Sponsorship & Accelerated Mentoring Programs

The Firm

An international law firm with headquarters in Washington, D.C., New York, Los Angeles, and London. The firm is consistently ranked within the Am Law 100, this international firm employs over 600 attorneys known for government contracting, regulatory matters, and high-stakes litigation.

The Challenge

 The firm aimed to enhance its ability to recruit and retain talented senior associates and new partners. The firm recognized a need to develop a high-caliber leadership program that would not only accelerate the careers of high-potential lawyers (Senior Associate and above) but also engage and teach senior partners how to effectively contribute to the development of the next generation of talent, thereby building a foundational culture of sponsorship within the firm. 

The Solution

The firm engaged Nebo to design and implement a unique Sponsorship Program (later adapted into the Accelerated Mentoring Program model). The solution included:

1. Selective, Paired Cohorts: The program carefully selected and invited 18 senior partners and 18 protégés. The program design, called a "sponsorship circle program," ensured that every participant had more than one sponsor, significantly increasing the likelihood of an ongoing relationship and exposure.
2. Senior Partner Engagement: Senior partners were given clear guidance on their obligations to the protégés and the importance of attending every required event, thereby ensuring high commitment and participation.
3. Comprehensive, Interactive Curriculum: Nebo facilitated the program with five in-person workshops, focusing on activities like "life maps," development of career visions, and panels of senior partners sharing career pathways. The protégés also met with their sponsors six times during the course of the program.
4. Duration and Alignment: The program was designed and confirmed approximately 7 months in advance to ensure calendar alignment across the firm's international offices.

The Impact

The Sponsorship Program has run successfully for over a decade and has been recognized as an award-winning program in the legal industry, yielding significant talent management and cultural benefits.

• Enhanced Retention and Recruitment: The program enhanced the firm's ability to recruit and retain talented lawyers, being treated by the firm as a highly selective opportunity, encouraging top talent to stay.
• Cultural Shift: The program successfully fulfilled the commitment to building a culture of sponsorship and giving back. Protégés reported they especially appreciated getting to be better known by senior partners and learning about the "workings of the firm" and career progression.
• Demystified Partnership Track: Participants reported that the content "de-mystified" the law firm career and "made the firm feel smaller and warmer," fostering strong, positive internal networks.
• Senior Partner Learning and Engagement: Senior partners reported being surprised at how much they enjoyed and learned from the experience, not just from the concepts presented in the workshops but also by engaging with the perspectives and questions of their protégés.
• Leadership Pipeline: Many of the protégés who went through the program later became sponsors themselves, fulfilling the program’s goal of creating a sustainable cycle of sponsorship.