don’t last long in the center ring.” Researchers
sometimes liken this concept to cross-training in
sports. Lifting weights, swimming or doing cardio
are healthy in and of themselves, but for, say, serious
runners, working on those complementary areas
can also help improve running times. The same
concept applies to strengths development in the
business setting. Training programs that include a
focus on developing complementary strengths will
succeed more often.
IN CLOSING
We already know that firms need to give attorneys
chances to develop the skills necessary to meet the
requirements of the job, and that it’s critical to pay
attention to weaknesses and other development
needs. Everyone has to be “over the line” on basic
lawyer competencies, or the law firm world is not
for them. But that should be the starting point for
learning, not the endgame. As a profession, we will
motivate and develop people and serve clients more
effectively by taking the next evolutionary step:
strengths-based attorney development. LP
Scott Westfahl is the director of professional development at Good- win Procter LLP and a lecturer at Harvard Law school. He is the imme- diate past chair of the Professional Development consortium, a 400-
member professional association for law firm professional development and training leaders across North
America and the u.K. He is a frequent guest lecturer
and is the author of You Get What You Measure: Lawyer
Development Frameworks and Effective Performance
Evaluations.
swestfahl@goodwinprocter.com
Carrie Fletcher, formerly of Goodwin Procter, is the director of content– professional development at the Full- bridge Program. Her work focuses on curriculum development and teach- ing leadership and core professional
skills for attorneys.
carriefletcher@fullbridge.com
ResouRces
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES
Law Practice asked its issue team to share the names of professional
organizations and the titles of essential publications that they recommend
to people who are responsible for developing and supporting the professional development and training of the lawyers in their law firms, government agencies or corporations. The responses appear below.
Organizations
Professional Development Consortium (PDC)—Founded in 1990, this organization is for people working in-house at law firms, government agencies
and corporations who are responsible for developing and administering
the training and professional development of their lawyers. “Every professional development specialist I know would recommend PDC membership
and conference attendance as the single best way to develop knowledge in
the field and to build a network of information sources.” –Jeanne Picht
NALP/The Association for Legal Career Professionals—Founded in 1971
as the National Association for Law Placement, NALP provides education
and resources to support its members with professional development of
lawyers and law students and to improve career counseling and planning,
as well as recruitment and retention. “NALP devotes a significant amount
of its annual conference, as well as the annual Professional Development
Institute held each December in Washington, D.C., to professional development issues.” –JP
Books
Three from Jeanne Picht’s bookshelf:
Lawyers’ Professional Development: The Legal Employer’s Comprehensive
Guide, 2nd edition, by Ida o. Abbott, NALP, 2012. “The best general overview of professional development issues.” –JP
The Art and Science of Strategic Talent Management in Law Firms, by Terri
Mottershead, Thomson West Professional, 2010. “A comprehensive look
at managing the talent pipeline.” –JP
Loyalty by Design, by caren ulrich stacy and Dusti Plunkett, NALP, 2005.
Three from Cynthia Thomas’s bookshelf:
The Lawyer’s Career Management Handbook: Your Bridge to a Satisfying
Career, by Marcia Pennington shannon, Thomson West Professional,
2010. “An excellent handbook for young lawyers.” –Cynthia Thomas
You Get What You Measure: Lawyer Development Frameworks and Effective
Performance Evaluations, by scott Westfahl, NALP, 2008. “A super book on
the creation and use of competency-based evaluations.” –CT
The Opportunity Maker: Strategies for Inspiring Your Legal Career Through
Creative Networking and Business Development, by Ari Kaplan, Thomson
West Professional, 2008. “A must-read with practical and useful career
enhancing tips.” –CT
