CAREERS
Attorneys
Associate Opportunities
At Kennedy Childs & Fogg, our associates aren't document clerks or research assistants. From day one, our shareholders work closely with our associates, mentoring them and teaching them to be outstanding litigators, trusted counsel, and contributing team members.
Our associates value the interaction they have with clients, the interesting case work, and the courtroom time they can earn in our firm. Because of our size, associates play not only an integral role in cases, but they also are valuable team players in business development, client management, and firm operations.
Mentoring
KCF believes in mentoring our associates. New associates are assigned to one or two shareholders and work, as a team, on the files that the shareholders have. Our associates are not simply given delegated tasks, they are involved in the strategy decisions about how to best serve the clients interest and will have direct contact with the clients in achieving the optimum result. Plus, we take associates to trial with us, and they don't sit in the back of the courtroom taking notes. Even the newest associate will have the opportunity of making legal argument and conducting witness examinations and cross examinations when their shareholder takes a case to trial.
Our associates are given an annual performance review with helpful feedback on areas to work on as well as areas of strength. During the annual review the associates review their personal professional business plan and outline goals for the coming year to gain more knowledge and experience in the legal profession and how they will develop their practice.
Training
KCF associates get training through our in house education program as well as outside CLE. One evening each month, all attorneys meet for a couple hours of education and mentoring on a variety of subjects. The evening begins with a case law update from an associate who has reviewed all new Colorado Supreme Court cases, Colorado Court of Appeals cases and, occasionally, a trial court decision from the past month. The associate summarizes the case and the legal significance of the decision as it effects our practice. The topic of the month is then addressed and it can be anything related to our practice from how to write an effective Confidential Settlement Statement to how to take a deposition of an expert medical witness. We have presentations from our shareholders and also invite other experts, judges and professionals to share their insight on particular subjects. And, occasionally we just do something fun to get to know each other better.
Additional training is achieved at the Annual Associate Retreat. Each fall, all of the attorneys head to the beautiful Colorado mountains for two days of focused training in an area that the associates chose to develop. Mock trial work, marketing yourself and your practice, and deposition skills are examples of recent retreat topics. This is combined with a few good meals and some great fellowship to enhance the team approach to best serve our clients interests and to make working at KCF enjoyable as well as stimulating and challenging.
Traditional CLE training from outside sources is also provided to our associates. Many associates attend the CDLA seminar in Vail at the end of the summer to keep current and at the cutting edge of issues facing the defense bar. Oftentimes, shareholders will be presenting at this seminar which provides a great opportunity to watch the more seasoned attorneys share their knowledge. KCF is proud to have four former presidents of CDLA as members or former members of the firm and hopes to include additional attorneys in the same leadership ranks in the future.
Finally, KCF has industry practice groups that meet regularly to discuss issues relevant to that industry. These meetings, usually over the lunch hour, provide a more focused look at a particular practice area. They provide small group dialogue and question and answer sessions about specific cases or issues within that industry group. We find that thinking out loud and brainstorming can go a long way to a creative resolution of our clients problems.
If you're looking for a place to create a fulfilling legal career, consider Kennedy Childs & Fogg. Please send resumes to the Managing Shareholder, Barbara H. Glogiewicz.