Law firms are only as good as their people, and much of McDowell Hetherington’s growth has been driven by attorneys who began their careers here and have stayed with us for more than a decade. Due to this core belief that junior talent can be developed into top-notch attorneys in the right environment, McDowell Hetherington is dedicated to providing the resources for both new and seasoned attorneys to grow and succeed.

Part of this comes from our structure. MH believes that the most effective learning is by doing.  With that in mind, the most important training is and will always be on the job.  To facilitate that hands-on learning, attorneys are divided into teams rather than pooled.  Working on teams balances MH’s desire to naturally foster mentorship and simultaneously giving associates the opportunity to work with multiple clients and attorneys.

To enable our attorneys to succeed on the job, we have developed a three-tier training program designed to integrate and equip attorneys with the tools and opportunities to learn from peers and mentors.

Annual Attorney Training

Each year, MH attorneys come together for a full day of training. Though geared towards new attorneys (either new in their career, or new to MH), it is often attended by senior associates and much of the MH Partnership.

The goal of this annual program is to integrate new lawyers and refresh our more tenured lawyers on how we work together and how to thrive at the firm. While “training” is typically thought of as teaching discrete skills, we believe it equally important to teach our core values. The topics for this training reflect that, and past annual trainings have therefore typically included partner-led presentations on MH’s history and philosophy, fundamentals of client service, pro bono initiatives, business development, and tips for succeeding as a young lawyer.

This training is offered each year in Houston, and new attorneys from every office have been invited to travel.

MH University

Second, MH offers a year-long training for junior lawyers designed to take associates from the inception of a case to its conclusion in one calendar year. While our Annual Training teaches our values and workflow, MH University is skills training, emphasizing the nuts and bolts of litigation to attorneys in their first few years of practice and those new to civil litigation.

Every other week, a rotating cast of the firm’s partners and senior associates lead a one-hour round table lunch discussion through the progressive topic series, pleadings, written discovery, negotiating settlements, better legal research, and getting ready for trial.  MHU was designed to provide a forum for asking questions about the kind of work that associates are doing and prepares them for the next tasks.

Visit this link to see what MH associates are training on this month / See the below schedule to see what MH associates are training on.

Monthly Continuing Legal Education Programming

While the New Associate Orientation and MH University are focused on integrating new lawyers to the firm and to the profession, MH offers monthly CLE training for all attorneys. At these Thursday afternoon trainings, attorneys from all offices join in-person or over Zoom to hear presentations given by associates and partners. Past topics have covered improving presentation skills, case law updates, introductions to other fields of law (like bankruptcy), and deposition skill training.

Other Training Initiatives

Additionally, MH typically offers special trainings throughout the year, often led by outside experts that present specialized programs. Past presentations have included a half-day writing seminar from Ross Guberman (author of “Point Made”), CLE social events, and National Institute for Trial Advocacy deposition trainings.