Troutman Pepper Launches Individualized Professional Development Program for Associates, Troutman Pepper YOUniversity

NEW YORK – Troutman Pepper today announced the launch of Troutman Pepper YOUniversity, an individualized professional development program designed to help associates advance in their careers. Bringing together both firm and external resources, Troutman Pepper YOUniversity offers a holistic approach to training and development by aligning feedback, coaching and expectations to empower and better support associates in their development. 

“We are thrilled to launch Troutman Pepper YOUniversity to ensure each of our associates has a crystal-clear understanding of their individual career development path. This initiative was created with direct input from associates on how we can best support them in their development,” said Sona Spencer, Troutman Pepper’s chief legal talent officer. “As we tell participants, Troutman Pepper YOUniversity brings together the resources of a big firm but allows flexibility to create a career and development path that is personalized for each associate.”

Troutman Pepper YOUniversity highlights include:

• Curated Course Curriculums by level in a Learning Management System
• Legal Skills and Continuing Legal Education (CLE)
• Business and Professional Skills Training
• Access to Career and Writing Coaches
• Enhanced Feedback and Evaluations
• Level-specific academies

Program content is delivered by Troutman Pepper partners and counsel, business professional subject matter experts, external consultants, and through external CLE resources such as the Practising Law Institute and the American Bar Association. Through the YOUniversity, associates will be able to explore different areas of the firm, the practice of law, and design a customized career path that best suits them, including alternative career pathways.

“Troutman Pepper YOUniversity connects people and resources. In a firm of our size, especially in a continued hybrid working environment, those connections being made in an intentional way is critical to our associates’ work and development satisfaction. We have also created leadership roles through our associate liaison committee to gather feedback to ensure the program is meeting their needs. We are aiming to reinforce a sense of community – by working with and supporting one another, we all can thrive and be successful,” Spencer added.

“The practice of law is just that – a practice. Troutman Pepper YOUniversity gives our attorneys the opportunity to continue practicing law while also honing their craft,” said Managing Partner Tom Cole. “We think our approach is unique in that we are positioning associates at the center of the ecosystem – training, evaluations, benefits, coaching/mentoring, benchmarks and CLE – to underscore the firm’s investment in its talent.”

About Troutman Pepper
Troutman Pepper is a national law firm with more than 1,200 attorneys strategically located in 23 U.S. cities. The firm’s litigation, transactional, and regulatory practices advise a diverse client base, from start-ups to multinational enterprises. The firm provides sophisticated legal solutions to clients’ most pressing business challenges, with depth across industry sectors, including energy, financial services, health sciences, insurance, and private equity, among others. Learn more at troutman.com.