Seeing the Bigger Picture: What I Gained from the 2025 PDC Winter Certificate Program
Jeff DaRocha-Boyle,
Director of Professional Development, Fish & Richardson, PC,
Connect with Jeff on PDC Connect
Last month, I had the pleasure of joining over 50 of my PD colleagues in attending this year’s PDC Winter Certificate Program: Law Firm Economics for PD – Aligning Strategy with Business Reality. Led by the dynamic duo of Erin Walczewski, Pro Bono Counsel at Cooley, PDC Board Member, and Immediate Past Chair, and Kristine McKinney, Chief Operating Officer at Fish & Richardson, P.C. Over two highly focused two-hour sessions, we explored the business side of law—something that often feels just out of reach for many of us working in professional development.
It was, in a word, transformative.
As PD professionals, we’re often asked to align our programming with firm goals, but this experience helped me understand what that actually means when you’re sitting at the intersection of profitability, compensation structures, and economic pressures. What struck me most was not just the clarity of the content, but how accessible Kristine and Erin made it. They managed to take a topic that can feel intimidating and translate it into something actionable, relevant, and even fun (yes, fun—there were quizzes, hypotheticals, and a fictional “McKewski Law Firm” that brought the learning to life).
Whether it was our first time hearing it or a helpful reminder, here are just a few points that stuck with me and many of us in attendance.
- Revenue isn’t profit, and even profitable firms have leaky buckets. Write-offs, billing realization, and collection challenges can eat away at what looks like a healthy top line.
- Reducing a partner’s comp doesn’t reduce firm costs. This was a real a-ha moment for many—and helped us to understand the nuance behind some of the decisions we see play out.
- How firms compensate their attorneys directly influences culture. Whether it’s eat-what-you-kill, lockstep, or total contribution models, the incentives drive behavior, collaboration, and sometimes, competition.
- Cash flow matters—a lot. From capital calls to credit lines, we now better understand the levers firms pull to manage volatility, and why an unbudgeted $2M AI investment isn’t just a “yes or no” decision.
- And perhaps most importantly: PD can demonstrate real ROI. Whether it’s tracking reductions in write-offs after training, gathering testimonials, or aligning programs to strategic goals like retention or cross-office collaboration, we can and should quantify our impact.
More than just learning facts and frameworks, this program reminded me that PD isn’t just a support function—it’s a strategic one. And when we understand how firms operate, we’re better equipped to drive meaningful change, get buy-in, and serve as partners to leadership.
Huge thanks to Kristine and Erin for their thoughtful approach and to the Professional Development Consortium (PDC) for creating this space for learning and connection. This year’s program set an incredibly high bar and I can’t wait to see what next year’s Winter Certificate Program has in store!
Here’s to doing PD work that’s both impactful and aligned—and to growing as professionals right alongside the people we support and develop.