Practicing Lawyers

Our Associate Professional Development Program serves as a benchmark against which all associates can measure their development. Associates have the best chance for success when they understand the performance standards and skill sets expected of them. These consist of strong legal writing and communications skills, a substantive knowledge of their practice area, teamwork and project leadership ability, and practice management and business development, all tailored to their level of experience.

The firm gives associates a wide variety of in-house training opportunities to support their development. Our ML Institute provides a standardized curriculum for all associates in every practice area and location. Practice-based assignment processes ensure that associates are given work experiences that promote their ongoing professional development.

Associates become partners at Morgan Lewis as a result of hard work, an incredible dedication to the firm, and ongoing, firmwide support. Becoming a partner is the end of one professional journey and the beginning of another.

We created our New Partner Development Program to guide our people through the transition from associate to partner. The program starts with “partnership survival skills,” and is the beginning of the ongoing support new partners receive.

All partners are assigned mentors, complete self-assessments, and participate in an ongoing training curriculum to provide the knowledge and skills critical to their success as firm leaders.

Just as laws and culture change and grow, we must too. That is why Morgan Lewis has instituted an Upward Review process.

Professional development is a continuing pursuit for all our lawyers. Upward Review measures the effectiveness of our senior lawyers and the impact they have on their peers. As part of that process, partners and counsel are reviewed by the associates with whom they work, practice leaders are rated by their partners, and Management Committee members are reviewed by practice leaders and partners. Our lawyers take what they learn from their reviews and use that feedback as a valuable tool for personal and professional growth.

The firm’s Ramp Up Program supports associates who are returning from an extended leave, including but not limited to Primary Caregiver Leave.

The central element of the Program is Morgan Lewis’s Return to Work Policy, which formally reduces the hours expectations of eligible traditional track associates by 25% for the first six months upon their return to work, with no reduction in base pay or bonus eligibility. The Ramp Up Program also provides:

• Individualized counseling before, during and following return;
• Guidance on best practices for returning to work, managing assignments and partner expectations after an extended leave;
• A partner mentor, matched by the firm’s Return to Work Affinity Group, to serve as a confidential resource and assist with any client or practice group re-entry issues.

Morgan Lewis recognizes the importance of providing our associates with the resources necessary to work effectively and comfortably from home. We are pleased to offer an annual home office enhancement budget for associates to use to outfit their home offices.

Morgan Lewis offers attractive benefits and competitive salaries. Our compensation structure rewards exceptional performance and recognizes the talent and experience that our people gain with each year of practice.

We are committed to offering the best and most comprehensive benefits including:

• Medical coverage, with a variety of plans
• Health care and dependent care reimbursement accounts
• Domestic partner coverage
• Parental leave
• Remote working program (see section above)
• Vacation and holiday leave
• Life and accident insurance
• Income protection, including sick leave, salary continuation, and long-term disability

Whether you join us as a summer associate or trainee, from a judicial clerkship or as a lateral attorney, there is a career path at Morgan Lewis for you.