Europe

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Professional Development

In Europe, Skadden provides attorneys with specialized training specifically tailored to their experience level throughout their careers. Whether they are joining us fresh out of law school or after years of experience, we provide the tools needed to be successful at the firm and beyond.

Training & Support

Our training curriculum reflects our commitment to our most valuable assets — our attorneys.

Junior associates participate in our full-time Associates’ Comprehensive Education (ACE) program, which provides Skadden-specific legal- and business-skills training during their first few months at the firm.
Mid-level associates focus on client service, networking, finance, management and professional practice.
Senior associates and counsel are provided with opportunities to enhance their leadership skills, communication and presentation styles, client service abilities, mentoring, marketing and business development strategies, and networking efforts.

Alumni are offered CLE programs through Skadden that assist them in maintaining their legal skills as well as empowering them to advance throughout their careers.
Diversity and Inclusion is a core value of the firm, which we support with training at all experience levels. Workshops and lecture topics include associate retention and pipeline development, working effectively in a diverse environment and serving as allies to colleagues in a diverse workforce.

The firm recognizes that legal skills can be further developed through involvement of non-billable matters that support both Skadden and the communities we serve. For that reason, the following efforts also count towards the firm's hours requirement:

Pro bono work
Junior associates may charge up to 100 hours for "shadowing" senior attorneys
Up to 100 non-billable productive hours credit

Mentoring & Feedback

The goal of Skadden’s formal mentor program is to teach new associates how to be “Skadden attorneys” by fostering long-term mentoring relationships between partners and junior associates. In addition, our various practice groups each assign one or more Attorney Development Partners to ensure seamless integration into the group, equitable distribution of work and timely development-related programming.

Associates receive formal in-person reviews once a year. First-year and lateral associates are reviewed twice during their first year at Skadden. In preparation for these reviews, each associate submits a personal career development plan that is designed to identify and support individual growth and to encourage open discussion of career goals and objectives. In addition to the formal review process, our “open door” policy provides opportunities for feedback through the work cycle, and attorneys are encouraged to solicit feedback at the end of an assignment, case or transaction. Also, associates are asked to provide upward feedback on supervising attorneys. This feedback is another tool to assist us in developing our attorneys.

Fostering communication with firm leaders about what’s working, and what’s not, is critical to our continuing to lead the industry in timely and relevant practices and programs. While informal communication is encouraged in our environment, associates have the opportunity to ask questions and share their views through our Associates Committee, Attorney Development Partners, and town halls with office and practice leaders. In addition, we are one of the few firms that has enlisted the use of engagement surveys to help us develop and assess offerings and programs.

Compensation & Benefits

In Europe, we pride ourselves on the support we offer our lawyers as they determine the best paths for their success, both personally and professionally. We provide a wide range of benefits, perks and resources that allow them to integrate their work and their lives according to their own personal needs and preferences. Many of these programs are innovative, first-of-their-kind initiatives that inspire other firms to follow our lead. While some benefits offerings are dictated by local law or practice, the firm is committed to global initiatives that benefit all of our lawyers.

Market-competitive compensation, including year-end discretionary bonuses
Market-competitive benefits programs
Malpractice insurance, bar association dues and registration fees paid by the firm

Life Balance

Flexible Return Months (FRM), enabling attorneys to design their own return schedule from maternity or primary caregiver parental leaves
Maternity/paternity and parental leave (details vary among offices)
LifeWorks, a resource and referral service

Alumni Program

Our alumni program, established more than 15 years ago, now connects 8,000-plus of our colleagues. While our paths may differ, we share one strong bond being part of Skadden.