All corporate and tax associates are assigned an associate and a partner advisor when they arrive at the firm. For first-year associates, the primary advising relationship is with an associate advisor. Second- through third-year associates participate in individual meetings about career and practice development issues with their partner advisor in which the agenda is set primarily by the associate.

Litigation associates in the firm's New York office have individual associate and partner advisors and are also assigned to advising groups with partners, counsel and associates at all levels of seniority. The advising groups host discussion meetings on professional development topics and enjoy social activities.

After the third year, the firm expects that most associates will have formed one or more advising relationships—through the formal program and/or through work assignments—so that at this stage of associates' careers the advising they require can be more informal.

The firm monitors the formal advising relationships and, if necessary, changes advising assignments to ensure that associates have at least one active advising relationship available to them.