As summer comes to an end, we all think about a return to school—and it’s a great time for corporate legal departments to revisit their professional education and development programs. Learning and developing new skills while in-house has become essential for motivation and retention, particularly since progression in the typically flat structure of a legal department can be slower than many in-house lawyers would like.
Continuing Legal Education
Continuing legal education (CLE) requirements are one motivator for going back to school. The education can be far more effective when the law department designs its own professional development curriculum. A bespoke CLE curriculum improves the level of engagement of talented corporate counsel at the same it improves their ability to serve the business effectively.
“We provide ongoing in-house education, often developed by our senior in-house lawyers in response to what they find may be needed,” said Gloria Dagnini, general counsel for corporate activities and legal coordination at Eni S.p.A., a Europe 100 oil and gas company. “They are typically short-term training workshops, such as a seminar we recently organized on International Commercial Arbitration.” Eni also rewards talented counsel by funding post-graduate education outside the company. Over the past couple of years they have had two corporate counsel each year in part-time masters programs at Bocconi University.
