Committed to Your Professional Growth

We are invested in the professional development of our attorneys and committed to providing you with the tools and resources to succeed throughout your career. Archer has a Professional Development Committee comprised of partners and associates who oversee mentoring of all associates and help the firm’s attorneys grow as practitioners and develop skills in the areas of law that interest them. The Committee designs and delivers training, programming, and learning opportunities to advance our attorneys’ substantive knowledge, professional skills and client service. Our professional development initiatives are designed to assist new attorneys with the transition from law school to private practice, and to provide attorneys with ongoing opportunities to develop and enhance their legal and business development skills. We offer a variety of professional development programs and opportunities described below.

New Associate Orientation

We offer first-year associates a robust onboarding program designed to help new associates in the transition from law school to private practice generally and to Archer, specifically. Firm leaders introduce our new associates to the history of our firm, its culture, vision and organizational structure. The program includes pairing them with associate and partner mentors, offering training programs designed to help them learn about the firm and their legal practice, and providing numerous opportunities for interacting with our firm leaders and each other. During the orientation period, we cover a variety of topics to help new attorneys get acclimated to private practice such as how to navigate the first year at the firm, how to work with your legal support team, and understanding the value and support other administrative departments can provide.

Mentoring Cohort Groups

At Archer, associates are exposed as early as possible to a broad range of experiences and given the chance to work closely with senior lawyers to learn from them. In addition to assigning each new associate an individual mentor, the Professional Development Committee also creates mentoring cohort groups designed to provide meaningful opportunities for our associates to connect with more senior-level associates and partners who are invested in their development. The formal mentoring relationships our associates develop, along with the informal, organic mentoring they also receive on a daily basis, are integral to their development as lawyers. Mentors support integration and career development, as well as regularly provide guidance, support, and knowledge to enhance the experiences and professional development of their mentees. As associates continue in their careers, they have the opportunity to work with different mentors in their group and continue to build relationships throughout the firm. For lateral associates who join Archer from other firms, the Professional Development Committee develops a customized mentoring experience to facilitate their transition to Archer.

Training Program for Attorneys

Hands-On Workshops

Orientation goes well beyond the first few months at Archer. We take a long-term approach to professional development beginning with orientation for all new attorneys, followed by year-round structured training programs for the firm’s attorneys. Beginning in your first year, you’ll participate in a series of hands-on workshops. These programs will help you build the advocacy and communication skills needed to becoming a highly-effective attorney. Below is a sampling of the programs to develop our lawyers’ skills and provide them with the resources to have a successful career at the firm.

• Best Practices for Meeting with a New Client and Starting a New Matter
• Ethics Basics
• Dealing with Difficult People
• Choice of Business Entities
• Effective Research and Persuasive Writing Tips
• Writing Tips from the Bench
• eDiscovery Rules, Practices and Techniques
• Everything You Wish You Knew When You Started at Archer
• Deposition Preparation 101
• NJ, NY, PA State and Federal Rule Review
• Oral Argument in Trial and Appellate Courts

The Archer Academy

The Archer Academy was devised by the professional development committee to deliver a series of in-house CLE programs that have been specifically requested by attorneys across all practice groups, designed to facilitate the professional development of attorneys at all levels in the firm and across all practice groups. Sessions provide instruction in specific areas and also allow participants to earn some of their required Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits. Held throughout the year, sessions are conducted by partners or external consultants on a wide range of topics, such as business development strategies, advanced settlement strategies, drafting and enforcing choice of dispute clauses and attorney-client privilege issues for transactional and litigation attorneys. Our attorneys also regularly attend a range of outside professional education programs and conferences.

Practice Area Education

We are dedicated to providing practice area-specific education for attorneys. Our firm’s practice areas are led by partners who are responsible for providing associates with learning opportunities on subjects relevant to their practice area. These leaders actively monitor associate workloads and project assignments to ensure they receive challenging work, progress at an appropriate rate, and are given experiential learning opportunities to enhance practice area development.

Building Networks

Our attorneys are encouraged to build their professional networks inside and outside of the firm. In doing so, they position themselves for lifelong learning and development. We financially support participation in a diverse range of professional and community-based associations.

Growing through Pro Bono

We serve our communities by representing pro bono clients annually. All of our lawyers are encouraged to participate in our pro bono practice. Archer provides billable credit on approved pro bono projects. We collaborate with local legal services organizations in our pro bono efforts. Through pro bono work, associates take on leadership roles, develop professional skills and change lives in their communities.

Archer Supports Women Network

The Archer Supports Women Network serves as a valuable forum where attorneys come together to engage in both formal and informal mentoring relationships. This initiative was created to help navigate the wide range of challenges attorneys encounter in their careers, with particular attention to issues that may uniquely impact women and families. Through this supportive space, attorneys receive meaningful guidance on essential aspects of professional growth, including developing a legal practice, identifying areas of focus, cultivating long-term client relationships, stepping into leadership roles, and maintaining a sustainable work/life balance. Open to all, the forum also promotes connection through social events, legal education opportunities, and community involvement. It fosters a collaborative and encouraging environment where attorneys can build strong relationships with colleagues while advancing both their personal and professional goals.