Lawyer AmP Framework
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Culture
Engages with our culture, commits to our Values, and participates in activities to support them.
COLLABORATIVE. COMMITTED. COMMERCIAL.
Role models and promotes RPC Values, proactively contributes to our culture, and participates in activities to support these.
- Treats everyone with respect, considers impact of behaviours on others.
- Considers team differences and the need to be inclusive.
- Challenges biases.
- Proactively seeks to understand views of others.
- Adapts to different learning styles and ways people process information.
- Considers cultural differences and preferences.
- Values different personality types.
- Informally mentors/sponsors others.
- Proactively checks in on colleague's welfare.
- Considers the environmental impact of decisions they make (e.g., use of public transport rather than cars, mindful of business travel, consciously reduce, re-use and recycle).
- Joins community awareness raising sessions (e.g., talks on neurodiversity, mental health, disability, gender, female health, ethnic diversity, religion, social mobility, families).
- Volunteers to be a mental health champion or first aider.
- Attends team socials, sporting activities, choir, community building initiatives, mentoring, firmwide improvement projects, charities and pro bono, or events run by RPC Communities: Belief, Enable, Ethnicity, Families, Gender, LGBT+, Mental Health and Social Mobility.
Understands the commercial and cultural benefits of our DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging) and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) approach, as set out in our Responsible Business Report and commits to taking action.
- Honestly assesses their own strengths, development areas and personal challenges.
- Supports others to be confident in themselves.
- Creates an environment where people feel comfortable voicing their ethical views.
- Thinks independently.
- Challenges constructively.
Contributes to a supportive team culture that encourages inclusive collaboration and enables the team to achieve their ambitions.
- Becomes a buddy for a returning parent.
- Promotes understanding and supports different cultures and ethnicities.
- Participates in inclusion events.
- Reverse mentoring.
- Considers colleague's religious beliefs and avoids meetings or emails on religious holidays.
- Considers the impact of the timings of meetings for colleagues.
- Volunteers for focus groups.
- Proactively shares ideas.
- Seeks a diverse range of opinions to demonstrate an inclusive mindset.
Highlights behaviours that do not represent RPC Values or our DEIB practices and escalates with the appropriate person.
- Micro aggressions.
- Access needs.
- Religious beliefs and holidays.
- Caring responsibilities.
- Gender differences.
- Disabilities.
Supports and understands our 'one firm' approach, and always considers geographical and cultural differences.
- Time zone differences.
- Travel challenges.
- International holidays.
- Respects and values other people's time.
- Attends meetings on time.
- Ensures meetings have clear objectives and agendas.
- Encourages others to contribute.
- Celebrates success and highlights people's achievements to others.
- Regularly reads Edge.
- Attends townhalls and contributes questions or feedback.
- Completes employee survey.
Takes responsibility for maintaining personal health, wellbeing, and balance, and supports colleagues to do the same.
- Considers the Mindful Business Charter.
- Considers timing of emails to colleagues and sets realistic deadlines.
- Considers timings of meetings and impact on colleagues.
Understands and embraces Spark our Future principles and supports others to adopt them.
Knowledge and Expertise
Develops and maintains knowledge, skills, and expertise to produce excellent work.
Building knowledge
Commits to developing fundamental legal, business and technology skills.
Trainee
- Completes relevant legal, business and personal skills learning available.
- Completes relevant IT learning and keeps up to date with technology and uses tools available.
- Communication skills.
- Attention to detail.
- Advocacy.
- Case and transaction management.
- Client care and practice support.
- Dispute resolution.
- Legal research.
- Negotiation.
- Advising.
- Interviewing.
- Drafting.
- Document management.
- Risk management.
- Regulatory requirements.
- Note taking.
- Legal analysis.
- Coverage.
Learns how the firm operates, our work, clients, sectors, and business services functions.
Trainee
- Business writing etiquette.
- Office professionalism.
- Code of Conduct.
- Written and verbal communication best practice.
Develops knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of law and business in their practice area and relevant pillar.
AL1
- Maintains a good and up to date understanding of relevant laws, policies, procedures and practices.
Applies legal skills and knowledge.
AL1
- Drafts less standard/more complex documentation or advice.
- Uses and adapts templates, documents, and precedents effectively.
Applies technical knowledge and expertise with minimal supervision and is becoming proficient in their field.
AL2
- Identifies relevant legal principles.
- Obtains relevant facts.
- Applies legal principles to factual issues.
Applies specialist legal and commercial expertise and is becoming an expert in their field.
Senior Associate
- Plans, manages and progresses cases and transactions.
- Spots issues outside of expertise and takes appropriate action, using both an awareness of a broad base of legal knowledge and detailed knowledge of the specific practice area.
- Recognised internally and externally as an expert in their field.
- Possesses an in-depth working knowledge of legal procedures, literature and rules that are relevant to the specific practice area and jurisdiction.
Solution focused
Proactively takes initiative in all that they do.
Trainee
- Starts to suggest how to solve client issues.
