Pathways to Partnership Program
Now in its sixth year, AABA is pleased to announce it is continuing its highly successful Pathways to Partnership, a mentorship program specifically designed to help talented senior associates at Bay Area law firms develop a strategy to achieve their goal of becoming a partner. This program was developed to provide senior associates with specific mentorship and guidance about developing a strategy to make partner at a law firm. Pathways to Partnership will match senior associates who are in the “zone” (within a couple years) of partnership eligibility with law firm partner mentors from different firms, as well as in-house counsel mentors, and will assist senior associates in developing a strong business plan, identifying potential obstacles and challenges, and building strategies for the goal of partnership. This is AABA’s fifth Pathways to Partnership class, after its prior years have achieved significant success in elevating associates to partner.
Pathways to Partnership will kick-off with an in-person meeting of all senior associate participants and mentors in the spring of 2025, followed by two meetings in the summer and fall. During the meetings Pathways to Partnership will provide specific tasks for each senior associate to accomplish with the guidance and input of their mentors. These tasks will include: (1) development of a business plan, (2) identification of key decision makers at the law firm, (3) identification of key sponsors, both at the law firm and outside, and (4) creating action items. Pathways to Partnership also encourages each senior associate to meet one-on-one with their mentors outside of the three group meetings.
Senior associates are invited to apply to Pathways to Partnership by March 31, 2025.
Application requirements are:
- Current résumé.
- Statement of interest describing why you should be selected for the Pathways to Partnership Program (no more than 500 words in length).
- Short statement from a partner/shareholder at your current firm stating that they believe you are in the “zone” of partnership or very close to that (although we understand there is no firm commitment with respect to these statements).
- Email all materials in one pdf file to aaba.bayarea@gmail.com no later than 11:59 PM Pacific on March 31, 2025.
- Please plan to attend three meetings: one in-person meeting in the spring, and two in the summer and fall (likely virtual).
- Please email any questions to Irene Yang (irene.yang@sidley.com), Anjali Srinivasan (asrinivasan@keker.com), Lily Chinn (lily.chinn@hoganlovells.com), Lucky Meinz (lmeinz@sheppardmullin.com), Winston Chan (winstonychan@yahoo.com), or Monica Chang (monica.chang@morganlewis.com)