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Evaluation ViewAttendees 45

Reimagining Rainmaking: How Alternative Origination Credit Can Address Inequity and Enhance Retention

Tuesday, February 20, 2024
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM US EST
Location: King Ballroom 3
CLE: 1.5 Credit Hours
CLE/Business/General Meetings
Business development and growing your book are considered essential parts of being a lawyer. Firm “rainmakers” are rewarded handsomely and the incentive to network and develop business is baked into traditional firm compensation models. Indeed, organizations like the IADC are built on developing lifelong friendships—and the business development opportunities that result for its members.

But does the emphasis on origination credit and the way in which it has been traditionally allocated contribute to the lack of gender and racial diversity in the legal profession? If the rainmakers of tomorrow are selected by the rainmakers of today, what can firms, mentors, and outside counsel do to address what many find to be an inherently inequitable model when it comes to origination credit? And do firms drive away talent by emphasizing business origination as the most important metric when evaluating attorneys?

The panel will explore how origination credit models impact diversity in the business of law and how alternatives to the traditional origination model can help build more diverse, collaborative, and effective teams better suited to service clients, increase profits, and lead the next generation of lawyers.

Learning Objectives:

  • Re-evaluting traditional origination models is worthwhile because it will better position firms to retain the next generation of leaders. This CLE will challenge the audience to consider arguments that (to many attorneys) origination models are inherently biased -- and provide concrete lessons on how to counter that concern to keep your future rainmakers.
  • It is critical to focus on transparency in origination models to attract and retain talent from Gen X, Millenials, and Gen Z lawyers. We will look at how emphasizing transparency in mentoring, supervision, onboarding, the interview process and the path to partnership addresses concerns about the origination models and the emphasis on rain making.
  • Key attributes for rainmakers (expertise, confidence, strong networks, transparency with clients) are critical to identifying the next generation of business developers. These factors, however, are best seen in a broader context of the orgination models and whether the models favor some to the (arguably unfair) exclusion of most.