Our associates gain valuable training via hands-on work on a daily basis. However, we also have in-house training courses for our attorneys, including courses focusing on trial training and specialty lines of insurance. We offer continuing legal education courses in-house, and we provide attorneys with opportunities to attend continuing legal education courses offered by other groups. Additionally, we have a mentoring program that matches each associate with a partner to serve as a mentor during the associate’s career. Finally, the Firm has a Director of Professional Development charged with helping all of our attorneys obtain the training they need to reach their full potential.

Our attorneys are evaluated regularly, but participate in a formal evaluation process at the end of their billable year. The process involves the completion of self-evaluations by our associates and evaluations by the partners with whom the associates have worked during the billable year. Associates are evaluated based upon the quality of their billable work, in conjunction with their substantive non-billable work (such as article writing, presentations, pro bono work, etc.).

Associates are generally required to bill 1,900 hours on an annual basis. Our associate’s billable year runs from November 1st through October 31st.

The Firm does not have a set partnership track. Rather, our associates are promoted when they are prepared to be partner.

The Firm believes that diversity makes for a stronger and more successful work environment. Thus, we are committed to continuing efforts to maintain and further our diversity. This includes an internal Diversity Initiative and Womens’ Initiative, as well as involvement with organizations such as the Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms at both the Firm and individual levels. Please see our Diversity page for more information on these programs.

The Firm believes that pro bono work is important and provides great benefits to both the individual attorney and the community. Thus, attorneys are supported in pro bono efforts that they undertake. In order to help each attorney, each request by an attorney to take on a pro bono case is reviewed to ensure that proper supervision can be provided and the case is appropriate to the attorney’s abilities and availability.