GEORGE B . VA SHON I N NOVATOR AWA R D
ORRICK HERRINGTON & SUTCLIFFE LLP
Mentoring
IT’S NOT ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL when it comes to carv- ing out a path for career success at Orrick Herrington & Sutcliff e. In 2009, the fi rm launched its groundbreaking Talent Model, which provides Orrick lawyers with unique career development options ranging from traditional part- ner tracks to customized positions to meet individual goals. T e 150-year-old San Francisco, Calif.-based fi rm places
a high value on training, mentoring, and sponsorship at every stage. T e Talent Model allows Orrick’s attorneys to follow
a track that’s right for their personal career goals. T e fi rm’s shift to the Talent Model impacts all associates, but uniquely impacts the career advancement opportunities of diverse associates as it represents a shift away from tradi- tional models of advancement with one path to partnership. Instead, the various mentoring and sponsorship approaches at Orrick allow attorneys to carve out their own path, whether it is as a partner or identifying other long-term positions that suit them better within the fi rm. T e Partner Track allows associates to move toward
partnership in a merit-based advancement system. For those seeking a less traditional path to partnership, or who don’t desire to become a partner, associates can choose a Custom Track, allowing them to customize a long-term, meaningful position at the fi rm. “Mentoring relationships come in so many diff erent
shapes and sizes. So, we knew the most eff ective program to promote mentoring would approach the challenge in many diff erent ways,” says Siobhan Handley, managing partner for resources and head of the fi rm’s Talent Initiative. “T at’s what I believe makes our program distinct: We
have a menu of off erings and associates draw on what’s valuable to them at any given time. It’s intuitive that this approach would serve the needs of diverse lawyers—and we are really encouraged by their feedback. Now we are work- ing to add to the menu.” Attorneys may also gain personalized, high-level training
and mentoring through Orrick University, which aligns the fi rm’s training curriculum and development initiatives with the criteria for advancement and practice group bench- marks, as well as mentoring and feedback. “I would not be where I am in my career today without
the benefi t of many extraordinary mentors—past and pres- ent,” says Mitch Zuklie, the fi rm’s chairman.
MCCA.COM
NEW YORK LIFE INSURANCE
Pipeline
NEW YORK LIFE Insurance Company legal department leaders believe it’s never too early to jumpstart a career in law—even while in high school. T e department provides historically underrepresented groups with access to oppor- tunities ranging from high school work study to executive leadership training. Students from the Cristo Rey New York High School, a
Catholic college-prep school that requires students to work one day a week during the school year to off set the cost of their education, are among those to benefi t from New York Life’s Offi ce of General Counsel’s (OGC) pipeline eff orts. New York Life is a sponsor of the Cristo Rey Corporate
Work Study Program, and each year OGC hosts three students, helping them to develop a strong work ethic, confi dence, and exposure to the legal profession. OGC attorneys mentor students and develop their own
leadership and management skills. “New York Life has made an ongoing commitment to
integrating diversity and inclusion strategy into every aspect of our business,” says Sheila K. Davidson, executive vice president, chief legal offi cer, and general counsel. “New York Life is proud that we’ve been recognized for our inno- vative ideas designed to carry out this commitment.” T e next section of the pipeline is the OGC Summer
Legal Internship Program, in which summer legal interns— many of them fi rst-year law students and some from the New York City Bar Association’s Diversity Fellowship Program—are provided with a broad array of work assign- ments and see fi rsthand the day-to-day responsibilities of New York Life attorneys. T ey also participated in various career seminars, such as
“Lunch and Learns,” and practice group discussion. “Working with the New York City Bar Association’s
Diversity Fellowship Program and the Cristo Rey Work Study program has allowed us to bolster our pipeline eff orts. But our work doesn’t stop there,” says Davidson. “New York Life also emphasizes recruiting, talent man- agement, and leadership development to strengthen the pipeline of mid-level attorneys poised for leadership roles within the legal department. “A strong and diverse pipeline is critical to the success of
New York Life, and critical to the future of the legal profes- sion,” she says. “New York Life is committed to providing training to our next generation of lawyers.”
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 DIVERSITY & THE BAR®
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