- Suggests new and efficient ways of working to relevant teams such as Knowledge Lawyers, Legal Tech Teams etc.
Commits to developing analysis and problem-solving skills.
AL1
- Suggests creative ways to approach problems.
Continues to finesse and apply analytical and problem-solving skills and can articulate views on matter strategy.
AL2
Provides commercial solutions to their clients' legal problems.
AL2
- Spots issues outside of expertise and takes appropriate action using both an awareness of a broad base of legal knowledge and detailed knowledge of the specific practice area and/or pillar.
Applies strong analytical and problem-solving skills to generate innovative solutions, operating with an appropriate degree of autonomy.
Senior Associate
- Applies critical thinking.
- Undertakes research and considers the commercial, legal and other drivers, such as ESG before proposing solutions.
Advisory skills
Develops legal advisory skills.
AL1
- Begins to draft letters of advice for clients.
- Responds to client requests seeking advice and guidance when necessary.
Takes responsibility for providing client technical advice with appropriate decreasing levels of supervision.
AL2
- Advises on relevant options, strategies and solutions which are both commercially sound and legally correct.
Delivers sound legal and commercial advice and works collaboratively with partners and clients to achieve objectives.
Senior Associate
- Gives advice which is both commercially sound and legally correct.
- Gives advice that is tailored to the client's needs and market factors.
Growth mindset
Continually seeks out learning opportunities to develop both on the job and through structured learning programmes.
Trainee
- Seeks out learning solutions using available resources e.g., AmP Learn and Edge.
- Legal analysis and problem-solving skills.
Takes ownership for self-development through quarterly conversations and progresses against objectives.
Trainee
- Updates QC Note online after QC meetings and shares with line manager.
- Reviews AmP Framework categories for personal career development areas.
- Dedicates time to develop legal knowledge.
- Sets growth objectives and reviews progress against AmP Framework.
Seeks feedback on tasks completed and on personal strengths/development areas and acts on the feedback.
Trainee
- Asks for feedback at the end of quarterly seat conversations.
- Asks for clarity if unsure about feedback on specific tasks to feed into wider progress.
- Uses AmP Framework to identify personal strengths and development areas.
Builds awareness of RPC’s international network and is open to new opportunities to experience international work.
Trainee
Takes responsibility for personal career development, preparing for QC's and following up on actions.
AL1
- Completes QC Note online to plan for QC meeting.
- Updates QC Note after QC meeting and shares with line manager.
- Reviews AmP Framework categories for personal career development areas.
Responds to change in a positive and resilient manner.
AL1
Embraces change and helps others to adapt to change.
Senior Associate
Commerciality
Keeps up to date with legal developments, market trends and practices.
Trainee
- Reviews updates of the legal books and rules relevant to specific practice areas and jurisdictions to apply to everyday practice.
Begins to build internal and external relationships to understand the market and develop commercial awareness.
Trainee
- Clients.
- Counsel.
- Auditors.
- Fund managers.
- Brokers.
- Claims handlers.
- Internal and external experts.
- Participates in legal updates and knowledge sharing, including on wider market concerns such as ESG.
Builds a good understanding of the markets we and our clients operate in and the commercial drivers.
AL1
- Develops an in-depth working knowledge of relevant legal sources and regulations.
- Develops a good understanding of RPC’s Pillars and strategic priorities.
Thinks about the commerciality of advice to clients as well as the technical legal aspects.
AL1
- Develops knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of law in their area and applies this to client matters.
Maintains deep internal and external relationships, managing a wide network of contacts to develop market intelligence.
Senior Associate
- Clients.
- Counsel.
- Auditors.
- Fund managers.
- Brokers.
- Claims handlers.
- Internal and external experts.
Delivering quality
Develops understanding of RPC's performance and quality expectations.
Trainee
Applies skills and knowledge to tasks on matters and produces high quality work for review.
Trainee
- First draft of lease or instructions to counsel.
- Research on process.
- Note taking at meetings or hearings.
- Research relevant law and facts.
- Identifies the legal implications associated and applying legal principles to issues.
- Thinks about what is most relevant to client scenario.
- Uses and adapts templates, precedents and creates legal documents.
Understands the expertise that is available across the firm to support service delivery and uses it appropriately.
AL1
- Takes time to understand the skills and expertise within Business Services and Legal Services and knows where go to for help.
Completes complex tasks on matters.
AL2
- Drafting/producing reports.
- Drafting/producing lengthy correspondence (e.g., Letters of Response) to other parties.
- Negotiates less substantial aspects of the matter and assists on other elements of the negotiation strategy.
Manages complex tasks on matter.
Senior Associate
- Undertakes more complex drafting tasks.
- Takes responsibility for quality control of work done by others.
- Uses precedents where available.
- Undertakes effective spoken and written advocacy.
Understands when to escalate or consult with other senior individuals in the team to achieve the best outcome for clients.
Senior Associate
Defines or inputs on matter strategy.
Senior Associate
- Develops relevant options, strategies, and solutions.
