Mirick O'Connell: Where learning is part of the culture

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By Jacquelyn Gutc

At Mirick O'Connell, it's believed that the firm and its employees are at their best when workers are learning and engaged.

The Worcester-based law firm encourages its 131 employees to establish professional development goals each year, and it helps them achieve the goals through in-house and outside seminars, lunch-and-learn sessions, tuition reimbursement, mentoring and continuing legal education opportunities.

Betsy Landry, director of human resources, said Mirick O'Connell has always been a major proponent of professional development.

“Our focus on training is a win-win for our employees and for the firm, as our employees are engaged, motivated, and committed to the firm and to our clients. The training programs also serve as an excellent recruiting and retention tool for the firm,” she said.

Support staff and attorneys — who have to keep up on constantly changing laws — alike participate in professional development.

In-house workshops have focused on writing, time management, interpersonal effectiveness and utilizing social media. Technology training is also important for the firm, partially because so much is now done through technological gadgets such as smartphones and tablets.

On the technology end, Mirick O'Connell offers a program that allows employees to gain expertise and become a “specialist” in a certain area, such as Microsoft Excel, different features of Microsoft Word, or Outlook. The designated specialists become the “go to” resource for other employees who need tech assistance.

Employees are also encouraged to serve on one of several in-house committees that help them gain skills outside their day-to-day responsibilities and get to know people they may not typically work with.

Training is not always about simply gaining more knowledge for a current role. Landry said the firm is committed to hiring from within, having promoted 71 percent of its managers to their current roles and 60 percent of paralegals from other positions. Landry herself is an example of that, starting with the firm 23 years ago as an HR secretary. She said the firm's commitment to employees and continuing education have been major factors in her staying there.

“Having the opportunities and training that I received over the years have made me excited to be here and very loyal to the firm because I've had these opportunities,” Landry said. “(The training) allows people a career path here at the firm. I think it helps the employees stay challenged and engaged. I'm very passionate about it because it's something that I've lived myself.”