The Teaching Law Department

I’ve written about knowledge management and the importance of cultivating a learning law department. The other side of the equation is the teaching law department. At its simplest, a teaching law department is one that provides frequent knowledge transfers and feedback to its members. I enjoy seeing colleagues expand their skill sets and stretch their professional capabilities. Obviously, the hope is that this habit of continual learning will lead to expanded opportunities and rewards within a company; but when, on occasion, a colleague leaves the nest to pursue another role, I am always gratified if the training received in our department played a part in their success.

As part of our “teaching” efforts, we have instituted an externship program with our local Charleston School of Law. In this program, second and third year students join our department for twelve hours a week for a full semester. We’ve run the program for five semesters now and I have sharpened my view of how to bring the most value to both the students and to Blackbaud. My vision is to give each student a broad survey in all the areas that in-house counsel manage (e.g. commercial, IP, risk management, corporate governance, operations), and to have each student manage a particular project that they can call their own. For instance, in semesters past, we have had the externs create arbitration model forms, FOIA kits, marketing seminar materials, and taxable entity registration matrices. In this manner, the students get a general view of in-house counsel life, but also get a deeper dive into a particular area of importance to the company. It’s taken a few semesters for me to get the program just where I want it, and I’m still tinkering with a few aspects, but it’s been a rewarding experience.

It appears to be working for the students too. We are never at a loss for applicants and we have had two other regional law schools ask to be part of the program.

Also, we are starting to see our first set of externs graduate, and, as noted above, I am always gratified when I see them succeed, and hope that our externship program offered at least a little bit of help, even if only to inspire them to see how law can add value to an enterprise.

I myself have been fortunate to be a member of law departments where continuing learning was an important aspect of the company culture. Richard Rawson, the general counsel of Lucent from 1995-2002, was particularly enlightened in this respect. He made sure that the attorneys in his department were given the opportunity, as much as their experience level permitted, to rotate through different substantive areas. This not only broadened their legal expertise, but also gave counsel a more complete view of the different areas of the company, thereby deepening the value of each attorney to the company.

I am thankful to have had these learning opportunities at my various employers over the years and hope to share this same approach with my charges.