Sullivan & Cromwell LLP is committed to providing meaningful career opportunities and accommodating the varying needs of its lawyers. Although all lawyers have access to mentors at every step of their careers, a few programs are tailored to specific constituencies.

The Network of Black & Latino Lawyers (NOBLL) and the Asian Associates Network (AAN) provide members with information and opportunities that will help them fulfill their personal and professional development goals, as well as mentoring programs designed to help them do so. Both networks match more senior members of the network with new associates joining the network each fall. For each network, this program adds an additional layer of mentoring for new associates to further enhance their professional development, while also providing a candid forum to network with lawyers of similar backgrounds and experiences. A third-year General Practice Associate remarked that, “the AAN mentoring program has helped me develop into a better senior associate. I have been able to have candid conversations with my mentees that remind me of what it was like to be a first-year associate. Those conversations have reignited my desire to be the best manager and teacher that I can be, and have positively impacted my relationships with junior associates on all of my transactions.”

Both networks also host a member-led speaker series, covering a wide-range of substantive practice and professional development topics. This series allows associates to not only hone their public speaking skills in a comfortable environment, but also supports the Firm’s longstanding commitment to ensure that all lawyers are both specialists in their respective practice areas, and generalists in other areas of law.

Topics in the NOBLL speaker series have included estate planning, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and an introduction to derivatives. Topics in the AAN speaker series have included the inherent value of clerkships, and the benefits of being seconded to a client’s legal department.

Sullivan & Cromwell’s partners are frequently invited to address members of the networks. Over the past year, partners have presented such topics as their paths to partnership, practical tips on how to build your brand, developing meaningful business relationships, and enhancing your practice. The Firm realizes that associates benefit and enjoy spending time with partners, and that providing opportunities for informal mentoring are key to associates’ development and growth.