather Suttie, legal market strategy and management consultant, Suttie.
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Prepare for a wave of retiring partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Law firms are businesses – run them that way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Smooth succession is reliant on culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Clients of the firm versus clients of the individual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Succession plans must be transparent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Voice of the client is key to smooth succession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
The value of embedding, secondments, cohort laddering, and cross-service teams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Coming to terms with succession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Alumni programs keep talent engaged and connected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Alumni programs are a winning business strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
A strong network is the backbone of a robust alumni program . . . . . . 199
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

About Globe Law and Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203