Bringing a new attorney into your firm is more than paperwork and a laptop handoff. A thoughtful onboarding program builds confidence, accelerates productivity, and reduces turnover. Here are best practices to help new lawyers hit the ground running.

Start with a warm welcome. Before day one, send a brief pre-boarding email with start-day logistics, key contacts, dress code, and an outline of the first week. On arrival, have their office set up, systems access ready, and business cards ordered. A short welcome from leadership—whether in person or via video—signals that the attorney is valued and that their success matters.

Support

Assign a legal assistant or paralegal and make the relationship explicit. Attorneys work faster and with fewer errors when they know exactly who handles scheduling, filings, expenses, and document production. Provide a brief “assistant playbook” covering preferred communication channels, turnaround expectations, and how to escalate urgent items. Encourage a 1:1 meeting in week one to align working styles.

Mentorship

Pair each attorney with a mentor. Choose a mentor one to two levels ahead who understands the practice group’s cadence and culture. Define scope and frequency: a weekly check-in for the first month, then biweekly through the first six months. Equip mentors with a checklist—matter intake, billing practices, client etiquette, docketing norms, and unwritten rules (e.g., preferred memo formats, redline conventions). Mentorship should focus on integration, not just technical lawyering.

Training

Deliver structured, role-specific training. Combine firm-wide orientation (IT systems, security, timekeeping, conflicts, leave procedures) with practice-specific training (templates, precedents, research tools, eDiscovery platforms, processes and procedures). Use short, modular sessions with hands-on exercises: draft client correspondence using the firm’s style guide, enter time, complete an engagement letter, and file a motion in the test environment. Record sessions and house materials in a searchable knowledge hub, like on an internal intranet.

Provide a 30-60-90 day plan. Clarify expectations early: billable hour targets, pro bono opportunities, business development basics, and writing/advocacy milestones. Tie goals to real matters—e.g., “By day 30, draft two research memos and attend one client call; by day 60, lead a meet-and-confer; by day 90, argue a routine  motion or lead a witness prep.”

Curate an initial matter portfolio. Balance complexity and ownership. Mix quick-win tasks (research, cite checks) with visible responsibilities (first-draft briefs, deposition outlines). Assign a matter “captain” for each case who provides context, deadlines, and feedback on deliverables. And be sure to advise the attorney the partner who oversees the client.

Work-Life Balance

Overall, don’t forget to get to know your new attorney and their work-life balance style. A welcome luncheon and regular “coffee break” check-ins on how they are doing personally with their new job will go a long way toward building confidence and comfort, helping your new attorney integrate into their new home while developing their legal skills.

Mary Beth Monzingo, CPC

CEO, Monzingo | Legal Recruiting

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Founded in 2013, Monzingo Legal is a national recruiting agency dedicated to advancing the careers of legal professionals and supporting law firms with their hiring strategies. We provide direct-hire placement services for a wide array of legal positions, including partners, attorneys, paralegals, office managers, firm administrators, HR leaders, legal marketing personnel, professional development directors, executive directors, HR recruiters, and C-suite executives (COO, CMO), among others. Contact us at info@monzingolegal.com.