Targeting the individual interests and learning needs of attorneys is crucial to a firm’s entire education design.  And if increasing their competency and efficiency with the firm’s desktop applications is your objective, consider using a learner-centric model that is tailored to each attorney’s workload and style of learning and designed with his/her critical tasks in mind.

Effective Models for Training Lawyers
Of primary importance to attorneys is their constant need to balance billable with non-billable activities, like training.  It’s therefore vital for them to feel they have some degree of choice in how they learn and are able to learn precisely what they need to know, when they need to know it … in as little time as possible. 

You should understand the business problems they are trying to solve, and then apply the relevant training concepts to those questions and topics.  A simple review of product features tends to be ineffective with attorneys—they tend to figure out features intuitively and don’t really need to perform repetitive exercises.  Make your approach direct and informed and involve learning scenarios to which they can relate.  Concept, demonstration and proof-of-concept with business-related examples work well. 

Attorneys learn best when the training is highly focused, task-oriented and targets specific skills necessary for their work.  Training tailored and directed to the attorney’s specific practice area is optimal. 

Training should include a mix of group overviews (i.e., “briefings”), topical sessions, one-on-one deskside instruction and e-learning modules that address specific tasks.  Briefings are short demonstrations, typically 20 minutes start-to-finish, focused on new product releases or specific topics and presented from a high-level perspective.  Topical sessions are also fairly short, no more that 45 minutes, providing information pertaining to a particular task or practice group topic.  Topical sessions are often accompanied by quick reference guides for the learner to keep.  While briefings do not include hands-on learning, topical sessions can be either demonstration or a mix of demonstration and hands-on learning. 

Group training should be provided for new product applications and works best if delivered to attorneys by practice group.  Initial training for attorneys in small groups within their own practice groups creates more interest and generates discussion and questions that are practice-specific.  Once initial training is concluded, attorneys should have several personal coaching sessions specific to his/her learning needs. 

Design Training For the Attorney
There’s no one way that attorneys learn, but there is a pattern for learning that the majority of attorneys have adopted.  Most prefer short and concise training, but there are times when attorneys may require detailed training.  In any case, training for lawyers must be focused and topic-specific so the audience perceives it as applicable to their work and the firm’s business objectives. 

How Do Lawyers Learn?
The design of training should begin with a consideration the attorney’s style of learning.  Attorneys (especially litigators) learn by asking questions; it’s how they have been trained to digest information.  Inquisitive and probing, lawyers know how to take in and absorb information rapidly.  Their every moment is dedicated to billable activities, so their time spent in training must be fast-paced and brief and include only indispensable information.  Otherwise, they may consider the time valueless.

Attorneys benefit most from demonstrations followed by Q&A sessions; they are very comfortable with this format, and it is their preferred style of learning.  There are certainly situations when hands-on learning is constructive, but often attorneys will not show up for this type of education due to time constraints. 

The best thing you can do to make training effective for attorneys is to ask them what they need to learn and when they are optimally available.  Attorneys should have a role in designing their own training agenda, and by asking them these questions you can create an effective education plan directed to the firm’s most important learner.  This information is invaluable to those responsible for educating attorneys, and by distributing short surveys it is possible to gain access to the keys that will unlock the door to successful attorney training and education.  Attorneys will respond to an inquiry that puts them at the center and communicates a design for learning that adapts to their schedule, needs and interests.

Integrate Workflow with Learning
If the goal of training is to increase the attorney’s competency and efficiency in using the firm’s desktop applications, it should be designed with their workflow and critical tasks in mind.  To understand that workflow and adapt training to support it, you must observe the attorney’s pattern of work and the tasks he/she performs.  Meet with them to watch, discover and learn how they work.  By doing this, learning objectives become very clear, and the process of developing a curriculum for this type of learner will begin to take shape. 

Attorney-Centric Training
Deskside learning for attorneys is a definite trend in the industry.  You will be able to get in front of more lawyers if you are willing to meet on their own turf rather than yours.  The method of training, if promoted specifically to attorneys, doesn’t matter so much if the attorney understands that it has been developed specifically to further his/her own learning needs. 

Announcements of standard classes that anyone in the firm can attend are usually often ignored by lawyers, but promotion of classes that target specific instruction exclusively for attorneys is an excellent way of putting them at the center of the training. 

After your attorneys have attended initial briefings or topical sessions, be prepared to distribute a checklist of specific topics, asking them to select topics or tasks about which they would like to learn more.  In this manner, they are participating in their own educational experience, making it more meaningful and productive for them.  You can then address their specific requests for training and provide personal, one-on-one deskside instruction.

Compartmentalize
Rather than lump every learning event under the generic banner of “Training,” it’s preferable to compartmentalize various training events.  Begin by identifying true learning opportunities and separating them into standard classes, specific group training sessions (where particular topics are covered) and one-on-one deskside instruction that is actually performance support.  Then differentiate each learning event by targeting it to the correct level of learner (novice, operational and master level users).  Correctly identifying the nature of the event, the type of learning and the intended learner will ensure that the right audience shows up for the appropriate session and learning needs will be effectively met. 

As you place the attorney at the center of training, there are several practical considerations.  Keep in mind that they need flexibility, and many prefer to participate in training before and after scheduled business hours.  Providing multiple time slots for training will help the attorney who can’t control his/her schedule but doesn’t want to miss an important training opportunity.  Offering multiple training sessions that focus on practice group-specific topics will address the various audiences within the firm.  This will also allow you to better deploy the appropriate resources to conduct the training. 

In some cases, you can provide tutorials and Web-based training options for those attorneys who are comfortable with self-paced learning.  Although this isn’t for all learners, it can be very effective for some.  An efficient way to optimize an attorney’s learning experience for basic features/tasks is to utilize custom “Viewlets” rich in feature-specific tasks.  Many firms find these quite effective, as they allow the visual learner to watch a product in action, understand how it works and envision its use—plus they’re ideal for FAQs. 

Printed materials are also useful aids.  Because they are handy and readily accessible, attorneys will use them when working and using an application—provided they are concise, well developed and well written.

Summary
The key to building a learner-centric education model is to meet the unique learning needs of the individual or group, thereby providing a highly effective environment that will meet or exceed the learner’s expectations.  The real benefit of this approach is an increase in the attorney’s competency and efficiency in using the firm’s desktop applications, thereby providing a measurable return on investment of the firm’s training dollars and use of resources.

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