UnitedLex, a leading global provider of legal services, announced today an innovative “legal residency” program in conjunction with four top U.S. law schools: Emory University School of Law, the University of Miami School of Law, the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and Vanderbilt Law School.
Recent Emory Law graduates who participate in the two-year UnitedLex residency program will learn to use cutting-edge legal technologies and processes to provide high-quality and efficient legal services to corporate legal departments and top law firms.
Those selected for the residency program each year will receive rigorous classroom instruction provided by senior attorneys, will serve in a supervisory capacity, and will work directly with clients to deliver legal services in such practice areas as litigation management, e-discovery, cyber security, contract management, patent licensing, IP management and immigration law.
At the end of the residency, some residents will remain on UnitedLex’s permanent legal staff, while others will join employers seeking experienced attorneys trained in the technologies and processes of 21st-century law practice.
“This program with UnitedLex will offer our graduates new opportunities to master emerging areas of legal practice, working with the support of experienced attorneys and industry experts,” says Robert Schapiro, dean and Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Law, “They will build on their law school training, acquiring new skills and knowledge that will benefit them throughout their careers.”
The UnitedLex program is similar to a medical residency in that it provides both paid full-time employment and rigorous, hands-on training. A pilot program was launched in September 2013 at the University of Miami School of Law. UnitedLex has already hired two recent Emory Law graduates and will hire more as the program grows.
“Our legal residency program was created to address challenges facing the legal industry, including the lack of training opportunities for recent graduates and the ever-increasing costs for both the providers and consumers of legal services,” says Daniel Reed, CEO of UnitedLex. “The program represents a novel and innovative way for law schools and the legal industry to tackle a very challenging situation.”
Affiliated law schools will receive a portion of the proceeds from UnitedLex, which they will use to fund scholarships and other student-oriented programs.
“UnitedLex has created a unique solution to a range of systemic challenges in the legal ecosystem,” said Bob Grossman, partner at Greenberg Traurig. “The depth, breadth and diversity of training offered in this program demonstrate a strong desire to ensure recent law graduates have the skills necessary to excel after graduation. Concurrently, the program provides support for affiliated law schools and high-quality legal services to top corporate clients and firms.”