- Considers potential options and strategies to suit the individual client's commercial needs and the wider market conditions.
Knowledge sharing
Shares knowledge with team.
Trainee
Shares technical know-how internally and externally.
AL1
- Researches, prepares or delivers client training.
Takes a collaborative approach to sharing both technical and commercial knowledge internally and externally.
AL2
- Shares knowledge at internal meetings, including pillar and practice area.
- Shares legal and client market knowledge.
- Delivers training or briefings to clients.
Reviews and supervises work done by others sharing technical knowledge and expertise.
Senior Associate
Regulatory
Understands and applies the regulatory requirements of the SRA and other local regulatory bodies.
Trainee
- Develops technical foundation skills as required by the SRA and other regulatory bodies in all aspects of the role, Solicitors Accounts' Rules, Money laundering Regulations, Proceeds of Crime Act, Conflicts and Confidentiality (being mindful of reading in public). SRA Practice Skills Standards.
- Knows the fundamentals of the SRA code of Conduct to protect the firm. SRA Code of Conduct.
Keeps up to date with regulatory requirements and new codes.
Trainee
Role models the highest professional standards.
Trainee
Ensures team is aware of and complies with regulatory requirements.
Senior Associate
Clients
Delivers commercial solutions and an outstanding client experience to help our external and internal clients achieve their ambitions.
Relationship building
Understands that every interaction impacts the client relationship.
Trainee
- Consciously aware of the impact their behaviours have on client perceptions.
- Considers the impact of social media posts.
Establishes collaborative working relationships with clients to ensure their needs are met.
AL1
- Takes responsibility for following up on queries, calls and emails.
- Takes opportunities to interact with clients.
- Builds relationships based on mutual understanding.
- Takes time to find a connection on a human level, beyond work.
Manages the client experience to develop trusting relationships.
AL2
- Anticipates opportunities to help clients achieve their goals.
- During secondments, makes sure client is aware of our legal tech products and services and feeds back on potential opportunities for cross-selling.
Responds quickly to client's changing requirements and adapts matter plan accordingly.
AL2
- Refers to agreed service plans and commercial requirements when revising plans or addressing client expectations.
Interacts with clients confidently, challenging and influencing where necessary to achieve the best outcome for the client.
AL2
- Listens directly to the client and/or colleagues about client instructions.
- Knows when to seek advice to ensure the client’s needs are interpreted and delivered correctly.
Establishes strong client relationships based on mutual trust and understanding.
Senior Associate
Looks for and follows up on opportunities to get involved in Client Relationship Management Teams.
Senior Associate
Coaches team to build client relationships.
Senior Associate
Encourages others to take responsibility for responding promptly to client queries and 'owning' the follow up by role modelling these behaviours.
Senior Associate
Understanding client needs
Asks effective clarification questions about client brief/context or task to ensure clients' needs are met.
Trainee
- Shows curiosity about the individual needs of clients and how to address them.
Commits to understanding each client's preferences, how they like to work with RPC, and their expectations for delivery, and tailors service accordingly.
Trainee
- Understands the different service delivery approaches against RPC Client Service Standards.
Puts self in client's shoes to understand their objectives, business and personal drivers and perspectives.
AL1
- Thinks about client's priorities and deadlines.
- Delivers commercial and tailored solutions which best address a client’s needs.
- Builds appreciation of how international clients operate and specific challenges they have.
Listens to clients to ensure service is tailored to their needs.
AL1
- Delivers to both informal and agreed RPC client service standards/client Service Level Agreements (SLAs), where these are in use, to help manage client expectations.
Anticipates future client changing requirements and adapts accordingly.
AL2
- Clarifies the work to be done to ensure the client’s needs are interpreted and delivered correctly, such as changes to timescales.
Proactively seeks client feedback, developing a deeper level of trust by committing to service improvements.
Senior Associate
- Seeks feedback from both the external client and internal RPC team.
- Recommends changes and continual service improvements.
- Explores opportunities to develop trust and enhance client relationships.
Service delivery
Produces high quality work in a timely manner on the tasks given.
Trainee
- Ensures work is accurate, free of typos, pagination correct, presentation is relevant, tone of emails is appropriate.
Delivers a seamless service and seeks to improve the client experience.
Trainee
- Responds proactively to client's emails and phones calls in a timely and tailored way (even to just acknowledge).
- Communicates client and matter information with team.
Understands how every task they perform fits in with wider matter activities and impacts the overall client experience.
Trainee
- Delivers a great client experience.
- Observes how others build and manage client relationships.
- Seeks information about how the client prefers to work.
Understands the impact of technology and how it may be used to benefit our clients, our productivity and profitability.
Trainee
- Keeps management information systems up to date.
- Proactively looks for ways to improve processes.
Knows about and is competent in, using all technology tools, processes and support available to assist in service delivery.
Trainee
Identifies ways to enhance client service delivery, thinking laterally and shares with client matter team.
AL1
- Anticipates opportunities to help clients achieve their goals.
- Seeks and gives clients feedback.
