professional development

Chart your own path to success

Our one-of-a-kind Troutman Pepper Locke YOUniversity and other career training and coaching programs are designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge to forge your own unique path to success.

Our Approach to Attorney Growth + Development

Through exposure to sophisticated matters and comprehensive training curricula, attorneys at Troutman Pepper Locke are given the tools and opportunities to maximize their capabilities and serve clients with efficiency and excellence. Our Legal Talent Department works in close coordination with firm and practice leadership to facilitate career development from start to finish.

We embrace the idea that when you succeed, we all succeed.

Troutman Pepper Locke YOUniversity

Troutman Pepper Locke YOUniversity integrates resources, learning and development opportunities, and benchmarks to help attorneys navigate their career paths effectively.

Training + Development Opportunities

Bringing together both firm and external resources, Troutman Pepper Locke YOUniversity offers a holistic approach to training and development by aligning feedback, coaching, and expectations to empower and better support associates in their development.

CLE + Practice Group Trainings

The Legal Skills Training + CLE Program is dedicated to advancing the professional development of attorneys. Troutman Pepper Locke offers a comprehensive suite of legal training sessions and Continuing Legal Education (CLE) opportunities, ensuring our attorneys remain compliant with licensure requirements and are equipped with cutting-edge legal skills. Practice group trainings provide specific, substantive content knowledge relevant to our attorneys’ areas of focus.

By providing a diverse array of impactful training programs, we support the firm’s high-performance culture, contribute to talent retention, and enhance attorney performance. Our commitment to efficient and effective training reinforces our position as a market leader in legal excellence.

Inclusive Leadership + Culture Trainings

Our Inclusive Culture training is an interactive session that provides a comprehensive framework for creating a work environment where everyone feels a sense of belonging, regardless of their background.

Training Clinics
Our training offerings include in-person, hands-on learning opportunities.

Deposition
The Deposition clinic consists of a virtual lecture series leading up to a two-day, in-person training where participants engage in mock depositions and receive personalized feedback from partners.

Trial Advocacy
The Trial Advocacy clinic provides hands-on training where participants perform in simulated trial settings and receive individual faculty critique. This practical experience is supplemented by lectures, both virtual and in-person, and demonstrations on specific legal and practice issues related to trial advocacy.

Deal Clinic

The Deal Clinic is a practical M&A negotiations clinic providing participants with the knowledge and skills to conduct a deal negotiation through lecture, demonstrations, and hands on mock negotiations.

Benchmarks + Evaluations

Practice Group Benchmarks
Practice group benchmarks provide associates and partners with clear expectations and developmental guidelines for performance at every level. Associates can turn feedback into action by seeking training or practical opportunities to enhance their skills, and partners can provide specific and actionable feedback, fostering a culture of continuous learning and development.

Annual Performance Evaluations
Feedback is a crucial tool for attracting, developing, and retaining top talent. Evaluations help individuals understand the firm’s expectations, explore areas for improvement, and provide a detailed roadmap for growth and development. Regular, specific feedback fosters continuous learning and development, helps individuals feel engaged and valued, directs their focus on critical growth areas, and enhances performance and job satisfaction.

Learn More About Our Training Academies

Multiple paths to success

Our commitment to a high-performance culture prioritizes retaining and growing a diverse and talented workforce dedicated to excellence and client service. We understand the importance of offering flexible, long-term career paths that provide opportunities for meaningful growth, development, and advancement within the firm. We are pleased to offer our Career Path framework, which provides several avenues for success and achievement.

Counsel

The Counsel position is a senior role within the firm, designated for experienced attorneys who perform high-level legal work, typically without partner oversight. Counsel often possess unique skill sets or experiences that add significant value to clients, and they may serve in managerial capacities, particularly for institutional firm clients.

Career Associate

Career associates are experienced attorneys, typically with five or more years of relevant legal experience. This role offers opportunities to engage in a wide range of tasks that vary by practice area. Career associates may provide direct client support and mentor junior team members, including career attorneys, paralegals, and other firm professionals.

Career Attorney

Career attorneys collaborate with partners, counsel, and associates on a variety of legal matters, providing essential research and other services to meet client needs. Career attorneys typically manage routine matters, often involving high-volume and repeatable assignments. They can generally expect predictable work schedules and assignments.

Total Contribution Model

We aim to foster a high-performance culture of excellence, client service, and a commitment to the firm and our communities. To align our attorneys’ development with this culture, the firm has implemented a Total Contribution model for associates. This model establishes expectations and incentivizes and rewards performance based on overall contributions.

Associates can earn up to 100 hours of total contribution credit for the following activities:

  • Recruiting
  • Training programs
  • Mentoring programs
  • Business development and marketing
  • Inclusion
  • Firm committee service

Ramp Down/Ramp Up
This policy facilitates work transition and assists attorneys and patent agents during the time surrounding an approved leave of absence. The firm will adjust annual billable hour expectations for attorneys and patent agents in the time leading up to a leave (Ramp Down) and upon return from leave (Ramp Up), without any adjustment to base compensation.

Career coaching and planning

Our career coaching and planning team helps attorneys at every level pursue their ambitions and find career satisfaction. Our coaches help our attorneys achieve their objectives — whether it’s making partner, overcoming a challenge, or navigating their next career move. In addition to one-on-one coaching, our team provides engaging trainings, presentations, and panel discussions in a group setting.

“I enjoy that while [coaching] is about work and career, it allows me to be my authentic self in the workplace and encourages me to show up as my whole self when present with my practice group.”

Coaching program participant

Individual career coaching

Our in-house coaching professionals provide confidential, one-on-one career coaching sessions (including with each summer associate) on a range of career-related topics, including goal-setting, networking, time and workload management, internal client service, delegation and management, path to partnership, on- and off-ramping, and work/life balance.

Group professional skills + career development programming

We offer a variety of programs for attorneys at all experience levels, including specialized programs for practice groups. Topics include time management, goal setting, building relationships, effective communication, and more.

Career transition support

Our attorneys are encouraged to find success as they define it. Our coaches assist attorneys as they explore opportunities beyond our firm. The support we provide, including one-on-one career discussions, resume and cover letter development, interview preparation, and networking assistance is designed to help our attorneys to “leave well.”

Cohort coaching

Our coaching professionals provide cohort coaching, and engaging trainings, presentations, and panel discussions in a group setting.

“The firm has provided me with outstanding mentors and an assortment of sophisticated work within a collegial environment, all while placing a premium on the elusive concept that is ‘work-life balance.’”

Adrian D. Boddie

“One characteristic that separates Troutman Pepper Locke from its competitor firms is that Troutman acts out of a genuine desire to develop the firm’s associates and allow them to thrive through constant client contact, business development opportunities, and collaborative mentorship.”

Nickolas M. Guttman

Join the experience

Our commitment to our people is reflected in what we offer: comprehensive benefits, a supportive work environment, and numerous opportunities for personal and professional growth. Our goal is for every attorney and business professional to experience a workplace where your well-being and development are our top priorities. Apply today!