At Stoel Rives, we believe that our lawyers rank among the best. Our professional development program is designed to ensure that this tradition of professional excellence is continued with each generation. Through a series of training opportunities and mentorship programs, we aim to assist our new associates develop the high standards of judgment, legal skill and professionalism that our communities, colleagues and clients have come to expect.

Training Programs

Our training programs are focused on providing our lawyers with the knowledge they need to succeed. Individual initiatives include:

• First-Year Boot Camp
  All first-year associates participate in our annual four-day Boot Camp. This off-site retreat features substantive training conducted by nationally recognized presenters on legal writing, finance and accounting for lawyers, time management and client service. It’s also a great opportunity to start building relationships throughout the firm.
• Universal Curriculum
  Our 22-session program, geared towards first- and second-year associates, offers legal training applicable to every area of practice. This program also provides exposure to the wide-ranging resources and expertise available within Stoel Rives. The Universal Curriculum courses and experiences help establish a foundation of legal skills that our lawyers can develop and maintain throughout their careers.
• Advanced Training
  We provide advanced training for senior associates looking to advance their careers, including business development topics, advanced legal writing, presentation and negotiation. In addition, our various practice groups offer a variety of in-house training opportunities. Finally, our lawyers also have the opportunity to attend in-house CLEs that provide training on specific issues relating to their practice areas.

Mentoring and Coaching

At Stoel, we strive to create a workplace in which each lawyer is highly skilled, motivated, productive and satisfied with his or her career. Our policy of strong coaching and mentoring of associates is crucial in supporting such a workplace environment.

Following their official hire date, our new associates are assigned both a partner coach and an associate mentor, generally sourced from the associate’s practice group. Partner coaches help with long-range career planning, skill development, managing workflow and offering advice on fostering good working relationships with peers and supervisors. Coaches also assist in preparing an annual plan for purposes of establishing a coaching framework.. Associate mentors, meanwhile, are usually mid- to senior-level associates, who can help provide moral support, technical assistance and peer advice, with the aim of integrating the new associate into the firm community.