- Starts to use knowledge of the client’s business to suggest client service improvements.
Makes client feel special by delivering an experience that exceeds their expectations.
AL1
- Ensures client service approach is tailored appropriately.
- Proactively reads about market or sector trends which might affect clients and alerts colleagues or clients in an appropriate way to add value.
- Keeps all internal colleagues updated to ensure a seamless service.
Ensures they have sufficient knowledge of the services and legal tech products available to add value to client service.
AL1
Suggests ideas for improvement to technology tools, processes and support available to enhance service delivery.
AL1
Thinks broadly, creatively and commercially to continually improve service delivery.
AL2
- Recommends improvements and provides feedback to the internal RPC team.
Communicates client's service delivery expectations to rest of team.
AL2
- Understands the difference between service and over-service and tailors the approach with team appropriately.
Drives activities forward to exceed client expectations.
AL2
- Delivers to both informal and agreed RPC Client Service Standards/Service Level Agreements (SLAs), where these are in use, to help manage client expectations.
Takes responsibility for overall matter management, manages the team, and ensures adherence to the levels of service required by the client.
Senior Associate
- Produces RPC Client Service Standards/Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
- Works to agreed service plans and ensures others are doing the same.
- Refers to agreed service plans when addressing client expectations.
Balances client relationship management with RPC's commercial and organisational drivers.
Senior Associate
- Takes the lead when managing client expectations and responds by seeking feedback both from the external client and internal RPC team.
Acts as a role model for the use of all technology tools, processes and support available to assist in service delivery and encourages ideas for improvement and innovation, embracing changes.
Senior Associate
Understanding client context
Learns about relevant sectors and markets to understand our clients' business challenges and commercial context.
Trainee
- Reads market or sector press articles.
- Reviews social media posts on relevant groups.
- Attends relevant pillar meetings and pillar training sessions.
Considers commercial factors impacting the client's business.
AL1
- Starts to understand the difference between service and overservice.
Understands and empathises with the client's cultural and commercial context and takes these into account when providing advice.
AL2
- Develops a good knowledge of the client’s business and sector.
- Open minded about secondments (local and international) to build a deeper understanding and broaden networks.
Possesses a deep understanding of their clients' markets to anticipate future client needs and suggest innovative solutions.
Senior Associate
- Develops deep knowledge of the client’s business and sector.
- Acts as the go-to person for some clients or could be the go-to person in the Partner’s absence.
- Ensures client is aware of our legal tech products and services and introduces these as options to improve client service.
Client solutions
Communicates with the client/team to update on progress and challenges, escalating when appropriate.
Trainee
- Clarifies the work to be done to ensure the client’s needs are interpreted and delivered correctly.
Suggests options and implications to resolve client issues in a commercial way to best serve the client.
AL1
- Anticipates potential or actual issues that could impact clients and shares with others.
Manages or escalates potential problems with client work, as appropriate.
AL1
- Changes to timescales.
- Changes to parameters of work which may require an amended budget or deadline.
Simplifies complex legal points for clients.
AL2
- Starting to take responsibility for providing complex client advice with minimal supervision.
Knows when to involve Partners on client matters.
Senior Associate
- Resolves issues and collaborates with the relevant Partner for advice.
- Receives instructions directly on existing or new matters.
Takes responsibility for communicating with the client and agreeing a solution where issues arise on matters, in conjunction with a Partner as appropriate.
Senior Associate
- Changes to costs and timeframes.
- Leads on the creation of negotiation strategies for agreement with the matter Partner and client.
- Takes responsibility for delivering the negotiation strategy using sophisticated negotiation skills.
Growth
Commits to business development, marketing, and sales activities to achieve our growth ambitions.
Brand Proposition
Builds understanding of our firm, our brand proposition and our practice areas and shares as moves seats.
Trainee
- RPC's key credentials and range of services.
Understands RPC's brand proposition, market strengths, practice areas, pillars and international capabilities and begins to spot cross selling opportunities to share with others.
AL1
- Commits time and energy to understand the firm outside their immediate practice area.
- Reads Edge posts, comments and makes connections.
- Understands the RPC Responsible Business Report.
- Discusses RPC in an accurate and engaging way, such as at seminars, conferences, and client or recruitment events.
Spots commercial opportunities through detailed knowledge of our firm, brand proposition, market strengths, practice areas, pillars, strategic priorities (e.g., ESG), legal technology and services and international capabilities.
Senior Associate
- Investigates and suggests new services the firm could offer clients, including cross-departmental or cross-pillar opportunities.
Profile building
Participates in business development and brand building activities.
Trainee
- Recruitment activities to attract future talent, feeds back themes and suggestions for improvements.
- Writes articles and blogs.
- Researches and prepares presentations.
- Supports pitches.
- Ensures contacts and activities are captured on InterAction.
- Assists with small client events and networking opportunities.
Uses social media to develop brand awareness with potential employees and clients.
Trainee
- Keeps up to date with RPC LinkedIn and other social media posts, shares relevant posts with their own network.
