A law film’s ability to provide legal services of the highest quality depends on its success in retaining skilled and
committed attorneys. This in turn requires firm management to focus on its attorneys’ performance and professional development. While meaningful and frequent informal feedback suggests the firm is committed to developing its
associates, regular performance evaluations are an important mechanism to provide subjective and objective feedback
on each associate’s strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. Implementation of a systematic performance
evaluation process improves associate productivity and enhances retention. A structured associate evaluation program
should serve as the basis for making informed compensation, promotion and termination decisions.