Associate Career Framework

2019
Version 1
Associate Career Framework

Aim

The Associate Career Framework aims to:

■■ Provide each associate with an indication of the skills and behaviors that

are expected of them and allow them to manage their development; and

■■ Outline what is required to be a successful lawyer by defining what “excellent” looks like at each career level, regardless of
business section or practice group.

The framework is an essential element of the Firm and incorporates the Firm’s Client Service Principles: (Curious, Innovation,
Entrepreneurial and Collegial ). These principles guide the way we work with our clients, both external and internal; providing the
basis for our daily interactions; combining to make Odujinrin & Adefulu an exceptional firm in the market for legal services.
Using the Associate Career
Framework
Core Competency Skills/Behaviour
Five core competencies make up the Associate Career Work skills Analytical Thinking
Framework. Legal Drafting
Each core competency can be demonstrated by a range of Contract Management
skills/behaviors. Every associate should focus on attaining excellent Legal Administration
performance for the skills/behaviors shown for their current career
level. Where the associate has not been able to fulfill all the required
Interpersonal Communication Skills
skills/behaviors, the framework indicates where development is needed.
Presentation Skills
The framework is intended for practical use during the Time Management
performance evaluation process. It can be used as a checklist
when completing the self-review form and will be used by
partners to evaluate associate performance. Personal Discipline
Skills and behaviors are cumulative: those shown for an associate Ethics
with 0-2 years’ PCB are still required of those with more Interpersonal Skills
experience, even if they are not always carried out on a day-to-day Leadership
basis. We develop by learning new and different behaviors, not by
doing more and more of the same thing, but associates still need the
ability to operate at all levels. Growth IT Skills
Continuous Learning
Innovative Thinking

Client and Business Development Client Management

Commercial Acumen
Entrepreneurial Orientation
Stakeholder Management
WORK-LIFE
Junior Senior Managing Associate
Associate Associate Associate Associate Partner Partner
Intermediate
Advanced
Basic Approaches
complex tasks Quickly
Has an eye for or problems by identifies the
detail - breaking them central or
meticulous and down into underlying
thorough in parts and issues in Advanced
the gathering, considering complex Expert
analysis, and each part in situations. Quickly identifies
communicatio detail. Weighs Uses this the central or Expert Able to break
n of the costs, insight to underlying issues down the
ANALYTICAL THINKING
information. benefits, risks, support quick in complex Able to break most complex
Can and chances and accurate situations. Uses down the most and
understand for success in decision- this insight to complex and complicated
the ultimate taking a making. Able support quick and complicated transactions,
objective of position to make hard accurate decision- transactions, legal issues,
assigned tasks, Demonstrate decisions making. Able to legal issues, and and scenarios
deduce next deductive promptly. make hard scenarios into into simple,
steps to reasoning and Easily identifies decisions simple, logical logical
instructions "cause and patterns and promptly. Easily elements and elements and
provided and effect" thinking trends and identifies patterns effectively effectively
prepare in in decision their and trends and communicate communicate
advance. making. implications. their implications. these. these.
Intermediate Expert
Basic Advanced
Able to Able to
Able to develop legal Able to Advanced Expert develop
recognize the documents develop legal effective
appropriate and draft documents and Able to develop Able to develop templates,
legal formal draft formal legal documents effective legal
document and communicatio communication and draft formal templates, legal documents,
LEGAL DRAFTING
correspondenc ns to external s to external communications documents, and and
e templates parties, for parties, for to external correspondence correspondenc
and modify simple complex parties, for to various e to various
minor transactions transactions complex scenarios and scenarios and
elements for and scenarios and complex transactions and transactions, transactions,
similar like previous scenarios like complex scenarios including new including new
situations and work previous work similar to previous and complex and complex
scenarios experiences. experiences. work experiences. situations. situations.
CONTRACT MANAGEMENT Basic Intermediate Advanced Advanced Expert Expert

