Training

Lawyers at all levels must continually develop their legal knowledge and skills. In recognition of this need, O'Melveny continually enhances its training options and professional development resources. New associates benefit from a program specifically designed to help them navigate the law firm environment and tackle their first real assignments. As our lawyers take on additional responsibilities, expand their skill set, and explore practice specialization, they have access to a wide range of courses that provide the specific knowledge and skills they need. Equally important are the knowledge, skills, and aptitudes—sometimes referred to as “soft skills”—that allow lawyers to contribute fully as colleagues, team members, and leaders. O’Melveny’s training program is designed to not only fulfill the needs of lawyers at all levels, but also to develop distinctively well-rounded talent—lawyers who embody excellence, leadership, and citizenship.

O’Melveny University
Each year, the Firm hosts a series of training retreats for our global lawyer population that offer substantive learning tailored to key career stages. In addition to substantive training, the programs include training in essential complementary skills (e.g., leadership, providing feedback, supervision, and delegation), and offer opportunities to network with O'Melveny colleagues from around the globe and meet one-on-one with Firm leadership.

• New Attorney Training Retreat. The O'Melveny University includes a gathering of first-year and lateral associates to welcome new lawyers to the Firm. New associates attend introductory sessions on substantive legal topics such as "Research and Writing 101," as well as courses that address work/life effectiveness and building a career. A parallel program for lateral associates and counsel focuses on transition issues for those who have already practiced law but who are new to O’Melveny.
• Third-Year Associate Training Retreat. Designed to build upon the foundation provided by the New Attorney Retreat and ongoing office, department and practice group trainings, the Third-Year Associate Training Retreat brings together associates in their third-year and focuses on the more advanced skills and competencies associated with this level, as well as those necessary for taking the “next step” to the senior associate level (e.g., managing a team on a case or a deal, building your career, and establishing and developing client relationships).
• Counsel Training Retreat. First year counsel and lateral counsel are invited to attend the Counsel Training Retreat, where they attend group sessions focusing on topics relevant to lawyers at this level, such as the path to partnership, business development, and defining a career path.
• New Partner Orientation. Lawyers recently admitted to the partnership attend a two-day New Partner Orientation. The orientation consists of a series of panels on leadership, values, business development, expectations in the first year of partnership, the partnership agreement, benefits, billing and collections, business intake and risk management, management reports, taxes, and partner compensation. Additionally, the Chair of the Partner Admissions Committee meets with the new partners and their assigned advisors to discuss the New Partner Advisor Program. The orientation schedule also includes social events that provide new partners with the opportunity to interact with Firm leadership.

O'Melveny Attorney Training Portal
The Attorney Training intranet site provides a centralized source of information about the full range of O'Melveny's training opportunities and resources. Features include: calendars of upcoming training opportunities organized by department and practice group; training-related news; information and resources for fulfilling Continuing Legal Education requirements; information on O’Melveny University training retreats; on-demand e-learning resources; contact information, and a forum for providing feedback and suggestions.

E-Learning – Training On-Demand
O’Melveny has a Privileged Membership with the Practising Law Institute (PLI). PLI is one of the country’s premier providers of Continuing Legal Education (CLE). With O’Melveny’s Privileged Membership status, all lawyers and paralegals have unlimited access to live seminars, on-demand web programs, live webcasts, and MP3 audio programs. In addition to on-demand Web programs offered through the PLI, we offer limited on-demand access to our in-house curriculum. As it expands, the e-learning program will include technology that will allow lawyers to download training sessions to their MP3 players and listen and/or view selected trainings from anywhere.

The Case Management and Trial Skills Training Program
Our team of dedicated partner trainers provide a comprehensive training program for Litigation lawyers, the Case Management and Trial Skills Training Program. The curriculum is specifically tailored for each seniority level and offers more than 25 substantive courses. Courses include public speaking, business development training and team management/supervisory skills and are taught by O’Melveny partners and counsel, and NITA and other outside consultants. Developed in response to associate requests for a more formal training program, the curriculum is intended to provide a strong foundation in the set of skills the Firm’s Litigation lawyers need to succeed.

Our practice groups supplement the training offered through the Case Management & Trial Skills Training Program with separate programs in their respective areas of law.

O'Melveny & Myers Counsel and Associate Transactions Training ("OMMCATT") Program
As part of the Firm’s commitment to professional development, we have designed the O'Melveny & Myers Counsel and Associate Transactions Training ("OMMCATT") program to provide the basic knowledge and skills that all Transactions Department associates and counsel need to succeed as transactional lawyers. The program offers over 22 courses that are taught by a faculty of forty-four partners and counsel in addition to a handful of professional consultants. Courses include mock negotiations and an intensive two-day "Survival Skills" program that touches on topics such as Corporate Finance and Capital Markets.

Our Transactions practice groups supplement the training offered through the OMMCATT program with separate programs in their respective areas of law.

On-The-Job Development
In line with its long-standing commitment to hands-on learning, O'Melveny provides its lawyers with frequent on-the-job training at an early stage in their careers. Informal and formal mentors cultivate learning and share their wisdom with junior colleagues who can watch their role models in action. Junior associates may accompany more senior lawyers to court, depositions, client meetings, and deal closings. Early opportunities for junior lawyers to participate fully in all aspects of a case or deal are also taken into consideration when staffing cases.