Company: Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
Innovation: ‘Floor Wizard’ Helps First-Year Lawyers
Award Recognition: Honorable Mention

Understanding that effective mentors are an invaluable resource to our lawyers’ development and ultimate success, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP provides multiple opportunities for mentoring relationships to develop across different seniority levels. In recent years, three new, innovative programs have been launched to at the firm.

The Floor Wizard program is an advisory program for all junior associates at the firm. Each incoming junior associate is assigned to one Floor Wizard, a mid-level associate who has volunteered to act as a resource as junior lawyers begin to navigate life at the firm.

Floor Wizards help new lawyers adjust to life at the firm and help them become a part of the community of practice groups, lawyers, and administrative staff who work on their respective floors. During their one-year tenure, Floor Wizards are expected to check in with their assigned junior associates face-to-face on a weekly basis during the first two months and periodically thereafter until their assigned junior associates become second-year associates. Floor Wizards make themselves available for questions about life at S&C, including questions about practice group and office procedures.

The “Partner Perspectives Series” was designed to help associates build management skills by learning about the strategies and habits of highly effective managers within the firm. These programs, usually held two to three times monthly, are designed to be short, informal conversations between the presenting partner and a small group of associates on a specific topic.

Recent topics in the series included: “Avoiding Pitfalls: – Tactics for Maintaining Good Relations with Partners and Clients,” “Drive: – How to Stay Motivated When You’re Running on Empty,” “Rounding the Curve: How to Make the Key Transition from Junior to Mid-level Associate,” and “Having a Profession Instead of Just a Job.” Each partner presenter gives a short presentation to start off the discussion, followed by an opportunity for associates to ask questions.

The “Women@S&C Lunch Program” is a series of monthly, informal,, small group lunches among the firm’s women associates, special counsel, and partners at the Firm. Two partners host each lunch, with associates and special counsel representing a range of class years and practice areas attending. These lunches provide a casual setting for our women lawyers to share perspectives and learn from one another’s experiences.

While these three programs are not limited to diverse attorneys, many women and diverse attorneys participate in, as well asand lead these programs.