In this issue, we wanted to bring together our DERIS UNGC commitment and our training and development practices for law students, trainee lawyers and all people working within the firm. The intersection point of this intent with UN Sustainable Development Goals is SDG 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

The opportunity to work and study remotely has become a habit and the ease of access to education has enabled us to implement two separate training and development packages for the 3rd and 4th grades of law faculties. In this issue, we will talk about the "Leadership Awareness Program" that we have been successfully implementing for three years for senior law students who are preparing to take their first step into the profession.

This program first emerged during the implementation of personal development programs prepared for lawyers working in the company. We have seen that these people, who have a high desire to progress and learn in their profession, do not have a perspective when it comes to business and people management, and have never even thought about it. There were two possible reasons for this: 1) The lack of these subjects in the curriculum in law schools. 2) The lack of systematic investment in subjects other than professional competence and performance in law firms.

Based on this, and thinking that the earlier learning begins, the easier it will be to build on it, we wanted to contribute to creating this awareness among senior law school students. Program participants were selected through the application and interview system, just as if they were recruiting. By the way, we would like to note that the great interest shown in the legal intern announcement has been much more limited in this field. Apparently, this issue was a limited source of motivation for young legal candidates. As the organizers of the program, we saw the application here as proof of the sincere interest shown in the profession and the company, and when choosing, we mostly looked at the motivation letters.

This program, which can be carried out with a maximum of twelve participants due to its scope and method of implementation, has received applications from students of various universities in Turkey and sometimes abroad, where Turkish students study, as it is carried out with remote access. The obstacle of being in the same city has been eliminated. Considering the three-year total of our participants, we saw that female participation was 70%.

APPLICATION BY FLIP METHOD

F= Flexible environment: Opportunity to learn in the environment and way determined by the participant.

L=Learning: Based on learning, not teaching

I = Intentional Content: Preliminary material selected in accordance with the topic before the session and aiming to create a common basis for everyone.

P = Professional educator: Professional educator who will manage the session and discussions, contribute and ensure active participation.

CURRICULUM

The program consists of six basic modules in the table, applied at intervals of one or two weeks.

Session

Name

Scope

1

Opening

Meeting & purpose & icebreaking

2

Leadership Style

Discover your own management style

3

Strategy Building – Balanced Score Card

Basics of balanced score card and implementation to law firms

4

Basics of Project Management

Phases of the Project

Background information

Single sheet Project plan

5

Get ahead of competition

Value innovation

Blue Ocean Strategy

Customer Value Proposition

6

Networking

Networking as a process

Target audience

Creating persona

At the beginning of the program, participants are given a project topic to be developed according to the module flow. This approach allows integrity to be maintained in each module and to equip the participant with a unique perspective at the end of the program.

2024 PROJECT SUBJECT

You are an entry-level lawyer at a law firm working in the field of IP

The company wants to benefit from your young perspective

You have a lot of ideas in your mind – write them down without categorizing them

Then categorize and decide in which two categories you will collect them

Write the purpose of including these categories in the strategy plan

You only need to determine your two strategic themes and strategic goals; As the sessions progress, you will be told about the new field you are expected to add to your project after each session.

IMPLEMENTING THE PROGRAM

Program ; as required by the FLIP methodology, was implemented by our company HR & Strategy director, who is also a professional mentor and trainer. DERİŞ' three senior partners have attended every session for three terms without fail. This participation gave both parties the opportunity to understand each other's perspectives and update their own. The fact that the company's senior management shared their views on every subject being discussed, probed the participants' perspectives, and listened carefully and with a desire to understand added value to the program beyond its purpose. When we read the participant opinions, seeing how compatible the feedback we received with the aims of DERİŞ was a source of motivation for us to ensure the continuity of the program.

FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE PARTICIPANT

Below you will find notes from the evaluations of 2024 program participants

This experience made me realise that being a good lawyer is not enough and taught me the significance of approaching the business world strategically. I now realised that being a successful leader entails strategic thinking, effective communication, team work, and management skills. I’m very lucky to have gained insights on leadership, strategy, communication and business management from this well-equipped team with a strong vision. GİZEM

The program taught me the importance of setting goals and crafting business strategies. It showed me the value of adopting a bird's-eye view from the top, enabling leaders to see the whole picture, rather than gazing upward from a lower floor. Seeing true leaders such as Deriş’s partners has inspired me to become a better version of myself and to establish more robust goals for the future. NAZLI

The interactive meetings we had throughout the program also improved me in terms of how to express myself in a corporate environment and to senior management. We went through a process where silence was never a habit and we learned while thinking and talking. In my own social life, I felt lucky to be discussing with experienced people the topics that were met with interest and curiosity by my environment while talking about the topics we discussed in the meetings. ESRA

Leadership Awareness Program: An exceptional opportunity that could significantly impact law students’ professional trajectories. This program is not just another training session; it is the most fun, inspiring, and transformative journey aimed at empowering law students to unlock their leadership potential and excel in their professional lives ahead. Not limited to this, subsequent sessions will deepen your understanding of vital concepts such as corporate strategy, staying ahead of the competition, and networking. EKİN

I had the opportunity to learn and observe how to freely express what was on my m'nd 'n a systemat'c way, because the sess'ons were not just lectures, but mainly conversations. Everyone had the opportunity to speak their m'nd and was strongly encouraged to do so. In each session I realized how important it is to know myself, not only for my individual success, but also for the continuity and achievement of the goals of any community I will be a part of. I went through a process of listening and being listened to, finding answers to questions I had never asked myself before. GÖKÇE