Uses appropriate social media platforms to develop personal brand awareness.
AL1
- Develops own personal brand within their practice area and field of expertise.
- Writes industry or sector blogs or social media posts.
Proactively supports the team/pillar/group's BD and brand building activities to achieve growth plans.
AL2
- Attracts and recruits talented people.
- Refers people vacancies.
- Contributes to awards submissions.
- Supports early talent events and seminars.
- Writes articles and blogs.
- Contributes to articles or PR opportunities as identified by PR team in a timely manner.
- Key client programme activities.
- Attends relevant pillar meetings and updates.
- Proactively gets involved in relevant pillars.
Raises own and firm profile by participating in relevant industry groups and social media campaigns.
AL2
- Uses seminars, conferences, client and recruitment events and online groups to network and promote the RPC brand proposition.
Collaborates with Partners and Business Services Leads to shape the team/pillar/group BD plan and brand building activities.
Senior Associate
- Delivers tenders and pitches with partners.
- Assesses on recruitment activities.
- Proactively networks with colleagues in international offices.
- Participates in industry, sector or professional networks.
- Writes articles, blogs, and social media posts.
- Attends or presents at seminars, key client programme activities or RPC led external events.
- Attends and contributes to relevant pillar meetings and updates.
Contributes to profile raising media activities in a timely manner and encourages others to participate.
Senior Associate
- Radio/TV.
- Newspapers.
- Social media.
- Podcasts.
- Industry publications.
- Other PR requests.
Works with relevant specialists at RPC to optimise and coordinate social media opportunities for team and firm.
Senior Associate
- Keeps track of client announcements, developments and media coverage to identify possible growth opportunities for RPC.
- Proactively gets involved in relevant BD campaigns and initiatives.
Business development plans
Understands the team's BD plan and undertakes activities to achieve the growth plan.
AL1
- Contributes to pitches and tenders.
- Recruitment activities.
Understands and contributes to growing revenue through client development plans and BD plans.
Senior Associate
- Spots opportunities to introduce other RPC services to existing clients.
Market Knowledge
Reads widely to build knowledge of RPC's clients, sectors, markets and competitors.
Trainee
- Reads legal and business press articles.
- Keeps track of client and sector announcements and identifies possible opportunities for RPC.
Applies knowledge of RPC's clients, sectors, markets and competitors to alert team members to developments and opportunities.
AL1
- Knows who the firm’s competitors are and any sector/market developments.
Identifies opportunities to grow practice area and shares these with team and/or pillar.
AL2
- Uses media sources to keep abreast of client developments to identify issues and opportunities for discussion.
Maintains knowledge of major competitors, their key differences and uses this knowledge for competitive advantage.
AL2
- Follows sector/market developments to develop broad competitor or practice area knowledge.
- Articulates and shares the differences in RPC's service offering in comparison to competitors.
Relationships
Builds a network of internal and external contacts.
Trainee
- Junior Lawyers Division.
- Female Insurance Group (FIG).
- Young Solicitors Group.
- Local legal networking groups in other jurisdictions.
- TerraLex.
- Rise with RPC – an insurance forum for emerging professionals.
Develops relationships with colleagues, clients and potential clients through a variety of activities and is focused on growing their network.
AL1
- Attends internal and external events, conferences, seminars and networking opportunities.
Identifies, manages and maintains relationships with internal and external contacts in their network to spot future growth and cross-selling opportunities.
AL2
- Shares potential cross-selling opportunities, including international, or for other RPC offices with the most appropriate client partner.
Researches potential new clients or new streams of work, including international and proactively seeks to build relationships by collaborating with the BD team, client partners/RPC teams to cross sell our services.
Senior Associate
- Analyses cross selling opportunities with curiosity.
- Involves the BD team.
- Finds the right people at RPC to involve.
Innovation
Understands the benefit in doing things differently where this adds value to the firm, our clients, or our people.
Trainee
- Suggests new ideas.
- Talks to peers at other firms and organisations to understand how our work and expertise differentiates RPC.
- Suggests ideas and process improvements from previous seats where relevant.
Thinks innovatively and laterally, contributing ideas for improvements.
AL1
- Takes a fresh perspective to review improvements.
- Offers new solutions or ways of working.
- Gets involved in making changes and improvements, for the firm and our clients.
Encourages creative thinking and is receptive to trying new things to help the firm grow.
Senior Associate
- Begins to analyse and research potential new clients in conjunction with the BD team.
- Works with legal tech specialists to design new legal tech products or services for clients.
Suggests new directions and opportunities for the firm.
Senior Associate
- Considers industry knowledge, deep understanding of our clients' businesses.
- Interprets and applies new information and trends.
Finance
Works efficiently and commercially to maximise our profitability.
Profitability and pricing
Understands the firm's strategic and financial objectives, the fundamentals of how RPC makes a profit and how their individual work can impact these.
Trainee
- Reads Edge posts.
- Attends team business updates and RPC firmwide town halls.
