Firms with thoughtful leaders and great partners grow and prosper. That makes the duty of developing our best associates into strong, productive partners and attracting top-quality laterals essential to McGuireWoods’ success.
We have hours and revenue targets. But we’re also dedicated to the growth of your practice and the development of your career through training and mentoring.
At McGuireWoods we challenge ourselves to recruit, develop, advance and retain the best lawyers and we have a formal lateral process to ensure a smooth, successful transition. We also identify and promote associates who understand the need to go the extra mile, who take a result from good to great. We ensure a stimulating work environment and we reward associates who provide the highest level of client service and who demonstrate a skill for cultivating new clients.
Diversity and inclusion are core values at McGuireWoods. Together, we continue to build an inclusive culture at all levels within the firm that supports and celebrates the diverse voices of our employees. We recognize that diversity and inclusion are central to our success. McGuireWoods encourages qualified applicants of every race, ethnicity, culture, gender and sexual orientation to apply for a job and grow their careers with us.
We also care about the health and well-being of our lawyers and staff. The firm offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits package with the kind of support needed for busy professionals — such as back-up care and flexible hours.
Key to our success is colleagues who care about their work, their clients and each other. If this sounds like you, take a look at our open positions.
To retain and advance the best lawyers, McGuireWoods provides training and development to equip lawyers with the knowledge and skills to advance their careers and achieve our clients’ goals. Associates gain real experience by working closely with partners and other lawyers in their practice group.
The firm’s Associates Committee promotes continued satisfaction and professional growth with a partner liaison from each practice group overseeing associate issues and ensuring constant communication with committee members. The committee hosts quarterly informational meetings via videoconference that update associates on topics such as productivity and profitability, training and development, mentoring and compensation.
The Associates Committee presents Excellence Awards to recognize outstanding lawyers who demonstrate McGuireWoods’ core values : excellence, integrity, client service, diversity and inclusion, community and collegiality.
We invest in your career. Our Professional Development Department facilitates lawyers’ professional growth offering:
Mentoring and Career Development
First-year associates are assigned mentors to help with the transition into law firm life. Lateral associates can select their own mentors. The program is intentionally flexible so lawyers can shape the mentoring experience to their individual needs.
McGuireWoods encourages firm lawyers to seek and provide career-related feedback. Formal evaluations are conducted each spring for associates. Individual meetings to discuss performance and goals for the upcoming year are scheduled with the associate’s supervising lawyer and the Associates Committee liaison for their practice group. The goal of these evaluations is to provide associates with constructive feedback on how to further their careers.
Associates are also required to prepare development plans in consultation with their mentors and their supervising attorney, focusing on skill and knowledge development. This provides a great opportunity for everyone to be on the same page about career goals and what you need to do to achieve them.
Formal Training and Retreats
In-house seminars and CLE courses educate lawyers on firm operations, skills development and practice-specific topics. Operational topics include partnership track expectations, billing and collections, and firm finances. Skills development covers client development, client relations and service, negotiations and writing analysis. Practice-specific topics include trial advocacy, credit and loan agreements, and M&A transactions. McGuireWoods’ Practising Law Institute membership provides firm lawyers access to an array of programs. Associates also can use their firm-provided annual professional development funds to attend external programs.
McGuireWoods’ lawyer retreats promote collegiality and provide learning opportunities for lawyers as their careers progress. The junior associate retreat covers risk management, business development and management skills. The midlevel associate retreat focuses on the firm’s strategic plan, business development and law firm economics.
We care about you, your family and your career. McGuireWoods is committed to providing the very best employee experience drawing upon people with diverse backgrounds. We provide the resources people need to focus on client service, their careers as well as balance their home and work lives.
We provide for your basic needs:
And for when you need a little extra support:
Or when you need time for yourself, your family or your community:
And for the times when you just want to focus on your career and your future:
For complete details on applicant disclosures, please click here.