New Associate Orientation Provides Tools for Success

Winston hosted 73 associates from the firm’s U.S. and Europe offices for 2019 Jumpstart Orientation held in our Chicago office. The three-day orientation included a mix of professional skills trainings and networking activities, each specifically designed to give our new associates the tools they need to succeed in their first years at Winston.

Jumpstart began on September 23 with an enthusiastic welcome from Chicago Office Managing Partner Linda Coberly. She expressed the firm’s excitement for the onboarding of our 2019 class and explained the importance of both hard work and relationship building. Following Linda’s welcome, our new associates learned about pro bono, talent programs, and technology at Winston. Our final day one session, taught by Learning & Development Leads Amanda Lui (Corporate) and Robyn Schuster (Litigation), explored the do’s and don’ts of networking to help the associates to be successful during a reception or other social event.

On day two of orientation, our Learning & Development team hosted the first annual Winston Expo. Various firm departments set up informational booths in the Chicago office café with swag, handouts, and other items describing their responsibilities at Winston. The Expo was a great opportunity for associates to ask individualized questions and network with colleagues. Followed by a fabulous presentation on the importance of great communication skills with tips for incorporating storytelling during a pitch or speech. The second day concluded with an on-site volunteer activity organized by our Winston for Good team. The class of 2019 made 300 sandwiches and packed lunches for Sarah’s Circle, which serves women who are homeless or in need of a safe space, and for the Salvation Army Mobile Feeding Unit.

Our final day of orientation kicked off with legal writing expert Ross Guberman’s “Start Off Strong” course, an interactive program teaching the value of clear and concise writing. The rest of the day focused on The Winston Innovation Lab. Our associates were grouped in teams of eight and tasked with creating an idea aligned with Winston’s innovation strategy. They presented their ideas to a panel of Winston partners and senior leaders, incorporating lots of information they had learned during the first two days of Jumpstart to make a persuasive pitch. The Winston Innovation Lab was a great way for the associates to propose ideas to propel Winston & Strawn into the future.

Thank you to all of the attorneys and staff who helped create a culture of learning for our new associates—and made 2019 Jumpstart Orientation such a huge success.