A conversation with Bill Cocolis, Director of Talent Management at Akin
Law firms depend on a vast ecosystem of business professionals—HR, IT, finance, marketing, paralegals, legal secretaries, and many others—whose expertise keeps operations running seamlessly. Yet when it comes to training and professional development, much of the legal industry’s content is still built primarily with lawyers in mind.
That was the challenge facing Akin. With more than 700 business services professionals worldwide, the firm needed learning experiences that not only satisfied compliance requirements but meaningfully supported career development. Bill Cocolis, Director of Talent Management, sat down with Lucie Allen, Chief Growth Officer and Managing Director at BARBRI, to share how Akin is building a modern learning ecosystem—and why the partnership with SkillBurst (now BARBRI Professional Education) has become central to that strategy.
Moving Beyond “Check-the-Box” Training
When Bill first reviewed Akin’s digital learning programs, his assessment was candid: much of the training technically met requirements but didn’t feel aligned with the realities of a law firm.
“It's generic, and it doesn't reflect the realities of a law firm environment, or the roles of our business services team specifically,” he explained. “Our people are incredibly busy, and they deserve training that's relevant, concise, and actually useful to their world.”
The challenge went deeper. Most law-firm-specific content on the market is designed for lawyers, not for the professionals who support the business. Akin needed training tailored to their skills, responsibilities, and day-to-day interactions.
Why BARBRI Stood Out
That gap led Akin to SkillBurst, the legal-industry eLearning provider acquired by BARBRI in 2024 and now part of BARBRI Professional Education.
According to Bill, the impact was immediate.
“Our compliance modules felt modern, the examples actually made sense for a law firm, and production quality was excellent,” he said. “The reaction we had was firm-wide. People across all of our departments and practices noticed the upgrade.”
Even partners took note—an especially telling sign.
“We heard partners saying, ‘Whatever you’re doing with training, that is a huge improvement.’ They really did become our internal champions when they saw the impact on their own compliance training amongst the teams.”
That endorsement gave Akin the green light to expand the program beyond compliance.
From Modules to a Full Learning Ecosystem
Today, Akin’s use of BARBRI Professional Education has grown significantly. The firm now leverages more than 50 modules across multiple learning initiatives.
These modules are:
- Short (15–20 minutes), making them easy to incorporate into a busy day
- Flexible, allowing managers to self-assign them, use them as pre-work, or integrate them into live sessions
- Consistent, offering a unified learning experience across roles and departments
But the most transformative change is how these resources now anchor Akin’s broader learning ecosystem.
“We're really intentional about linking our learning to career progression,” Bill explained. “BARBRI is part of onboarding, part of our Manager Academy, and we’re mapping it into career pathways for specific growth areas.”
The modules are also woven into early-career development, helping new professionals—especially those new to legal services—understand how to communicate, set priorities, and operate in a law firm environment.
“It gives them a foundation,” Bill said. “It helps them understand not only expectations, but it helps them to feel confident pretty much from day one.”
Driving Real Behavior Change
The results go far beyond increased course participation.
The learning content is showing up in everyday conversations—from individual development plans to team-wide discussions. Managers are referencing specific modules when coaching, assigning work, or planning career steps.
Two examples stood out to Bill:
- A manager used the modules to help improve delegation.
- Another leveraged them to build stronger cross-firm relationships—critical in Akin’s relationship-driven culture.
“These are real practical, real-world outcomes that we were hoping for,” he said.
What’s Next for Akin
Despite early success, Bill sees the work as just beginning.
“We’re keeping the momentum going. With more than 50 modules in use, we’re continuing to integrate them into every stage of the employee experience,” he said. “The goal is to make learning part of everyday life—not just another task.”
A Model for the Future of Law Firm Talent Development
Akin’s approach represents a shift happening across the legal industry: business services professionals need and deserve training tailored to their roles, delivered in flexible, high-quality formats, and connected to meaningful career progression.
By building a learning ecosystem—not just a library of modules—Akin is redefining how law firms invest in and develop their people.
To learn more about BARBRI Professional Education and the Skillburst library, visit https://www.barbri.com/professional-development.
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