Getting the Foundations Right: Essential Skills in the First Years of Practice

The first couple of years in a law firm are where professional habits, confidence and behaviours are formed — yet they are also the years where essential skills are most often left to chance. This 60-minute webinar explores why essential skills development in the first years of practice is not a “nice to have”, but a critical foundation for performance, wellbeing and retention.

Description

Junior lawyers arrive with strong technical knowledge, but many struggle with the realities of practice: communicating clearly with different stakeholders, managing workload and pressure, responding well to feedback, and representing the firm with confidence.

When these skills aren’t developed early, firms often see the same issues emerge later — requiring greater supervision, corrective conversations and, in some cases, avoidable attrition.

This session is a strategic discussion about how law firms can build stronger foundations in their junior lawyers — reducing risk, supporting sustainable performance and creating the conditions for long-term success.

During the session, we will examine:

Why the transition into legal practice places unique demands on junior lawyers
The essential skills that most commonly cause issues when left undeveloped
How early intervention supports confidence, consistency and professional standards
Why firms benefit from addressing these skills proactively rather than reactively

If you are responsible for developing junior talent and shaping the future capability of your firm, this webinar will provide valuable insight and practical perspective.