The S&C Career Plan was developed to provide associates with a written, customizable tool that allows them to take charge of their careers and pursue their career goals, whatever those might be. Some associates will focus on pursuing a long-term career at the Firm, while others will pursue any number of the paths that our alumni—an impressive group that includes CEOs, CFOs, general counsels, judges, law professors, government officials, business leaders and entrepreneurs—have chosen. Our alumni often tell us that the training and experiences they had at S&C contributed significantly to their future successes, and we want to make sure that all associates who work at the Firm have the support they need to make the most of the many resources available to them while they are here.
The Career Plan provides associates with worksheets, links, practice group milestones and other materials designed to help them assess their skills (legally and more broadly), identify experience gaps and set appropriate short- and long-term professional goals. Because our associates regularly tell us that they benefit immensely from the guidance of more-experienced senior lawyers, each associate is paired with one or more partner advisors who will work with the associate to develop, review and revise his/her Career Plan. In addition, associates are encouraged to work closely with their partner advisors on at least one substantive matter per year to obtain real-time feedback on performance and lawyering skills (including oral/written presentation, legal analysis and judgment, deal management, negotiation and leadership). While we believe that the Career Plan is an effective tool for all associates, it is also entirely optional, and can be used, or not used, at the discretion of each associate. Not surprisingly, the vast majority of associates opt in.