{"id":987,"date":"2015-06-23T09:00:01","date_gmt":"2015-06-23T13:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/?p=987"},"modified":"2015-06-22T10:47:21","modified_gmt":"2015-06-22T14:47:21","slug":"in-lcld-pathfinder-program-case-studies-help-young-lawyers-consider-future-challenges-in-their-careers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/2015\/06\/23\/in-lcld-pathfinder-program-case-studies-help-young-lawyers-consider-future-challenges-in-their-careers\/","title":{"rendered":"In LCLD Pathfinder Program, Case Studies Help Young Lawyers Consider Future Challenges in their Careers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Products: <\/strong>Sponsorship at Wilmer Cutler and Pickering (A): Yoon-Young Lee<\/a><\/strong>; <\/strong>From Brussels to Paris<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The Pathfinder Program, an associate leadership development program by the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, used two case studies from Harvard Law School to teach early-career lawyers to think proactively about challenges that might arise in the course of their careers.<\/p>\n

LCLD<\/a>, formed in 2009, works to develop diverse attorney talent to lead organizations and foster inclusiveness in society; its 220 members are general counsel or managing partners at leading corporations and law firms. The Pathfinder Program<\/a>, which was launched this year, has been designed to provide early-career attorneys with \u201cinternal professional networks through relationship building skills; foundational leadership skills; and an understanding of career development strategies applicable to both in-house and law firm practice.\u201d The curriculum includes<\/a> face-to-face workshops, break-out sessions, and discussions; experiential online modules on Sponsorship, Career Management\/Goal Setting, and Interrupting Bias; advice and networking with Fellows; facilitators at the participants\u2019 workplace that ensure Pathfinder lessons are germane; and peer groups for networking and learning.<\/p>\n

\"Carrie_Fletcher.jpg-171x227\"<\/a>

Carrie Fletcher, Executive Director of HLS Executive Education<\/p><\/div>\n

Carrie Fletcher, Executive Director of Executive Education at Harvard Law School, worked with LCLD Program Director Lori Lorenzo to design a case study module within the broader Pathfinder program. Fletcher says, \u201cYoung professionals are under enormous pressure with billing and revenue generation. There is often not much time to stop and reflect on personal challenges and accomplishments, client needs, or strategic objectives.\u201d Pathfinder, and the case studies it uses, offer that time for reflection and growth.<\/p>\n

In mid-April, Fletcher joined the Pathfinders in Chicago to teach Sponsorship at Wilmer Cutler and Pickering (A): Yoon-Young Lee<\/a> to a breakout group for law firm associates. The case is often taught to a more senior audience\u2014partners who are in a position to serve as sponsors\u2014but Fletcher shaped the discussion around how associates themselves can help develop a culture of sponsorship in their firms.\u00a0 The group discussed what actions they might take to position themselves to be sponsored, as well as ideas for how to find sponsors and how, at an associate level, to work toward a sponsorship culture. Fletcher explains, \u201cYou can\u2019t assign or dictate sponsorship relationships, but you can<\/em> create a culture that is ripe for sponsorship relationships.\u201d Sponsorship, says Fletcher, is not necessarily a widespread conception in law firms, and to really take hold the philosophy must be embedded in different tiers of the firm. As Fletcher notes, \u201cthe Yoon-Young case shows that people who fill sponsor roles get a lot out of the experience too\u201d; this encourages early-career lawyers not to be shy about seeking sponsorship. The Wilmer Cutler B Case, which provides the sponsor\u2019s perspective,<\/a> helps participants consider the actions and traits of a good sponsor and how a young associate might emulate those.<\/p>\n

The Pathfinders breakout group for in-house counsel discussed From Brussels to Paris<\/a> with John Mitchell, a consultant who has experience teaching cases. \u201cThese are high-level business-legal tensions, showing the reality of some of the problems above the pay grade of junior inside counsel,\u201d says Fletcher. \u201cThe case also provides a basis for a more targeted discussion about the precise challenges that more junior inside lawyers face in their roles.\u201d How do newer lawyers become ready for these tensions? How do these tensions translate down to the work of lawyers who are not yet in a general counsel role? What conflicts or tensions might associates face in their current roles? Fletcher says, \u201cWe agreed that, although From Brussels to Paris is dealing with business issues that are more sophisticated than younger lawyers likely face, it is a terrific discussion starter for the complexity of working as counsel inside an organization.\u201d<\/p>\n

These case studies not only educate diverse future leaders, but also promote diverse intellectual skills. Fletcher explains, \u201cFor lawyers, case studies are a different way of learning\u2014learning by story. And in well-done case study discussions, of course, lawyers will learn from each other. The storyline and structure of the cases can sometimes make it easier to talk about difficult, challenging, or complicated topics.\u201d<\/p>\n

HLS continues its partnership with LCLD in June, when senior members attend a leadership program on campus.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Products: Sponsorship at Wilmer Cutler and Pickering (A): Yoon-Young Lee; From Brussels to Paris The Pathfinder Program, an associate leadership development program by the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, used two case studies from Harvard Law School to teach early-career … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5482,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-987","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4CR8M-fV","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":262,"url":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/hlscasestudies\/2013\/05\/07\/leadership-training-for-practicing-lawyers\/","url_meta":{"origin":987,"position":0},"title":"Leadership Training for Practicing Lawyers","author":"Lisa Brem","date":"May 7, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Case Study Spotlight: Ernest Shackleton\u2019s Journey to the Endurance Ernest Shackleton\u2019s first journey to the Antarctic ended in a very public failure. 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