Can negotiate, Has experience

draft, analyze, Has experience Has experience negotiating, Has significant Has significant
review and negotiating, negotiating, drafting, experience experience
 negotiating,
negotiating, drafting,
drafting, analyzing,
analyzing, reviewing, and
reviewing, and managing
managing contracts that
drafting, drafting, contracts that maximize
analyzing, analyzing, maximize benefits to the
reviewing, and reviewing, and benefits to the organization
manage managing managing analyzing, organization and reduce
contracts that contracts that contracts that reviewing, and and reduce financial risk
maximize maximize maximize managing financial risk while ensuring
benefits to the benefits to the benefits to the contracts that while ensuring contractual
organization organization organization maximize benefits contractual obligations are
and reduce and reduce and reduce to the obligations are met when
financial risk financial risk financial risk organization and met when due, due, with no
while ensuring while ensuring while ensuring reduce financial with no oversight. Can
contractual contractual contractual risk while ensuring oversight. Can provide
obligations are obligations are obligations are contractual provide thought thought
met when due met when due met when due obligations are leadership and leadership and
with significant with limited with no met when due can teach can teach
oversight oversight oversight with no oversight others others
Expert

Expert Has significant

experience
Has significant researching
Intermediate experience legal matters
Advanced researching and providing
Has experience legal matters appropriate
Basic researching Has experience Advanced and providing solutions to
legal matters researching appropriate legal questions
Can research and providing legal matters Has experience solutions to and
LEGAL ADMINISTRATION
legal matters appropriate and providing researching legal legal questions maintaining
and provide solutions to appropriate matters and and maintaining structured and
appropriate legal questions solutions to providing structured and secure legal
solutions to and legal questions appropriate secure legal record-
legal questions maintaining and solutions to legal record-keeping, keeping, with
and maintain structured and maintaining questions and with no no oversight.
structured and secure legal structured and maintaining oversight. Can Can teach
secure legal record- secure legal structured and teach others others and
record-keeping keeping, with record- secure legal and provide provide
with significant limited keeping, with record-keeping, thought thought
oversight. oversight no oversight with no oversight leadership leadership
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
Junior Senior Managing Associate
Associate Associate Associate Associate Partner Partner
Expert
Expert
Recognized
internally and
Basic Recognized externally as
internally and an effective
Advanced externally as an communicator
Communicates Intermediate effective demonstrated
, accurately, communicator through
confidently, Communicates Persuasive demonstrated thought
and concisely in writing and presenter to through thought leadership in
promptly. orally small and large Advanced leadership in publications
Listens well effectively and audiences. Self- publications and and speaking
and asks with impact, aware and speaking opportunities.
appropriate to a range of adapts Persuasive opportunities. Creates clarity
COMMUNICATION SKILLS questions different communication presenter to small Creates clarity and
to gather all audiences. style to and large and understanding
key Able to influence the audiences. Self- understanding in highly
information understand situation aware and adapts in highly complex or
required. Can the needs of and achieve communication complex or urgent/crisis
adapt own the Client and the desired style to influence urgent/crisis situations and
behavior and translate outcome. Able the situation situations and effectively
communicatio complex legal to manage, and achieve the effectively builds
n style to suit issues for both resolve or desired outcome. builds knowledge
the context Clients and diffuse difficult Able to manage, knowledge across the
and audience. business and/or resolve or diffuse across the Firm Firm by
Understands colleagues and sensitive difficult and/or by leading the leading the
basic nuances explain them situations sensitive communication communicatio
and in a with tact and situations of business- n of business-
grammatical comprehensibl professionalis with tact and critical critical
constructs. e manner. m. professionalism. information. information.
PRESENTATION SKILLS Intermediate Intermediate Advanced Advanced Expert Expert

A renowned
Able to Able to Able to Able to develop A renowned presenter
develop develop develop engaging presenter within within the
engaging engaging engaging presentations with the industry. industry.
presentations presentations presentations accurate and Constantly Constantly
with accurate with accurate with accurate relevant content delivers delivers
and relevant and relevant and relevant that is presented lectures, lectures,
content that is content that is content that is in a concise and speeches, and speeches, and
presented in a presented in a presented in a user-friendly presentations to presentations
concise and concise and concise and manner. wider audiences to wider
user-friendly user-friendly user-friendly Experience making and industry audiences and
manner. Able manner. Able manner. effective experts. industry
 Experience
making
effective
presentations
externally or
representing presentations
the Firm in externally or
to make to make court (arguing representing the
effective effective cases) Firm in court
presentations presentations professionally (arguing cases)
within the within the and professionally and
Firm. Firm. confidently. confidently. experts.
Intermediate