Proactively builds understanding of their team's financial KPIs and profitability levers to maximise efficiency.
AL1
- Contributes to commercial discussions within the group.
- Considers ways the firm's commercial goals can align with those of their immediate team.
Understands how the matter they are working on will be managed to ensure maximum profitability and plays their part in this.
AL2
- Works to agreed charge out rate structures and client rates.
- Uses the firm’s financial systems to find and extract information to support matters.
- Proactively seeks to understand pricing.
Always adopts a commercial mindset when managing matters to maximise profitability.
Senior Associate
- Advises on agreed charge out rate structures and client rates.
Supports Partners and works with the BCM team on the pricing of projects.
Senior Associate
Understands the different pricing models available.
Senior Associate
- Price segmentation, hourly rates, fixed fees, fee cap, conditional fees, blended rates etc.
Budgets
Understands the basics of the budgeting process at RPC.
Trainee
- Develops an awareness of charge out rate structures, agreed client rates and the financial drivers of profit.
Develops a broader understanding of departmental and law firm budgets and how they can contribute to achieving them.
AL1
- Develops understanding of how the firm’s financial systems can help own team manage matters/projects efficiently.
Works to budget/costs reserves and flags to supervisor where there may be issues before budgets are exceeded.
AL1
- Thinks ahead to be prepared for future and/or changing project requirements, not just the immediate task.
Proactively builds a deeper understanding of what is required by the team to meet budgets and seeks out opportunities to contribute to this end.
AL2
- Delivers own projects with some high-level guidance and supervision to the satisfaction of all stakeholders.
Sets budgets/costs reserves, where appropriate, and manages matters according to this budget.
AL2
- Evaluates the financial benefits of activities and recovers fully where possible.
Ensures junior colleagues understand how team budgets are set and advocates the collective contribution towards achieving them.
Senior Associate
- Educates people to ensure time is recorded and closed as per the firm's guidance.
Financial management
Accurately records and closes time every day and understands why it is important.
Trainee
- Contemporaneously records billable and non-billable time.
- Uses correct codes and clear and concise narratives.
- Understands the client SLA for recording time.
Understands and implements best practice financial hygiene consistently.
Trainee
- Quick turnaround for all billing related activities.
- Accurate billing guides.
- Reports issues with billing processes or blockages.
- Suggests ideas for improvements and efficiencies and the use of technology such as extranets or automation.
Acts as a role model for others to consistently implement best practice financial hygiene.
AL1
- Increasingly takes responsibility for managing and delivering own projects/matters with some supervision.
Takes responsibility for the financial management and profitability of their matters and ensures this is understood and actioned by the matter team.
Senior Associate
- Advises Credit Control on collection protocols, ensuring actions are escalated promptly and communicates results back to Finance.
Ensures team understands the importance of good financial hygiene and its impact on profitability.
Senior Associate
- Write offs, accurate time recording etc.
Efficiency
Works efficiently and commercially on allocated tasks and uses technology and processes to manage time and work effectively.
Trainee
- Prioritises work efficiently.
- Proactively maximises own utilisation.
- Files and retrieves content from iManage.
- Ensuring correct version control.
- Uses OneNote, ToDo Planner/MS Project tools to support organisation of work.
- Manages time spent on a task and flags where it might be disproportionate to avoid large write offs.
Manages own capacity to be appropriately busy and proactively seeks work opportunities.
Trainee
- Considers the next step on a matter rather than simply focusing on their immediate tasks, offers to assist others on tasks after own tasks are completed.
Works efficiently with the resources available within the firm to maximise profitability and quality.
AL1
- EAs/Secretaries.
- eDiscovery.
- Legal Services.
- Knowledge Lawyers.
- Paralegals.
- Trainees.
Flags opportunities with supervisor where the work can be carried out more efficiently or profitably to drive quality.
AL2
- Collaborates with the relevant member of the matter team to suggest different and innovative ways of working to services, products, or processes.
Works commercially and efficiently with minimal write offs.
AL2
- Knows when to escalate a mistake or difficulty and is starting to provide potential commercial solutions.
Suggests how technology can be used to enhance the client experience and create efficiencies by taking responsibility for resourcing matters efficiently.
Senior Associate
- Considers appropriate level of lawyer resources and use of other support departments.
Billing and cash collection
Proactively assists with billing to ensure prompt cash collection.
AL1
- Completes matter opening processes, professional indemnity checklists and client conflict processes to support efficient billing.
- Supports the completion of client reports to accompany invoices.
- Assists others in drawing up invoices.
- Provides answers to clients billing queries.
- Ensures invoices are sent to clients promptly.
Assists with billing and cash collection processes to maximise profitability, liaising with Finance where appropriate.
AL2
- Collaborates with Credit Control on collection protocols.
- Ensures actions are escalated promptly.
- Communicates results back to Finance.
Takes responsibility for billing and cash collection on their matters and works collaboratively with the Finance team and partners to manage billing processes and matter cashflow.
Senior Associate
- Timely accurate and regular bills which are in accordance with client service standards.
