MoFo’s inaugural Mid-Level Academy, a new initiative aimed to provide mid-level associates with a unique opportunity to learn alongside their peers while also being introduced to local partners and members of firm management, took place June 22–24, 2022, in San Francisco.
The three-day program included 130+ total attendees, including 87 associates, over 40 partners, and various staff and members of MoFo’s Attorney Learning & Development team, representing 14 offices globally. The program, crafted by Attorney Learning & Development, offered associates an opportunity to think differently and engage more deeply with colleagues. Associates received targeted learning and professional development opportunities to help them thrive as they transition from junior to mid-level associate.
“The Mid-Level Academy, part of the months-long Mid-Level Experience, is one of the many tailored opportunities we provide to associates at MoFo. As the practice of law grows ever more complex, we equip associates with the knowledge and skill-building they need to provide our clients with unparalleled representation,” says MoFo’s Director of Attorney Learning & Development, Amy Tenney Curren.
According to feedback from each region, associates extolled the experience as constructive, engaging, and fundamental to their career growth.
“This experience provided us with two key development opportunities: first, space to practice our project management, communication, and leadership skills; and second, the chance to connect with MoFo colleagues across our global offices,” says Washington, D.C. associate Jonathan Babcock. “Both of these will greatly help us as we develop in the firm.”
In addition, the program was a testament to the fact that our people continue to practice living the firm’s shared values day in and out. As London associate James McDevitt states, “It was a unique opportunity for us to join together with colleagues from across the world. The Academy is a great example of MoFo’s collaborative culture, and how to effectively promote and foster ongoing peer management.”
Perhaps the greatest takeaway from the event is the “MoFo Difference,” as articulated by Singapore associate Mark Tay.
“We’ve always been told that there’s a ‘MoFo Difference.’ The Mid-Level Academy showed me that this vaunted difference transcends geographical borders. Apart from talks and social events, the program involved us in several interactive workshops which had us working with, and occasionally against, each other. Through these interactions, I now know that my MoFo batchmates (across offices) are a fiercely intelligent bunch from starkly diverse backgrounds, who nonetheless share the same steadfast commitment towards respect, fair play, and collegiality, and a keen sense of working together to succeed as a team. It’s been a privilege to connect with so many exceptional people whom I proudly call my colleagues and friends. The ‘MoFo Difference’ might be difficult to define (or—as one associate put it at the program’s public speaking seminar—it is a certain je ne sais quoi), but definitions aside, it is at the heart and soul of this firm, and that truly makes all the difference.”
To learn more about the Mid-Level Academy or Experience, please contact Christie Mizer, Associate Director of Attorney Coaching & Career Development.