Customer Story: Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers
Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers is a Sydney-based firm with more than 120 years of history. With a strong commitment to operational excellence and staff development, the firm identified two areas where online training could make a real difference — new enquiry handling and staff induction. The challenge was creating it quickly, without adding to an already heavy workload.
24 hrs
from starting on the platform to live training modules
from starting on the platform to live training modules
3 hrs
of face-to-face induction time per new starter eliminated
of face-to-face induction time per new starter eliminated
120+
years serving clients — a firm built on knowledge and precision
years serving clients — a firm built on knowledge and precision
Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers has been serving clients for more than 120 years. That kind of longevity is built on deep knowledge, precise processes and people who know how the firm works. The challenge in 2020 was making sure that knowledge was accessible to everyone — consistently, on demand, without adding more pressure to an already stretched team.
Two areas stood out as priorities. The first was new enquiry handling — a critical front-of-house process where errors had real consequences. The second was staff induction — where the weeks immediately after a new starter joined were identified as decisive for their long-term success in the firm.
Up and running in 24 hours
The firm needed a solution that was simple enough for busy people with multiple responsibilities to use without specialist training. Off-the-shelf content wasn’t going to work — the training needed to reflect how Carroll & O’Dea actually operated.
Using Tribal Habits, the team built both training modules quickly — leveraging video, quizzes and interactive elements, and drawing on assets that already existed within the firm. Within 24 hours of getting started on the platform, training was live and being rolled out to staff.
“Our internal processes have been brought to life and made accessible at the click of a button. We had our training modules created very quickly and were rolling them out to staff almost immediately.”
Three hours back per new starter
The impact on induction was immediate and measurable. What had previously required three hours of face-to-face coaching per new staff member — covering administrative tasks and internal processes — was replaced by a short, engaging online course available any time.
“We used to spend three hours coaching each new staff member on administrative tasks. Now it’s all managed through an engaging online course that’s available anytime — and we’re getting much better results.”
New starters now arrive better prepared, with a clearer understanding of how the firm operates from day one. The face-to-face induction that remains is more focused and more valuable as a result.
A knowledge base the whole firm can use
One of the most significant outcomes wasn’t planned — it emerged from use. With training available on demand, staff stopped relying on colleagues or senior partners to answer process questions. Instead, they logged in and found the answer themselves.
“If ever there’s a dispute or misunderstanding, it’s easy to look back to the training as a reference point. It’s become the single source of truth for how we do things.”
New enquiries are now routed correctly more consistently. Front-line staff report greater clarity on how to handle them. And the broader firm has a growing repository of company-specific knowledge that anyone can access when they need it.
“Tribal Habits builds on what we believe will be a strength of the modern law firm — people, process and technology. It can be a big part of the future for a firm like ours.”
Based on strong feedback from senior management, Carroll & O’Dea is now rolling Tribal Habits out to more areas of the business — with internal process training and external knowledge sharing both in scope for the next phase.
Organisation
Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers
Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers
Sector
Legal Services
Legal Services
Location
Sydney, New South Wales
Sydney, New South Wales
Organisation size
Established law firm, multiple practice areas
Established law firm, multiple practice areas
Use case
Staff induction, process training, knowledge repository
Staff induction, process training, knowledge repository
See how Tribal Habits helps law firms build training that reflects how they actually work
From staff induction to process training and compliance, Tribal Habits makes it easy for law firms to create, deliver and track customised online training — without the complexity or the cost of enterprise solutions.
