Careers – Lawyers – Development

Your training and professional development is a sustained top priority. It is essential to the success of your individual growth and our ability to provide the highest level of client service. To this end, we rely on orientation, mentoring, training and "at the elbow" training opportunities with more experienced lawyers as the core of our development program. We offer all lawyers internal and external continuing legal education programs both to meet licensing requirements and to further professional growth.

Squire Sanders lawyers are encouraged to visit the online calendar available on the firm’s intranet to register for upcoming training events. The training sessions are recorded and archived for lawyers to watch at their convenience. External continuing legal education is also supported by the firm. Squire Sanders believes that for the best lawyers the learning never stops.

As a firm, we believe that consistent associate development is an integral consideration for partnership admission.

SSD University
Each year we invite new associates from across the globe joining us directly from law school, judicial clerkships or international trainee programs, to attend SSD University (SSDU). This program presents vital information about the firm's traditions, examines the challenges of practicing law in a global firm and identifies the resources available to help meet those challenges.  SSDU will afford you a chance to meet and get to know firm leadership, as well as your new colleagues, and to gain a better sense of the diverse and global institution that is Squire Sanders.

Mentoring Program
A formal mentoring program has been established in all offices, co-chaired by Maureen Bennett and Joe Weinstein and supported by Robin Hallagan, the firmwide professional development coordinator. Each office has an office mentoring coordinator who monitors the pairings and success of the program. Lawyers joining Squire Sanders are provided an orientation mentor for the first six months to a year and are then assigned a career mentor.



Associate Evaluation Process
Associates are reviewed annually by supervising partners and senior attorneys and receive ongoing and open feedback throughout their careers. Supervising partners and associates prepare written evaluations which are discussed with each associate in a conference. Associates are also asked to consider their personal development and give the firm feedback on its programs.

Pro Bono
Pro bono work is a professional responsibility, and it can be one of the most rewarding experiences in the life of a lawyer. The firm’s leaders take the initiative and strongly encourage all of our lawyers to engage in pro bono work regardless of professional prominence or workload. Squire Sanders gives credit for 100 hours of pro bono work for billable and bonus consideration.