Welcome to Law Practice
For new attorneys, joining a law firm can be a nerve-racking experience. Adjusting to the firm’s culture, making new connections, solving problems they didn’t learn about in law school, and taking on the workload can be daunting for any junior lawyer.
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Blank Rome LLP has more than 700 attorneys in 15 offices around the country, and the firm is “strategically and intentionally focused on talent management,” says Shawn Wright, a partner specializing in white-collar defense.
“People are really entrusting us with their career,” says Wright. “We choose them, but they also choose us, and they’re looking to us to help provide them with the opportunities and resources to develop their brand and who they want to be as a lawyer.”
To prepare its new attorneys, Blank Rome hosts the New Associate Academy, a multiday orientation that guides new lawyers through the firm’s practices and programs, connects them with partners and firm leaders, and teaches them the day-to-day basics of practice like logging billable hours and taking on assignments.
A key focus for Blank Rome is visibility, says Wright. During the pandemic, junior attorneys were working largely in isolation, and while they were growing their substantive legal skills, they were lagging in the social and relationship-building capabilities needed to succeed.
To combat this, the firm strives for a “culture of connectivity,” adopting a hybrid schedule upon a return to the office and taking a personal approach — checking in with individual attorneys, encouraging them to knock on one another’s doors to have chats and lunches together, and hosting office events.
“It’s [about] understanding that you can develop work and relationships when you’re visible in the office,” says Wright.
At Blank Rome, new attorneys are paired with a career development advisor, an experienced attorney who can answer their questions, help establish connections, and show them the ropes of practice.
Sabrina Rubis, who joined Blank Rome in October 2022, says the New Associate Academy was a “catapult” for her career, helping to get her footing in the firm. After attending the academy, Rubis was placed with a cohort of new attorneys to work on general litigation matters, giving the group “a chance to grow together.”
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"Welcome to Law Practice," by Jeffery Leon was published in the July/August 2024 edition of the D.C. Bar's Washington Lawyer.