- Ensures client report is completed in a timely way so that bills can be sent out.
- Ensures matter opening processes, professional indemnity checklists or client conflict processes are completed.
- Ensures everyone is clear on who is responsible for what to get bills out quickly.
- Addresses client billing queries proactively and quickly.
- Uses the firm's financial systems efficiently.
- Chases up late payments.
People
Manages, influences, and collaborates with those around them effectively to bring out the best in people.
Collaborative
Works collaboratively with others and understands the importance of strong working relationships both in the team, group and wider firm.
Trainee
- Secretaries.
- Paralegals.
- Business Services.
Learns how people in the team operate and their working preferences to build strong relationships.
Trainee
- Preferred ways of working.
- Hybrid working preferences.
- Communication styles.
- Accesses AmP Learn for learning resources to support building relationships.
Builds relationships with supervisors and others in the team to work effectively.
Trainee
- Gets to know team members when joining a new practice area.
- Keeps in contact with team members from previous seats.
Communicates clearly to aid teamworking.
Trainee
- Learns how others set clear expectations, delegate, set and manage deadlines effectively.
Supports teamworking, demonstrating flexibility around the different working preferences of the team.
AL1
- Take advantage of the benefits of hybrid working and supports others to do the same.
- Integrates new team members, such as lunch, coffee, team/dept/firmwide events and/or volunteers for buddy role.
Empathises with others, showing a genuine interest in seeing things from their point of view.
AL1
- Listens openly to the views of others.
Develops strong relationships and effectively influences those they work with.
AL2
- Partners.
- Senior Associates.
- Junior Associates.
- Paralegals.
- Trainees.
- Secretaries.
- Business Services.
Encourages collaboration within own team and across RPC.
Senior Associate
Creates an inclusive and engaged team.
Senior Associate
- Puts inclusive practices and processes in place to optimise teamworking.
- Ensures everyone has an opportunity to contribute in a way that works for them.
- Adapts working styles to enable hybrid working and/or other working arrangements.
Celebrating success
Recognises contribution of others and celebrates success.
Trainee
- Encourages positive behaviours and actions in others.
Creates a team environment which recognises and celebrates achievements.
Senior Associate
- Recognises individual and team achievements through reward and recognition scheme.
Developing others
Provides constructive feedback to colleagues.
Trainee
- Refers to AmP Framework for guidance on career level expectations when drafting feedback.
Delegates and supervises work effectively and provides constructive and timely feedback.
AL1
- Gives clear instructions/expectations.
- Sets deadlines.
- Monitors and reviews work.
- Refers to AmP Framework for guidance on career level expectations when drafting feedback on work completed by others.
Provides advice and guidance to less experienced colleagues.
AL1
- Acts as a buddy to share knowledge.
Adapts style of supervision to bring out the best in people, giving quality feedback enabling them to grow.
AL2
- Flexes own style and behaviours to fit with others and ensures that this is appropriate to the situation.
Supports and mentors junior team members to learn and develop.
AL2
- Provides learning opportunities on-the-job.
- Takes time to upskill.
- Provides career advice.
- Encourages others to access learning resources available, such as AmP Learn or attendance on courses.
Coaches and develops people to achieve their full potential.
Senior Associate
- Plans the development of others by providing stretching work and learning opportunities.
- Provides feedback to trainees as part of their QC meetings (if relevant).
- Mentors junior staff.
- Provides knowledge and skills training.
- Listens and empowers junior team members.
- Encourages others to bring new ideas.
Contributes to the QCs of others, including objective setting and ongoing people management.
Senior Associate
- Follows the firm’s QC guidance.
- Assesses individual capabilities using the AmP Framework for guidance on career level expectations.
- Helps people to build on their strengths and development areas, using the AmP Framework for guidance.
Identifies and escalates underperformance, providing appropriately robust and constructive feedback.
Senior Associate
- Identifies performance issues of junior colleagues, provides open, honest and timely feedback.
- Assesses individual capabilities using the AmP Framework for guidance on career level expectations.
Takes responsibility for conducting challenging conversations, seeking guidance when required and escalates if necessary.
Senior Associate
- Asks partner or colleagues for advice and perspectives.
Attracting and selecting talent
Supports Early Talent attraction and recruitment initiatives where appropriate.
Trainee
- Campus events.
- Trainee assessment days.
- Summer scheme.
- Internship programme.
Supports selection and assessment processes.
Senior Associate
- Assesses on trainee assessment days.
- Supervises on summer scheme or internship programmes.
- Meets with potential new lateral recruits.
- Recruits inclusively, ensuring that the benefits of a diverse team are achieved.
Wellbeing
Recognises the importance of maintaining own wellbeing, asks for help when needed and keeps an eye out for others.
Trainee
Role models healthy working behaviours.
AL1
Takes responsibility for looking out for people's wellbeing and work life balance, escalating as appropriate.
Senior Associate
Leadership
Understands the skills required to be an effective leader and demonstrates these when opportunities arise.
