Why Law Firms Need a System for Attorney Development

Part 1 of the ARMS eBook Series: Building Stronger Law Firms, One System at a Time

Introduction: The Growing Challenge of Attorney Development

Law firm leaders everywhere are increasingly recognizing the need for structured, intentional systems that support the development of their attorneys. Despite their best efforts, many firms struggle to create environments where associate attorneys thrive, contribute meaningfully, and remain with the firm long term.

Too often, vague expectations, inconsistent supervision, and a lack of clear developmental milestones lead to underperformance, high turnover, and missed opportunities for growth for both the attorney and the firm.

Having worked with law firms of all sizes for decades, we have seen that attorney success doesn’t happen by chance. It requires practical, transparent, and data-informed systems that clearly communicate what is expected and how success is achieved.

Introducing ARMS: The Attorney Relationship Management System

This series introduces the Attorney Relationship Management System (ARMS), a strategic framework designed to intentionally develop attorneys who are skilled, profitable, engaged, and aligned with the firm's long-term success. 

At its core, ARMS is an interconnected system of attorney development resources. It enables firm leaders to take a proactive and purposeful approach to attorney supervision, skill development, and career planning. The system is flexible enough to adapt to each firm’s unique culture and practice areas, while still maintaining a disciplined structure for goal setting, evaluation, mentorship, and accountability.

A System That Brings Clarity and Consistency

With ARMS, law firm leaders can manage attorney development with clarity, transparency, and consistency. It ensures that attorneys understand:

• What is expected of them

• When they are expected to achieve it

• How will they be supported along the way

The system promotes professional growth in a way that strengthens each attorney’s connection to the firm’s mission, culture, and business goals. It’s a foundation for firms that want to move from reactive management to intentional leadership.

What ARMS Delivers

ARMS connects a firm’s performance expectations, developmental programming, compensation strategies, and employee experience into one cohesive system.

It provides the structure to align economic goals with attorney growth and to ensure the firm’s investment in its people pays dividends in performance, satisfaction, and long-term loyalty.

The framework is divided into two major segments:

1. Foundational Analysis:  understanding your firm’s current culture, economics, and performance management systems to build a realistic strategy for development.

2. Attorney Relationship Framework:  the operational structure that includes tools for managing performance, mentorship, evaluations, compensation, and career progression.

What to Expect in This Series

Over the coming weeks, this blog series will walk through the key components of the ARMS framework and share practical steps for implementing each one effectively. Each post will explore one phase of the system, illustrating how firms can use ARMS to create stronger, more transparent, and more profitable attorney relationships.

Here’s what’s ahead:

• Part 2: What ARMS Delivers

• Part 3: Identifying the Key Players 

• Part 4: Foundational Analysis: Culture, Economics, and Your Current Systems

• Part 5: The Attorney Relationship Framework

• Part 6: Performance Expectations

• Part 7: Practice Plans and Mentorship

• Part 8: Measuring Progress, Supporting Growth

• Part 9: Compensation and Career Progression

• Part 10: Recruiting and the Employee Experience

ARMS isn’t just a tool;  it’s a philosophy of management rooted in clarity, accountability, and shared success. When attorneys understand what success looks like and how to achieve it, firms experience better performance, stronger engagement, and lasting loyalty.

Whether your firm is building its attorney development system from the ground up or refining existing processes, ARMS provides a proven, practical path forward.

Don’t miss the next posts in this series. Subscribe to our blog below to receive updates as we explore each component of the ARMS framework.

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Ready to bring structure to attorney development or curious how PerformLaw could help your firm? 

Click here to schedule a call with PerformLaw to discuss your challenges and see if our approach is the right fit.