Description:

What does an effective associate performance evaluation process look like today, and where are leading law firms evolving? Building on the momentum of The NALP Foundation’s Performance Evaluations study and recent symposium, this session continues the conversation with a focused lens on the professional development audience. As law firms reassess how they measure, communicate, and support lawyer performance, we’ll explore emerging approaches to feedback, competencies and coaching, evaluator and associate training, data comparisons, evaluator bias, and the evolving use of AI. Drawing on insights from 106 leading law firms and perspectives on what’s working — and what’s changing — the program will highlight practical approaches PD leaders can use to strengthen feedback cultures, support lawyer growth and retention, and make better use of performance data.

Speakers:

Skip Horne – Vice President for Engagement, NALP

Joined The NALP Foundation Team in September 2020
As Vice President for Engagement, Skip Horne plays a key role in
enhancing the Foundation’s visibility and reputation by working
closely with law firms, law schools, corporations, individual
donors, and research and partner organizations to expand our
fundraising and membership profile.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Skip served as the Senior
Assistant Dean for External Relations at Santa Clara University
School of Law. He has also worked at Latham & Watkins LLP, the
University of San Diego School of Law, the University of Texas
School of Law, and the University of Melbourne in Australia where
he completed a strategic engagement as a Careers Consultant
with Trinity College. Skip has served as the President of NALP
(2002-03) and the President of the National LGBTQ+ Bar
Foundation (2010-12), and has been active with a number of
associations including the ABA, AALS, LSAC, BALRA, and SDLRA. He
currently serves as the Vice Chair of the ABA Career Center board.
Skip received his MBA from the Darden School of Business at the
University of Virginia and his BSFS cum laude from the Edmund A.
Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

Jennifer C. Mandery– Vice President for Research, NALP

Joined The NALP Foundation Team in August 2011
As Vice President for Research, Jennifer Mandery provides expert
leadership on the methodological, data and analytical aspects of
the Foundation’s research projects and expertly transforms data
into critical insights and delivers actionable and strategic
guidance.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Jennifer served as a Consultant
and Senior Research Analyst for Thomson Reuters where she
conducted research within the legal industry and consumer
markets. She has co-authored multiple research study
publications and industry articles, and frequently presents on the
Foundation’s behalf to managing partners, hiring partners, chief
talent officers, law school deans, faculty and legal administrators
on a variety of legal industry topics.

Jennifer received her BBA from the University of North Dakota
and completed additional coursework in advanced and applied
research. She is an authority on multiple quantitative and
qualitative research techniques, and currently serves on the
Board of Directors for TeamWomen and the Research
Committee of the Institute for Well-Being in Law (IWIL).

Fiona S. Trevelyan – President & CEO, NALP

Joined The NALP Foundation Team in March 2020
As President & CEO, Fiona S. Trevelyan provides leadership for the
Foundation’s mission to improve the quality and delivery of legal
services through research, education, and the expansion of
opportunity within the legal profession.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Fiona served as Assistant Dean
for Career Development and Public Service at Boston University
School of Law for over six years, and as the National Director of
Legal Recruiting for Bingham McCutchen for seven years. She
practiced as a litigator at Bingham before leading the firm’s
recruiting, and has also worked as an independent consultant to
law firms and as a Principal in a boutique practice. She has held
numerous leadership positions in both national and local legal
and recruiting organizations, including NALP and the ABA. She
regularly publishes and speaks on a wide variety of issues in the
legal profession, and currently serves on the Board of the
Institute for Well-Being in Law (IWIL).

Fiona received her BA from Harvard University and her JD from
Boston College Law School. Following law school, she clerked for
the Hon. Frank M. Coffin, senior judge for the United States Court
of Appeals for the First Circuit.