Career Growth & Training

Our practice groups work with a network of associate development partners (ADPs) and associate development managers (ADMs) whose singular aim is ensuring the success of each and every associate. They work together to help associates manage work assignments, respond to growth opportunities, and build their networks within their practice groups and the firm. They also work hand in hand with our diversity, equity & inclusion team to ensure that we are providing equal and equitable opportunities for all of our associates. 

We employ a centralized staffing and work allocation system designed to provide our associates with equitable opportunities to be staffed on a variety of matters. The firm understands that an associate’s professional development depends on exposure to a wide range of partners and consistent access to deal and case work with progressive levels of responsibility. Our ADPs and ADMs collaborate to ensure that our associates receive a steady stream of meaningful work and real-time feedback on their performance.

In addition, our ADPs and ADMs both play key roles in the firm’s comprehensive review process, and act as coaches and sounding boards to our associates as they progress in their careers.

For us, training is more than a perk—it’s a way of life. We’re committed to providing our associates—whether recent law school graduates or experienced practitioners—with relevant and “sticky” training programs to help them perform at their best. Starting on their very first day, our associates attend a comprehensive orientation program that familiarizes them with their offices and the firm. New associates also attend multiday training camps that feature workshops on the technical and soft skills they’ll need to progress in their careers

Our commitment to best-in-class training continues throughout the midlevel years. We host firmwide retreats at the third- and sixth-year levels, with sessions on strategy, management, leadership skills and business development. In addition, all of our lawyers benefit from regular access to an in-house writing coach and an extensive catalog of in-house skill and topic-specific trainings. 

We want Ropes & Gray to be a place where our lawyers are empowered to bring their best selves to work. To support this goal, our award-winning global well-being program, BeWELL@Ropes&Gray, offers tangible resources, premier education and compassionate support to enhance the emotional (myMind), physical (myHealth) and financial (myWealth) health of our people. The program offers a variety of initiatives, including resiliency training, mindfulness meditations, physical fitness challenges, presentations on retirement planning and more.

As an international law firm, we encourage our lawyers to maintain a global mindset and seek to understand how cultural differences can inform client decisions. To help them develop this perspective, our GO (Global Opportunities) Program gives seasoned Ropes & Gray lawyers a chance to immerse themselves in a new culture or city by working in one of our 14 offices worldwide on a temporary or permanent basis. 

Many of our lawyers work in-house with clients, gaining a unique, firsthand view of their business needs and perspectives. These secondment opportunities help our lawyers develop skills and experiences that enable them to be successful both while working at the client and when they return to the firm.  

We’re committed to offering a comprehensive and competitive total rewards package.