Training and development for summer associates are an extension and customization of Young Conaway’s extensive professional development program.
Young Conaway is a member of the Practicing Law Institute and we offer many CLE classes in-house. We use these year-round resources to help you develop core competencies and substantive skills that prepare you for work during the summer and beyond.
Practical Training on Real Cases
We believe that people learn best by doing. Summer associates are immediately placed on real cases and develop the requisite skills, including legal writing and technological expertise, through hands-on involvement.
Our summer program creates many points of contact and feedback for associates, as we hope our people become your people. Here’s a glimpse at the support and guidance you can expect:
• A partner mentor and an associate liaison for each summer associate.
• A pro bono associate who supervises each summer associate in his or her individual Delaware Volunteer Legal Services project.
• A dedicated program supervisor, Kara Dodson, who handles all summer matters, from housing and social events to work assignments. Kara, along with partner, John J. Paschetto, hosts a weekly “No Dumb Questions” meeting where you can share whatever is on your mind in a judgment-free forum.
This corps of mentors and liaisons provide formal and informal training and feedback on your development throughout the summer.
Our summer associates also participate in our litigation skills training class each July which is taught by renowned law professor, David Sonnenshein.
Writing
The Young Conaway writing course consistently receives the highest praise from summer associates. Led by partner, John J. Paschetto, weekly writing seminars cover such areas as:
• Intro Writing Workshop – This initial, comprehensive workshop includes recommended approaches to assignments, sample forms, Delaware citation formats, footnotes, proofreading, tips on becoming a good legal writer and available resources.
• Legal Reasoning
• Top 10 Writing Mistakes by Summer Associates
• Grammar and Punctuation Refresher
• Bluebooking Refresher
• Working with Contracts
• Best Practices for Brief Writing
In addition, our writing instructor provides detailed written feedback and constructive criticism to each summer associate on one or more of their substantive written assignments.
Technology
The technology driving law firms is a world unto itself and likely to be unfamiliar to law students. Our in-house technology coach, Natalie Huha, does more than demystify law firm tech, she helps summer associates acclimate quickly to their new options and apply what they’ve learned easily. Technology training for summer associates includes:
• Summer Associate Technology Portfolio Resource – Part orientation, part definitive tech guide, this go-to, single source for summer associates covers everything from Twitter policies, document management and sample briefs to deciphering the office printing network.
• YCST University - We offer a wide range of scheduled group classes covering applications critical to a modern legal career: Microsoft Office 2010, Adobe, Citrix, Concordance, FileSite, Workshare, CaseMap, and TimeBuilder, are just a few of the programs included in our firm's technology suite.
• Personal Technology Coach - As attorneys grow their practices, their technology needs are likely to expand. Ms. Huha, our personal technology coach, provides busy attorneys, including summer associates, with convenient one-on-one technology skills training.