We understand that the availability of quality on-the-job training is one of the most important factors considered by law students and recent law school graduates in choosing a law firm. It should be.

At Schnader we believe that providing formal, practice-oriented instruction and training to our associates, geared to the associate's level of experience, is essential to the professional development of our associates. The formal training is designed to supplement the daily training a young associate receives as work is completed and feedback provided by the assigning attorney. In this way, we ensure that all associates have the opportunity to develop the "skill sets" that are needed for attorneys at their level of experience in their area of practice.

Accordingly, we devote significant time and resources to providing a comprehensive training program for all of our associates. Schnader provides both a Litigation Skills Training Program and a Transactional Training Program under the oversight of our Associate Professional Development Committee.

Litigation Skills Training Program

We have a Litigation Skills Training Program for entry-level and second year associates in our Litigation Services and Family Law Departments, which includes attorneys from all of our offices involved in our Litigation, Labor and Employment and Family Law practices. The program is designed to help young lawyers build skills in a cumulative fashion through a combination of intellectual study and actual practice. To accomplish this goal, the program incorporates a variety of methodologies, including lectures, seminars, demonstrations, mock exercises and interactive video presentations. Associates normally participate in the program during their first two years at Schnader. In each year, the program includes a series of approximately twelve 90-minute seminars conducted between October and April.

We also present, on a periodic basis, special advanced training programs for more senior associates in a condensed full-day or multi-day format on such topics as deposition skills and motion practice. Both Schnader partners and outside experts participate in these programs.

First-Year Program

The program for first-year associates presently includes seminars that address the following topics: Firm structure; professionalism; effective case management; electronic document and information storage and retrieval; client relations; client interviewing; principles of legal writing; discovery practice, confidentiality and privilege issues; and an introduction to depositions and direct and cross examination techniques.

Second-Year Program

This fall, the program for second-year associates will include the following topics: advanced research and case strategy; motion practice, including drafting motions to dismiss and motions for summary judgment; negotiations and settlement; demonstrative evidence; expert witnesses and depositions; and various aspects of a mock trial, including opening statements and closings as well as direct and cross examination of witnesses.

We continually reexamine the content of our litigation training programs, and modify them as appropriate each year to meet the changing needs of our attorneys and practice areas.

Transactional Skills Training Program

The training is provided each year to our entry level transactional associates from all of our offices who are engaged in our finance, bankruptcy, securities, corporate, health care, real estate, intellectual property and tax practices. Our Intellectual Property Department provides additional specialized training for its incoming associates.

Associates attend comprehensive in-house seminars between October and April, some of which are combined seminars with the Litigation Services Department. The seminars include topics such as: drafting documents, entity organizations, loan transactions, security interests, intellectual property rights, real estate issues, financial statement analysis, mergers and acquisitions, tax, securities law, bankruptcy, opinion letters, audit responses, and litigation basics for transactional lawyers. Experienced Schnader attorneys teach the seminars.

We also present, on a periodic basis, special advanced training programs for more senior associates on appropriate topics for their practice areas. For example, we currently are planning advanced training programs to address the following topics: issues related to representation of mature high technology companies; intellectual property issues for transactional attorneys; executive compensation, including stock option plans; antitrust issues for corporate attorneys; mergers and acquisitions; and securities law.

We will continually reexamine the content of our transactional training programs, and modify them as appropriate each year to meet the changing needs of our attorneys and practice areas.