The cornerstone of Simpson’s professional development is our assignment system. It’s designed to accomplish four key goals: expose associates to the broadest array of topics; ensure that associates develop the widest range of critical skills; engender a genuine, functional spirit of teamwork; and, not least, mitigate the possibility that any associate ends up in a personally or professionally untenable position.

New associates entering the firm choose to be in one of seven departments: Corporate and Litigation (our two largest), Executive Compensation and Benefits, Exempt Organizations, Personal Planning, Real Estate and Tax. Our Assigning Partners in each of these departments are the keys to the assigning system’s success. They personally oversee all assignments. They are responsible for ensuring that every associate receives a workload of significant breadth and opportunity for skill development. They check that the workload is fair and no associate’s time is unduly monopolized. It’s a critical role played by dedicated people.

The assigning systems work well, in part, because of regular, institutionalized opportunities for feedback. Each department uses open channels of communication and reports from associates to make sure that assigning is going smoothly.

A short description of some of the departmental differences in assigning systems follows.