An Executive Education Program for LaddHer Up Alumni
Most business development training teaches tactics. The Rainmaker Rung teaches the identity of a lawyer who leads a book of business with confidence, intentionality, and a distinct point of view.
LaddHer Up Programs Delivered
Across 100+ Law Firms
Who Have Coached and Mentored Through LaddHer Up
Participants — Space Is Limited
Eight LaddHer Up retreats. More than 550 lawyers. A community that entered the program as ambitious associates and is now rising to senior associate, of counsel, and partner — carrying with them the skills, relationships, and confidence that LaddHer Up built.
That progression is not an endpoint. It is an invitation.
The Rainmaker Rung is Ms. JD’s recognition that LaddHer Up alumni now stand at a new threshold that requires a new level of support. The leadership challenges of a senior associate or junior partner are categorically different from those of an associate earlier in a career. The stakes are higher. The skills required are more sophisticated. And the window for building a sustainable book of business is open right now.
This program takes LaddHer Up to the next level of leadership. Participants leave not just with skills, but with a pitch, a pipeline, and a plan.
You completed a LaddHer Up retreat and have promoted to senior associate, of counsel, or junior partner.
You are actively building — or know you should be building — a book of business and want structured support to do it.
You are prepared to pitch your practice to general counsel for real matters and receive candid, professional feedback.
Small enough for genuine relationships. Large enough for a meaningful pitch day audience.
This cohort is built on a shared foundation. Participants already speak the same language.
The foundation session reorients participants away from generic networking advice and toward a rigorous, strategic understanding of their own value proposition.
Topics:
Session 2 shifts from strategy to execution — specifically, the skills of pitching, presenting, and building visibility that compound over time.
Topics:
Hosted at the LaddHer Up retreat venue the day before the broader retreat begins, the Intensive is the program’s most consequential session. Participants arrive as a cohort, giving them immediate connection heading into LaddHer Up itself.
Agenda:
Note: The Rainmaker Intensive immediately precedes LaddHer Up Napa 2026 (November 11–13). Rainmaker participants receive an immediate warm introduction to the broader LaddHer Up community.
Tied to three priority relationships and one visibility initiative. Ready to execute on the day the program ends.
A one-paragraph articulation of the specific intersection of expertise, relationships, and perspective that distinguishes you from every other attorney in your practice area.
Workshopped across both virtual sessions and delivered live to a panel of general counsel at the Napa Intensive. Not a practice exercise — a real business opportunity.
A speaking target, article topic, or panel to propose — with an action plan built during the program and accountability built into the cohort.
Senior associate-to-partner level peers across firms — formed in the context of genuine professional vulnerability and shared ambition. These are not conference connections.
Kori Carew is a nationally recognized speaker, strategist, and author who helps legal professionals lead with courage and authenticity in complex environments.
Paula Edgar is a personal branding strategist for legal professionals and a sought-after speaker on executive presence, visibility, and advancement.
Debbie Epstein Henry is an author, speaker, and global thought leader on the legal profession, flexible work, and the advancement of lawyers throughout their careers.
Randi Rosenblatt works with senior attorneys and emerging leaders on executive presence, business development, and the internal politics of advancement.
The Rainmaker Rung Intensive brings together a panel of sitting general counsel and CLOs with real matters under consideration. GC participants are announced on a rolling basis. Check back for updates, or follow Ms. JD on LinkedIn for faculty announcements.
The Rainmaker Rung is an executive education investment in the revenue-generating potential of your senior associates and junior partners. It is designed to produce a measurable return.
At $8,500 per participant -- comparable to the cost of a single client entertainment event -- the Rainmaker Rung represents one of the highest-leverage professional development investments available to law firms sponsoring the advancement of their senior attorneys. Attorneys who build books of business at this stage will be generating revenue for the next two decades.
A ready-to-submit one-page document supporting your internal sponsorship request
The Rainmaker Rung is designed primarily for senior associates, of counsel, and junior partners in private practice, as the program's business development and pitch components are built around law firm contexts. Contact programs@msjd.org with questions about eligibility.
Attendance at the Rainmaker Intensive (November 11, the Wednesday before LaddHer Up) is required for program completion. Participants in the Rainmaker Rung are invited to join us for the LaddHer Up Napa Associate Reception on the evening of November 11th and the Keynote Dinner on the evening of November 12th, although attendance is optional.
The program fee covers all program content, materials, and food and beverage at the in-person Intensive. Travel to Napa and hotel accommodations are not included and are the responsibility of the participant or sponsoring firm. Ms. JD will provide a room block recommendation for LaddHer Up Napa.
Yes. Firm-sponsored participation is strongly encouraged. Download the Business Case for Your Seat -- a one-page document designed to support your internal sponsorship request -- from this page. Firm invoicing is available; select that option in the registration form.
Both virtual sessions are required for program completion and preparation for the in-person Intensive. Sessions will be recorded for participants who experience unavoidable conflicts, but we ask that participants make every effort to attend live. If you have a confirmed conflict with a session date, please contact us before applying.
Ms. JD facilitates the matching process in advance of the Intensive using participants' practice areas and GC panelists' matter types. Participants will know their assigned panelists ahead of the event and will have the opportunity to prepare accordingly.
Determined to Rise. Equipped to Lead.
Ms. JD is a national organization that helps women in law find community and opportunity at every stage in their career, from aspiring attorneys to seasoned professionals.
