Training and Development
Professional development and career training are core to what we do at Cahill. Close interaction between clients, partners, and associates fosters strong connections and accelerated career development for our associates and a strong community of lawyers. Our focus on bringing you individualized opportunities for growth, both formally and informally, will prepare you for a truly rewarding career.
Cahill Academy represents the multi-layered, coordinated and comprehensive approach that we have implemented to train and develop our lawyers. This approach includes the following elements:
Extensive Formal Programs
Our Education and Training Committee has structured timely and specialized training for the work that you will do. Programs for junior associates center on Core Competencies. These programs are designed to help you develop a solid foundation of substantive skills and know-how and professional practice competencies, as well as engage you in the culture and life of the firm and aid you in forming a strong professional network. Training programs will be offered throughout your career at Cahill, at increasing levels of complexity and difficulty. Programs include presentations, discussion sessions and small group workshops. In partnership with our Professional Development Committee, Cahill Academy offers one-on-one coaching opportunities, career development seminars and leadership exercises. In addition, programs sponsored by our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee and our Women’s Initiatives Committee further our goals of maintaining an inclusive working environment and promoting diversity within the firm.
Unrivaled On-the-Job Experience
You will build on the knowledge you learn from the formal programs by working closely on client matters with more senior Cahill lawyers. We believe this is the most impactful way to learn. Along the way, we will support the development of your own lawyering style – one that works for you as an individual and will advance your career goals. You will have the benefits of our unique free-market system, which will give you the space and opportunities to design your own practice. We do not limit the opportunities available to our lawyers based on their seniority; we encourage our associates to push themselves beyond their regular comfort zone to supercharge their professional growth.
Formal Mentoring by a Dedicated Partner Mentor
We offer a formal mentoring program, coordinated by our Professional Development Committee, structured to provide customized support to you and thoughtful career advice from partners and more senior associates. You will be paired with a partner mentor, who will provide guidance and feedback throughout your career at Cahill. As a junior associate, you will also be supported by a senior associate mentor. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the mentoring program was particularly important as partner mentors were in regular contact with our associates, ensuring they had the resources they needed to thrive in the work-from-home environment and serving as a direct point of contact for the firm.
Individualized Feedback Based on 360º Evaluations
We solicit performance evaluations, using objective metrics, from all attorneys who have worked with you during each review period. Your partner mentor will provide constructive feedback to you based on those evaluations and help you incorporate the feedback into your practice, with a view toward your continuous growth and development.
