7 STEPS TO DEVELOP AND SUSTAIN A SUCCESSFUL ALUMNI PROGRAM.

• Author: Stuart, Kim

Professional transitions are a given in law firms. People go in-house, jump to another firm or decide to leave law altogether. Whatever the case, firms care about who they hire and make a significant investment in them. They want to see alumni succeed in their endeavors and leverage those relationships into clients or referral sources.

Nearly 70 percent of AmLaw 100 firms have an alumni program. Whether those programs are active and robust is another story. Many firm alumni initiatives stumble in fits and starts because of other priorities and immediate service needs. While alumni networks are often underutilized, they are still the most convenient forums to meaningfully connect and offer rich resources for networking and professional and business development opportunities.

Small and mid-size firms also understand the importance of maintaining alumni relationships. Clare Ota, marketing manager at Murphy Pearson Bradley & Feeney, said: "Our firm's alumni program is informal and organic. While the firm does not have a formal program, we regularly stay in touch with our alumni through events and practice teams." Other regional firms similarly stated that while colleagues continue to keep in touch with alumni, there is a clear need to support those potential business leads.

Recently, we have seen an uptick in firms, small to large, devoting specific resources to engage with this unique network. Whether you are launching a new program or revitalizing one that has lost momentum, this article outlines the best practices in developing and sustaining a productive initiative.

1 Engage your lawyers.

First, interview the lawyers in your firm. Internal feedback is critical and will help get the additional buy-in needed. Ask your partners about key targets, what they see as major goals and objectives, and what they think success should look like in six months, 12 months and two years.

JeanMarie Campbell, client relationship executive at Ropes & Gray LLP, collaborated with her team and outlined three set goals as part of the firm's first alumni director search:

1. Build an alumni community by establishing a database and providing events and platforms for meaningful interaction.

2. Expand existing alumni relationships into client relationships.

3. Develop new professional opportunities with and for alumni.

2 Find the right talent.

Identify a dedicated program leader to tie the pieces together and drive the program forward. Use your lawyers' input to develop...