Understands
the critical
path for tasks
and can
effectively
Basic manage direct
reports and Expert
Effectively subordinates
manages to deliver Advanced Effectively
his/her own quality work Expert manages
time in the promptly. Understand the Advanced internal and
completion of Proficient in critical path for Effectively external
TIME
assigned tasks the use of complicated Understand the manages resources to
MANAGEMENT(ORGANISATIO
and Productivity tasks involving critical path for internal and deliver
N)
responsibilities Tools (online multiple complicated tasks external expected
. Plans out calendars, internal parties involving multiple resources to results
daily time and auto- and can internal parties deliver expected promptly.
schedule and reminders, effectively and can effectively results Effective at
effectively Practice manage cross- manage cross- promptly. prioritizing
adjust for Management functional and functional and Effective at and
changes as software, etc.) inter- inter- prioritizing and reprioritizing
they arise. to keep track departmental departmental reprioritizing work tasks
Communicate of progress. resources to resources to work tasks and and mitigating
challenges and Effectively deliver quality deliver quality mitigating risks risks as they
delays prioritizes and work promptly. work promptly. as they arise, to arise, to
promptly, reprioritizes Good Project Good Project deliver on deliver on
when they group tasks as Management Management communicated communicate
arise. changes arise. skills. skills. deadlines. d deadlines.
PERSONAL DISCIPLINE
Junior Associate
Associate Associate Senior Associate Managing Associate Partner Partner
Intermediat
e

Works well
under
pressure.
Handles Expert
multiple
deadlines,
requiremen Can be
ts, and Expert counted on
deliverables when times
Basic effectively Can be are tough.
and without counted on Unfazed by
DISCIPLINE
adversely when times are setbacks or
Has a can-do affecting tough. Unfazed adverse
attitude. Finds quality and by setbacks or changes to
a way to timeliness. Advanced Advanced adverse the situation.
overcome Able to take changes to the Uses them as
obstacles, feedback Stands up for what Stands up for what situation. Uses an
frustrations, and s/he believes to be s/he believes to be them as an opportunity
and/or guidance on the right option. the right option. opportunity to to learn and
constraints to areas for Goes back a second Goes back a second learn and is is focused
achieve improveme or third time or or third time or focused and and
assigned tasks nt. Has however many times however many times determined determined
or good Time are needed to secure are needed to secure towards towards
responsibilitie Manageme agreement or agreement or achieving the achieving the
s. nt. approval. approval. objective. objective.
INTEGRITY Intermediate Advanced Advanced Expert Expert Expert

Does what Is honest Is honest and Conveys a command Conveys a Conveys a

s/he commits and forthright with and expertise of command and command
to doing. forthright people. Has the relevant facts and expertise of and expertise
Maintains with courage and information that relevant facts of relevant
commitments people. Has conviction to speak engenders and facts and
to goals the courage with honesty and acceptability and information information
regardless of and candor regardless of agreement. that engenders that
obstacles and conviction the situation or acceptability engenders
frustrations. to speak stakeholders. and acceptability
with agreement. and
honesty and agreement.
candor
regardless
of the
situation or
 stakeholder
s.
Expert

