Let’s talk about associate retention, keeping those young lawyers you’ve recruited and mentored at your firm. It shouldn’t be a given that every associate will take what you’ve taught them to another firm in two or three years. Guest Ben Dachepalli is a veteran lawyer and a partner in the Tampa office of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP specializing in construction law.
As a senior member of his firm, Dachepalli says retaining young associates is more than a transactional activity, it’s building the firm and developing the next generation of leaders. When he’s interviewing prospective hires, “I’m not interviewing my next associate, I’m interviewing my future partners.” Don’t think of young lawyers as associates who will move on— develop them so they not only want to stay but also want to become leaders in your firm.
For Dachepalli, the “secret sauce” is an inclusive, team-based approach. Ensure associates are involved and invested in the firm’s success, not simply completing assigned and rote tasks. Communicate with associates as peers, give them responsibilities, and show them they are valued.
Involving associates in multiple levels of a case and asking for their input from the start not only shows them you value their skills, but also helps senior attorneys spot unexpected angles and see a case from a different perspective. (And remember, today’s young lawyers grew up with today’s technology, they might even teach you something).
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