At WCLEW, Associate Attorneys manage each of our zoning cases, ensuring that all the necessary documents are reviewed and researched, coordinating the activities of the entire project team — including internal staff, as well as the client's consultants and others. Associates also often make presentations before a variety of public forums, speaking on behalf of our clients in straightforward, non-legal terms.

Since zoning is learned best from doing, new attorneys are given hands-on training and responsibility as quickly as possible. Our young lawyers follow more senior attorneys working on cases, and quickly gain complete exposure to our clients' processes and strategies. The goal of our training is to permit young lawyers to handle basic zoning cases from filing through public hearings early in their careers, with oversight from partners on larger cases. Many of our new associates are making full presentations before civic associations and other groups within a year of joining the firm. Associates are required to work non-typical business hours — making presentations at meetings held in the evening or on weekends, depending on the jurisdiction.

At WCLEW, Professional Planners (also known as Land Use Coordinators) occupy a unique professional niche at our firm. They handle many of the details of our zoning cases, from researching the relevant history of a property and preparing reports, to working with the client's consultants and other players to prepare and submit applications. Planners also interact with appropriate county staff to review and revise applications as necessary, and attend public meetings where they make presentations and answer community members' questions.

Key personal strengths for this position include attention to detail, poise and composure in public speaking situations. Planners at our offices typically have Bachelors or Masters degrees in Urban and Regional Planning, Landscape Architecture, or related fields. Just as important as their educational background, we look for candidates with direct work experience in the planning or zoning functions of local governments. Depending on which jurisdiction they serve, Planners also attend evening or weekend meetings as part of their job.

Rounding out the planning function within WCLEW are our Planning Secretaries. These valuable professionals are more specialized than other types of secretaries in that, in addition to interacting with attorneys and planners internally, they must also interact with a broad variety of players in the complex planning and zoning process. At WCLEW, we typically promote Planning Secretaries from within, and provide them with comprehensive training.