Emotionally
intelligent -
Intermediat Expert understandin
e g self and
Emotionally others and
intelligent - how to
Relates well understand effectively
Basic to all kinds Advanced self and others motivate and
of people - Advanced and how to get the best
Builds up, down, Emotionally effectively out of self
relationships and intelligent - Emotionally motivate and and others.
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
with people sideways, understand self and intelligent - underst get the best Excellent
whose inside and others and how to self and others and out of self and Communicati
assistance, outside the effectively motivate how to effectively others. on Skills. Able
cooperation, organizatio and get the best out motivate and get the Excellent to "speak the
and support n. Builds of self and others. best out of self and Communicatio language of
may be appropriate Able to work well on others. Able to work n Skills. Able to the listener"
needed. rapport and diverse teams and well on diverse "speak the to get ideas
Helps, can gain consensus in teams and again language of and opinions
information, leverage situations with consensus in the listener" to across and
and support these multiple situations with get ideas and build
to others to relationship perspectives. multiple opinions across consensus
build a basis s to get "Carries everyone perspectives. and build and
for future things along". "Carries everyone consensus and collaboration
reciprocity. done. along". collaboration. .
LEADERSHIP Basic Intermediat Advanced Advanced Expert Expert
e
Works well Mentors and trains
with others to Effectively junior team Mentors and trains Provides Provides
deliver on oversees members and junior team strategic strategic
assigned assigned encourages/participa members and guidance on guidance on
tasks. teams or tes in continuing encourages/participa the scope of the scope of
Interfaces subordinate education classes tes in continuing responsibility - responsibility
with s - sets education classes able to chart a - able to
colleagues in work vision and chart a vision
other offices objectives, roadmap for and roadmap
and across assignment department or for
functions to s, and knowledge department
achieve set deadlines area. or knowledge
goals. and follows area.
through to
ensure
proper
completion
GROWTH
Junior Senior Managing Associate
Associate Associate Associate Associate Partner Partner
Advanced
Advanced

Intermediate Consistently
Consistently Advanced performs at
Can perform performs at intermediate
at intermediate Advanced level e.g.
intermediate level e.g. Consistently complex
level e.g. complex performs at calculations
complex calculations Consistently intermediate and graphs in
calculations and graphs in performs at level e.g. MS Excel;
and graphs in MS Excel; table intermediate level complex table of
IT SKILLS MS Excel; of contents e.g. complex calculations and contents and
table of and tracked calculations and graphs in MS tracked
Basic contents and changes in MS graphs in MS Excel; table of changes in MS
tracked Word; Excel; table of contents and Word;
Can perform changes in MS shapes/graphic contents and tracked changes shapes/graphi
basic editing Word; s and design tracked changes in in MS Word; cs and design
and formatting shapes/graphi templates in MS Word; shapes/graphics templates in
in Microsoft cs and design MS shapes/graphics and design MS
Word, Excel, templates in PowerPoint; and design templates in MS PowerPoint;
and MS with no templates in MS PowerPoint; with no
PowerPoint PowerPoint; oversight and PowerPoint; with with no oversight and
with limited with limited can teach no oversight and oversight and can teach
oversight oversight others can teach others can teach others others
CONTINUOUS LEARNING Basic Intermediate Advanced Advanced Expert Expert

Takes personal A relentless

responsibility and versatile Demonstrated Demonstrated Actively seeks Actively seeks
for his/her learner. Learns desire not just desire not just to and takes and takes
learning and quickly when to learn but learn but also they opportunities opportunities
development. facing new also they teach. Uses for mentoring for mentoring
Constantly problems and teach. Uses engagement and coaching and coaching
searches out applies that engagement opportunities as both peers and both peers and
relevant learning in opportunities teaching moments subordinates. subordinates.
information future as teaching and makes self Regularly seeks Regularly
and engages situations. moments and available for feedback from seeks
subject matter Analyses both makes self assisting others in colleagues on feedback from
experts to successes and available for professional opportunities colleagues on
improve failures for assisting others development. for opportunities
learning. An improvement. in professional Shares knowledge improvement. for
inquisitive Is willing to try development. through improvement.
mind with a anything to Shares presentations,
desire for find a solution knowledge publications, and
continuous - open to through other platforms.
 presentations,
publications,
and other
learning. change. platforms.
Intermediate Expert
Basic Expert
Thinks outside Advanced Develops
Comes up with the box when Develops creative
creative necessary and Regularly creative strategies and
solutions to regularly comes up with Advanced strategies and tactics that
improve the comes up with creative but tactics that advance the
quality, speed, practical practical Regularly comes advance the position,
INNOVATIVE THINKING
and suggestions solutions to up with creative position, reputation,
effectiveness for improving effectively but practical reputation, and and client
of his/her work on processes address the solutions to client acquisition
scope and and structures requirements effectively address acquisition rates rates for the
responsibilities within his/her from multiple the requirements for the Firm, Firm,
. Thinks well department, parties in from multiple especially in especially in
on his/her and across the complex parties in complex challenging challenging
feet. Firm. transactions. transactions. situations. situations.
CLIENT AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Junior Senior Managing Associate
Associate Associate Associate Associate Partner Partner
Basic

