We have staggered start dates for first year associates throughout the fall followed by a formal orientation for all three groups.  The formal orientation has evolved into an increasingly practical event which addresses needs identified by new associates. Some presentations are introductions to life at Simpson Thacher; others are initial sessions of the formal departmental training programs presented throughout an associate’s first year at the Firm.

The entire class is together on day one for a Firm overview that ranges from global (The Business of Law) to granular (How to Find What You’re Looking for on Our Computer System), and from applied (Legal Ethics) to anecdotal (I’m Still Standing: A Glance Backward From an Associate Turned Partner).

The class is also divided into Corporate and Litigation for practice-specific programs. Associates from Executive Compensation and Benefits, Exempt Organizations, Personal Planning, Real Estate and Tax attend a combination of sessions from both.

Litigation associates attend orientation programs introducing them to departmental resources and reviewing the various aspects of litigation practice. New corporate associates — who initially will spend a six-month rotation in at least two of the department’s three subgroups — participate in an orientation program designed for their first rotation — Banking and Credit, Capital Markets or M&A training. These initial programs introduce associates to the relevant practice areas and are aimed to give a practical overview of what junior associates will be asked to do in each of the three groups.

Litigation and Corporate presentations are both formal (Discovery Overview, Persuasive Writing, Introduction to the Creation of Security Interests, Due Diligence and Closings) and informal (Q&A: What I Wish I’d Known When I Was a First Year and Tips for Practicing Corporate Law at ST&B).

—Maina Tilton, Manager of Corporate Training