The requirement of quality in our business means that it is not enough to simply recruit the best young lawyers. Once working with us, we must also offer high-level skills training. This is achieved, in part, through learning on the job itself and, in part, through special training.
We have a three-year training plan for associates. The idea underlying this is that all associates during the first three years will receive as multi-faceted a training and education programme as possible. The objective is that after the three-year period the lawyer will feel confident enough to independently handle even complicated matters.
The final element of the training plan is that the associate is usually offered the opportunity to be seconded for a lengthy period of time at one of the foreign law firms with which Gernandt & Danielsson has a relationship. This is often in London but can also be, for example, in cities such as New York, Brussels, Hamburg, Amsterdam or Madrid.
Learning on the job is facilitated by the junior lawyer almost always working in a team with partners and other senior colleagues. In this team, knowledge and, not least of all, experience is gained on a daily basis contributing to the growth of the junior lawyer in his or her role as a lawyer.
Special training includes participation in training arranged by external parties but primarily training which Gernandt & Danielsson itself organises with external or internal lecturers. The internally arranged training covers, in part, training which is provided to all lawyers at the firm and training which is specific to a particular practice group. The training which is offered is far in excess of the Swedish Law Society's training requirement of 15 CPD hours per year. The training is often practically focused and experience-based, i.e. senior lawyers (colleagues at the firm or others) not only provide their knowledge on a particular issue but also their own experience from working with this issue.
Considering that the work is, to a large degree, conducted in English, junior lawyers are also provided with training by an English-speaking lawyer each week. In order to achieve the optimal effect, this training is conducted in very small groups.
In order to follow up the training plan, there is a mentor system. This implies that all newly employed associates are assigned two mentors: a partner and a senior associate. The follow-up of the training plan takes place continuously in dialogue between the mentors and the junior lawyer. Once a year, there is a more formal follow-up in the form of a progress discussion.