BakerHostetler is one of the largest law firms in the US, with over 1,000 attorneys serving clients from a network of 17 offices. Rapid growth has increased demand for new hire training and onboarding, making it challenging for the internal training team to manage both the day-to-day onboarding and training work load, as well as additional project-based demands.
The challenge has been exacerbated by the acute talent shortage in the legal technology training business. When new trainers are identified, often they don’t have experience in the legal industry, increasing the ramp-up time required for them to become fully productive.
To help meet this challenge, BakerHostetler looked to Harbor to provide a team of specialists to take over the weekly onboarding training operations, and to augment ongoing skills training.
Harbor’s ability to step in and augment our internal training capability has been a game changer. Deb Olsen-Busch, Lead Trainer at BakerHostetler
With these recurring activities addressed, the firm’s in-house team is now better able to focus on high priority projects such as practice-specific training initiatives and early engagement in technology rollout projects.
Post pandemic, the firm found itself with a four trainer headcount, down from five previously. But with Harbor as a force multiplier for the firm’s training department, the BakerHostetler team has been able to be more responsive to the practice groups and to create new offerings for both the legal and business side of the firm.
“Harbor’s ability to step in and augment our internal training capability has been a game-changer,” says Deb Olsen-Busch Lead Trainer, BakerHostetler.
To ensure a smooth engagement, Harbor worked alongside the BakerHostetler team over a month long familiarization phase. This included a review and updating of the onboarding program.
Harbor’s specialists are freeing up our full-time trainers to develop new courseware and to work proactively with the practice leadership teams on training innovations. They are also change management experts, which has factored heavily into our success with rolling out new solutions to attorneys and staff. Deb Olsen-Busch, Lead Trainer at BakerHostetler
In addition to the ongoing engagement for onboarding work, BakerHostetler is able to draw on Harbor to assist with project-based rollouts of new software applications including Billstream, NetDocuments, and Intapp Time.
“Harbor’s specialists are freeing up our full-time trainers to develop new courseware and to work proactively with the practice leadership teams on training innovations,” says Olsen-Busch. “They are also change management experts, which has factored heavily into our success with rolling out new solutions to attorneys and staff.”
About BakerHostetler
BakerHostetler, one of the nation’s largest law firms, represents clients around the globe. With offices coast to coast, our more than 1,000 attorneys litigate cases and resolve disputes that potentially threaten clients’ competitiveness, navigate the laws and regulations that shape the global economy, and help clients develop and close deals that fuel their strategic growth. The firm has six core practice groups: Business, Digital Assets and Data Management, Intellectual Property, Labor and Employment, Litigation, and Tax.
This engagement was executed by Wilson Allen, one of the companies that merged to form Harbor.
- Onboarding
- Tech adoption
- Training
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