Professional Development

When you join Weil, you are not just accepting a job, you are developing your career. Not only will you collaborate with Weil colleagues, you will partner with clients and hone your skills as a business lawyer. You build skills that will serve you regardless of your ultimate professional trajectory and gain access to robust training and professional development programs.

Mentoring

Mentorship is always available: Upon arrival at the Firm, each associate is paired with dedicated mentors. Just as important are informal mentoring relationships that develop organically. Weil encourages associates to take advantage of both to gain insight, guidance and feedback throughout their career at the Firm. You’ll have the opportunity to work closely with experienced, market-leading partners and clients from day one, ensuring opportunities to learn from some of the best attorneys in the field.

Training

You’ll never stop learning: We offer over 250 in-house training programs and workshops, and associates can supplement these programs with courses from outside providers like the Practicing Law Institute.

Through our Weil Business Academy initiative, associates learn skills relating to Team Management, Communication, Tech Skills, Negotiation and more. A key element of our Weil Business Academy initiative is our Columbia Business School training program, which helps associates strengthen their business acumen and financial literacy.

Onboarding training includes:

A robust week-long New Associate Orientation training program covering such topics as ethics, the business of law, pro bono and substantive legal skills
Department-specific orientation programs with the substantive information needed for a strong foundation for your practice

“The best way to become a strong deal lawyer is to surround yourself with mentors, jump feet first into a deal, and try to understand how the discrete part you are working on fits within the larger, collaborative effort that goes into handling a transaction.” — Ramona Nee

Evaluations

Weil values feedback. Each associate receives semi-annual reviews focusing on a full range of legal and professional skills. Associates also submit self-evaluations and upward reviews of partners, counsel and more senior associates.

Associate performance criteria include:

Substantive Legal Knowledge
Analytical Skills
Written and Oral Communication Skills
Responsibility
Professionalism
Leadership

Beyond Weil

If your career moves beyond Weil, our Alumni Program helps you stay connected to Weil’s extensive professional network.