by Gary Mitchell

They leave! What does that cost you? What can be done to keep more lawyers happy and thereby lessen attrition? While this article alone cannot possibly provide all the answers, it does offer some suggestions derived from working one-to-one with lawyers from first year call right through to 30 year veterans, and from a cross section of practice areas.

Where do you start? I believe it starts at the recruitment stage. Set real expectations for your prospects starting in the interview and paint a clear picture of what the culture is. That way you are more likely to attract the type of candidates who will stay and serve your long term needs. Adopt a “no surprise” policy.

From day one, support the growth and learning of your team and don’t let them fend for themselves. For instance, if you are asking your lawyers to develop business of their own, then give them the adequate training to succeed. The cost of providing this form of support is not only grossly overshadowed by the business they bring in, it doesn’t even begin to compare to the hundreds of thousands of dollars a firm loses when they lose a qualified lawyer.

Help your lawyers create or align with a practice that interests them. As you are developing your associates, make sure they are in a practice area that they are suited for and enjoy, and if not, help them get there. I had one client who was ready to pack it in after five years. He decided to give up his litigation practice and start over as a solicitor. He is now working in an area he loves and serving clients he likes. He is happy, bringing in tons of new work and has turned his career around. His firm fully supported him through this transition and is now reaping the rewards.

Identify natural leaders and groom them to take on more mentorship and associate development. Rewarding your “star” performers with leadership responsibilities doesn’t necessarily translate to effective leadership. Provide them with leadership training, or identify only naturally talented leaders. Your associates will be a lot more motivated and happy to work with real leaders and stay.

Create more flexibility in your work environment. The needs of lawyers are changing. You don’t have to recreate the wheel here. Just as the corporate world has had to move to create flexible working conditions, like it or not, so too must the legal industry – and fast!

Reward good behaviour. If you are going to expect different or changing actions, then those actions must be met with reward. Compensation is an issue that is talked about a lot, but how much is changing? Good behaviour must be rewarded in order to sustain and support it.

Where and how do you start? How do you make changes in order to support the needs of your lawyers and keep them happy? Start with the willing. Strategically, select a handful of lawyers and help them to develop new habits and skills. When the results appear, and they will, senior management is more likely to listen.

Gary Mitchell is the managing director of GEM Communications Inc., a preferred supplier to the B.C. Branch of the Canadian Bar Association. He serves on the board of directors for the Legal Marketing Association, Vancouver Chapter as the Chair of the Marketing and Media Committee. Gary can be reached at www.gemcommunications.ca.

This article was published in the October 2007 issue of BarTalk. © 2007 The Canadian Bar Association. All rights reserved.