Coordinates
meetings with
existing and
prospective Intermediate
clients. Sets
and drives Interfaces
meeting confidently Intermediate
agenda to meet with clients
client regarding Interfaces
CLIENT MANAGEMENT
objectives. client confidently Expert
Maintains instructions. with clients
effective and Manages regarding client Expert Point person
orderly records relationships instructions. Expert for a
and keeps with clients Manages Point person for relationship
proper files for to ensure relationships Point person for a a relationship with Client.
all matters. effective with clients to relationship with with Client. First First point of
Keeps an client care ensure effective Client. First point point of call call when
ordered and and client care and of call when Client when Client Client
structured customer customer requires requires requires
workspace. satisfaction. satisfaction. assistance. assistance. assistance.
COMMERCIAL ACUMEN Basic Intermediate Intermediate Expert Expert Expert

Has a Understands Understands Understands how Understands Understands

theoretical how how to negotiate and how to negotiate how to
understanding transactions transactions are structure and structure negotiate
of business are structured and transactions to transactions to and
transactions structured the commercial influence policy, influence policy, structure
and a and the impact of practices, and practices, and transactions
knowledge of commercial different trends beyond the trends beyond to influence
the process and impact of elements on Firm and in the the Firm and in policy,
stakeholders different the profitability, wider industry and the wider practices,
for executing elements on cash flow, and economy. industry and and trends
different the general economy. beyond the
transactions. profitability, financials of Firm and in
Knows the key cash flow, both the Client the wider
Firms in the and general and the Firm. industry and
Nigerian Legal financials of Can use this economy.
industry and both the knowledge to
the Firm's Client and effectively
competitive the Firm. Can negotiate
advantages. use this individual client
knowledge to transactions.
 effectively
negotiate
individual
client
transactions.
Expert

Intermediate Able to
Advanced develop and
Able to Expert secure new
identify Understands opportunitie
potential the Firm's Able to develop s and new
briefs and competitive Advanced and secure new transactions
Basic transactions advantages in opportunities in new areas
in the Firm's different areas and new of business,
Stays abreast of service areas. and can Understands the transactions in new
business, Can develop leverage Firm's competitive new areas of geographies,
ENTREPRENEURIAL industry, and a business existing advantages in business, new or new
ORIENTATION market opportunity business and different areas and geographies, or sectors.
information to determine personal can leverage new sectors. Understands
that may reveal the scale relationships existing business Understands how to
business (how big), and networks and personal how to leverage leverage the
opportunities resource to develop new relationships and the Firm's Firm's
for the Firm. requirements briefs and networks to competitive competitive
Notices and , and secure new develop new briefs advantages and advantages
identifies alignment transaction and secure new personal and personal
potential with the opportunities in transaction network to network to
business Firm's those areas. opportunities in expand the expand the
opportunities strategic Can protect those areas. Can business into business into
for standard focus and brief using protect brief using new areas and new areas
Legal Services. objectives. relationships. relationships. sectors. and sectors.
STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT Basic Intermediate Advanced Advanced Expert Expert

Can use Has Has consistently Has consistently Has

stakeholder consistently demonstrated demonstrated Has significant significant
mapping, demonstrate experience with experience with experience with experience
relationship d experience stakeholder stakeholder stakeholder with
building, and with mapping, mapping, mapping, stakeholder
influencing stakeholder relationship relationship relationship mapping,
skills to mapping, building, and building, and building, and relationship
manage key relationship influencing to influencing to influencing to building, and
stakeholders building, and effectively effectively manage effectively influencing
(Clients, influencing to manage key key stakeholders manage key to effectively
Business effectively stakeholders with no oversight stakeholders manage key
Partners, etc.) manage key with no with no stakeholders
with significant stakeholders oversight oversight, can with no
oversight with limited teach others, oversight,
oversight and provide can teach
 others, and
provide
thought thought
leadership leadership