PD Appreciation Month: Professional Development & Business Development Mixer 2022

November is Practising Law Institute’s third annual PD Appreciation Month. Changes in the workplace over the last three years, including remote work and the return to the office, the great resignation, and the newly coined concept of quiet quitting have highlighted the importance of business and career development training for law students, attorneys, and other professionals in the legal industry. In partnership with Legal Marketing Association (LMA), PLI has developed a series of timely, relevant programs addressing challenges, best practices, and opportunities.

Kirsten Talmage, PLI’s Senior Director for Product Strategy & Customer Experience, and Jesse Sands, Program Attorney, worked with Chair H. Sandra Bang, Founder, Sable Group LLC, and LMA’s Education Director Holly Amatangelo to develop programming. They shared details with Above the Law about this month’s offerings, which will be available at no cost to benefit the PD and LMA community.

What can we expect for this year’s PD Appreciation Month programming?

Kirsten: This year’s programming focuses on the importance of business development training in the life cycle of an attorney or other professional in the legal industry. From law school through making partner or moving to an in-house role, the three panels will offer actionable advice on how to build your network and map your career.

This year’s panels will also highlight that collaboration between a law firm’s professional development teams and business development and marketing teams results in more effective training outcomes.

Could you elaborate on the specific coverage in each of the four panels?

Jesse: Sure. Panel One, “Where to Start With Business Development: Initiating Conversations in Law School That Continue Into Practice,” will discuss collaboration between PD professionals and law schools to incorporate BD in law school curricula to improve attorney performance.

The second panel, “‘Business’ AKA Career Development for PD Professionals – Demonstrating What We Preach,” will teach individuals working in professional development how to identify stretch opportunities, leverage their network, and practice mindful branding. Finally, “Designing and Implementing Business Development Programs That Walk the Walk” will discuss collaboration between business development and professional development teams to achieve the best training outcomes.

Who is the intended audience?

Kirsten: PD Appreciation Month programs are always intended for anyone in the PD community regardless of experience or title – all of these webcasts will be available on-demand in PLI’s PD Center. Attorneys will certainly benefit from the three panels as well. And this year, anyone working with the marketing or business development space and a member of LMA will also find the programs educational and instructive.

What other programming does PLI offer relating to the topic of DEI?

You can find a wide variety of programs to enhance your understanding of the importance of business development on PLI’s website.