Training At Our 21st Century Law Firm

Your training and education begin anew the day you join our Firm. Training has been a top priority at Dickinson Wright throughout our storied 128-year history. We believe that exceptional training creates exceptional lawyers. While a fine law school education builds a strong academic and intellectual foundation, Dickinson Wright's training will build upon that foundation in order to make you an extraordinary lawyer. We believe strongly that Dickinson Wright cannot be a successful law firm unless we train and develop extraordinary lawyers. That is why we are so dedicated to providing extraordinary training.

Dickinson Wright trains its lawyers in the key skills that clients require of the best lawyers in America. We teach advanced legal strategy and tactics that give our lawyers and our clients the advantage in the boardroom and in the courtroom. We educate our associates in the business of our clients and the business of our law Firm so that each associate feels as if they have earned an "MBA" in the business of being a lawyer by the time they become a Member.

We understand that each lawyer has different training needs. That is why the Firm's training program is structured by practice area and experience level (1-3 years, 4-6 years, and 6+ years). For new law lawyers and summer associates we offer a number of "how to" courses that teach new lawyers the skills they need to succeed at Dickinson Wright. For example, new lawyers are trained in how to work with their secretary and other staff, how to interact with clients both professionally and socially, how to avoid ethical pitfalls that new lawyers sometimes fall into, and how to accept and delegate work. Our training directly contributes to our associates becoming attorneys who know how to build and maintain client relationships.

Dickinson Wright has partnered with the Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE) in Ann Arbor, MI to complement the Firm’s comprehensive in-house training. Through this partnership our lawyers are able to attend a great variety of educational programs. Most notably, new associates attend the ICLE "Bootcamp" during their first nine months with the Firm. The ICLE Bootcamps are divided into two sections: one for litigation associates and the other for transactional associates. As the name implies, the ICLE Bootcamp is a comprehensive training program spanning nine months that is specifically tailored for new associates. The ICLE Bootcamps receive rave reviews from our new associates.

The Firm also sends its associates to out-of-state seminars that hone their legal skills. The week long trial advocacy program in Boulder, Colorado is a particular favorite among litigation associates. Another favorite is the 3-day Deposition Skills Workshop.

The courses in which our new and more senior associates participate vary from year to year to complement outside training programs and associate and member requests. Our courses are all taught by top attorneys in their practice areas, by prominent judges, and sometimes by clients. We also hire outside professionals who offer training opportunities, perspectives, niches, or experiences that complement our training. The courses are a mix of presentations, panel discussions, and hands-on workshops. For example, associates recently practiced cross-examining a nationally known expert witness. Some of the other in-house classes we offered recently are:

• Dealing with the IRS: a Primer for all Attorneys
• Handling Yourself Before the Court, An Insider's Tips (presentation by a federal clerk)
• Introduction to Labor and Employment Law
• Bankruptcy Basics for Non-Bankruptcy Lawyers
• Networking and Business Development For Associates
• What Every Transactional Lawyer Needs to Know about Leasing
• Why You Should Do Pro Bono Work
• Helping Your Clients Handle E-Mail and E-Discovery and Avoid E-Horrors
• Nuts and Bolts of Buying and Selling a Business
• Anatomy of a Deal: Practical Training For Transactional Associates
• The Automotive Industry: Knowing Your Clients and their Business
• Business and Social Etiquette
• Gaming Law 101
• Interviewing Skills Training
• Welcome Presentation for New Associates
• Practical Ethics for New Associates
• Litigation Workshop for New Associates
• Advanced Legal Writing for Litigators

In addition to excellent training, we recognize that experience is often the best teacher. Our attorneys gain hands-on experience by practicing with our more senior attorneys, many of whom are the leading experts in their fields. Each associate, whether fresh from law school or a "lateral", is given not one, but two mentors. One of the mentors is an associate who can best advise the new attorney on practical day-to-day issues. The other mentor is a member who can advise the new attorney on career planning and development, what it takes to become a member, and the culture and history of the Firm.

We invite you to learn more about why our training program distinguishes Dickinson Wright in the national and Michigan marketplace by contacting Ted Sylwestrzak, our Member responsible for training, at 313-223-3036, or at tsylwestrzak@dickinsonwright.com.