Retaining Our Diverse Talent

Recruiting talented lawyers is only the first step.  We are also dedicated to developing, retaining, and promoting our attorneys.  In addition to a firm culture of collegiality and mutual respect, we have created mentoring and professional development programs to ensure that our lawyers receive every opportunity to achieve personal growth and professional success. 

Some of these efforts include:

• Mentoring program - Every associate is paired with a partner mentor.  They meet formally and informally to develop a personalized approach to the associate’s training, development, and evaluation.  In addition, informal mentoring relationships and an “open door” atmosphere are hallmarks of the Vorys work environment.
• Training and Continuing Legal Education - In all our practice groups, associates work directly with partners and receive training through hands-on experience and feedback on their work product.  Some of our larger practice groups also have regular professional development and training programs designed to assist associates in developing specific skills.  Our firm pays for Continuing Legal Education programs (CLEs), and we encourage our associates to work with their mentors to identify programs that address areas of interest and relevance to their particular practices.
• Associate Relations Committee - The Associate Relations Committee is made up of partners and associates. It provides a forum for addressing associate issues and fostering open communications and strong relationships between associates and partners.  In addition, we are proud of our firm culture, which encourages daily, one-on-one contact between senior lawyers and associates. 
• Bar Associations and Community Groups - Vorys provides substantial financial support to bar associations and other groups focused on women, minority, and LGBT issues.  Our lawyers also actively participate and assume leadership roles in these organizations.  In addition, one of our African-American partners was the driving force behind the Columbus Bar Association’s Managing Partners Diversity Initiative, which brought together the managing partners of all the major law firms in Columbus to work together to improve the hiring, retention, and advancement of minority lawyers.  This successful program, launched in 2001, has served as a model for other bar associations across the country.