Trainee
- Leads on discrete tasks working with other teams and functions.
- Leads on activities such as early talent initiatives with peers.
Seeks out opportunities to develop their leadership skills and recognises that leadership isn't always linked to seniority.
AL1
- Situations where a junior member of the team may have more knowledge than senior colleagues.
- Works with peers on non-matter related activity.
- Provides guidance to others.
Demonstrates leadership with junior members of the team.
AL2
- Leads on discrete tasks and projects.
Builds awareness of own leadership style, understands there are different ways to lead and seeks to refine their approach.
AL2
Recognised as an effective leader within their team who adapts their style appropriately.
Senior Associate
Download your Career Level on a page
How to use
Working with the Frameworks – simplicity and depth
People want different levels of detail from a career framework. The AmP Frameworks have been developed to reflect this and to enable you to navigate your career, your way.
In their simplest form the Frameworks provide every individual with a 'Career Level on a Page' defining high performance by category of activity. To gain a deeper understanding of the expectations of your role you can 'build' your framework to provide more detail. The Frameworks are cumulative so that each career level builds on the previous career level. To understand the full requirements of your career level you will therefore need to ensure that you are meeting the expectations of the career level(s) below yours (if relevant).
1
Start by looking at the statements in all the categories for your Career Level
2
Click on sub categories (where relevant) to build your understanding
3
Click on the + button (where relevant) next to each statement to see examples
4
Click on the career level(s) below yours (where relevant) to understand the full requirements of your role
5
Click on the career level(s) above yours (where relevant).
Lawyers Promotion Criteria and Process
The AmP Frameworks describe high performance at every career level.
As your career at RPC progresses, the amount of time you spend developing the categories will change. For example, junior roles are likely to spend more time developing the Knowledge and Expertise category, whereas senior roles are likely to spend more time on the Client category as they lead client matters and on the People category as their people management responsibilities grow.
The opportunity to demonstrate high performance in all the categories will vary depending on the work undertaken in each practice area. Discussions around performance and readiness for promotion should reflect this.
An individual's strengths, development areas and aspirations may vary over time, as will business requirements, resulting in people being promoted at a time and pace that is right for them and right for the team.
The below promotion criteria and process should be read with the above in mind.
Promotion from Trainee – Associate Level 1
CRITERIA
At the point of promotion:
- The individual is demonstrating all indicators in the Culture category of the AmP Framework.
- The individual is performing to the level defined across the other five categories in the Trainee career level.
- There is evidence that they are demonstrating capability in some of the categories at AL1 (relevant to the practice area they are qualifying into).
PROCESS
- NQ vacancies published with details of the application process.
- Trainees complete the application process for each Group they apply to. This includes: an application form, an interview, and in some teams an additional assessment.
- NQ promotion decisions are made by Group and approved by Group Leaders.
- NQ promotion decisions are communicated to Trainees.
Promotion from Associate Level 1 – Associate Level 2
CRITERIA
At the point of promotion:
- The individual is demonstrating all indicators in the Culture category of the AmP Framework.
- The individual is performing to the level defined across the other five categories in the AL1 career level (relevant to their practice area).
- There is evidence that they are beginning to demonstrate capability across some of the categories at AL2 (relevant to their individual strengths and their practice area).
PROCESS
- Individual's readiness for promotion to AL2 is discussed and agreed at the annual team talent review discussions.
- Nominated individuals complete a promotion proposal form, including evidence of strong financial hygiene and business management.
- Sponsoring Partner reviews, completes summary comments and signs off form.Group Leader reviews applications and makes promotion decision.
- Decisions are ratified by PEX.
- Individual(s) receive outcome decision together with Sponsoring Partner's summary comments.
Promotion from Associate Level 2 – Senior Associate
CRITERIA
There must be a clear requirement for a role at SA level within the relevant team.
At the point of promotion:
- The individual is demonstrating all indicators in the Culture category of the AmP Framework.
- The individual is performing to the level defined across the other five categories in the AL2 career level (relevant to their practice area).
- There is evidence that they are beginning to demonstrate capability across the categories at the SA career level (relevant to their practice area) and are demonstrating potential strengths in some of these categories.
PROCESS
- For someone to be considered for promotion, there has to be a business requirement within the relevant team for a Senior Associate.
- Group Leader, Team Leader and People Team agree individual's suitability for nomination for promotion by reviewing key metrics and discussing performance and potential as measured against the AmP Framework.
- Sponsoring partner has a conversation with individual(s) explaining the nomination and the process.
- Nominated Individual(s) complete a personal case form, evaluating performance against each of the six AmP Framework categories (including strengths, development areas and potential) and includes evidence of strong financial hygiene and business management.
- Sponsoring Partner:
- ~Completes (very brief short form) business case.
- ~Reviews, completes summary comments and signs off the personal case (as written by the Associate)
- ~Shares final submission with the nominated individual.
- Team Leader signs off business and personal case.
- Group Leader reviews the nomination(s) for their groups and makes promotion decision.
- Promotion decisions are ratified by PEX.