Law Firm Practice Law Firm Practice • 2015-2016 YALE LAW SCHOOL • CAREER DEVELOPMENT OFFICE • NEW HAVEN, CT YALE LAW SCHOOL • CAREER DEVELOPMENT OFFICE 2016-2017 www.law.yale.edu/cdo Table of Contents Index of Narratives ............................................................................................................................... 3 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 7 Chapter 1 Practice Settings .......................................................................................................... 7 A. Large Firms .................................................................................................................... 8 B. Mid-Size Firms ............................................................................................................... 9 C. Small Firms .................................................................................................................... 9 D. Boutique Firms ............................................................................................................. 10 E. Public Interest Firms .................................................................................................... 10 F. International Firms ....................................................................................................... 12 1. Where International Lawyers Practice ............................................................. 12 2. Typical Practice Areas ..................................................................................... 12 3. Salaries ............................................................................................................. 14 4. Resources ......................................................................................................... 14 Chapter 2 Assessing Law Firms ............................................................................................... 14 A. Firm “Culture” ............................................................................................................. 14 B. Clients and Legal Issues ............................................................................................... 15 C. Training and Development ........................................................................................... 16 D. Compensation and Benefits ......................................................................................... 16 E. Billable Hours ............................................................................................................... 17 F. Pro Bono and Split Public Interest Summer Opportunities .......................................... 18 G. Diversity Efforts ........................................................................................................... 19 H. Work/Life Balance Policies ......................................................................................... 19 I. Partnership Track ........................................................................................................... 20 J. Law Firm Rankings and Reputation .............................................................................. 20 K. Transition Opportunities .............................................................................................. 21 1. Large Firm to Small Firm or Public Interest .................................................... 21 2. Small Firm or Public Interest to Large Firm .................................................... 21 3. Law Firm to Academia .................................................................................... 22 Chapter 3 Getting Hired ............................................................................................................... 22 A. The Hiring Process Generally ...................................................................................... 22 1. Timing .............................................................................................................. 23 2.Credentials ....................................................................................................... 23 3. Application Materials ...................................................................................... 23 4.Interviews ....................................................................................................... 24 5.Splitting the Summer ...................................................................................... 24 B. Suggested Timetables for Job Search Activities .......................................................... 25 Chapter 4 Alumni Perspectives ................................................................................................. 28 A. Practicing in the Northeast ........................................................................................... 28 B. Practicing in the Mid-Atlantic ...................................................................................... 33 C. Practicing in the South ................................................................................................. 36 D. Practicing in the Midwest ............................................................................................ 39 E. Practicing out West ...................................................................................................... 41 F. Practicing Abroad ......................................................................................................... 46 G. Practicing at a Public Interest Law Firm ...................................................................... 50 Yale Law School Career Development Office 1 Appendices A. Law Firm Resources .................................................................................................... 57 B. 1L Law Firm Hiring 2007-15 ..(Excluded)................................................................... 62 C. Foreign Offices Employing YLS Students ..(Excluded)............................................. 65 D. Student Mentors for International Law Firm Work ..(Excluded)................................. 67 E. Small Law Firm Employers of YLS Students ...(Excluded)......................................... 69 F. Sample Candidate Evaluation Forms ...(Excluded)....................................................... 77 Yale Law School Career Development Office 2 Index of Narratives A. Northeast Firms Employer Alumnus/a Location Practice Page ESOP Plus Robert Brown, Rochester, NY ESOP and employee 28 LL.B. 1970 ownership Davis O’Sullivan & Lisa N. Davis, New Haven, CT Estates & Probate, 29 Priest J.D. 1990 Elder Law, Special Needs Trusts, Nonprofit Organization Law Princeton, NJ Dechert Ella Detrizio, Business/Corporate 31 J.D. 1984 Law, Securities, Venture Capital Employee Benefits Skadden Arps Slate Regina Olshan, New York, NY 32 and Executive Meagher & Flom J.D. 1989 Compensation B. Mid- Atlantic Firms Employer Alumnus/a Location Practice Page Guerrieri, Clayman, Jeffrey A. Bartos, Washington, DC Labor Law (Union- 33 Bartos & Parcelli J.D. 1990 Side) McGuireWoods Tennille J. Richmond, VA Appellate Litigation, 34 Checkovich, Business and J.D. 2001 Securities Litigation, Environmental Litigation and White Collar Crime Yale Law School Career Development Office 3 C. Southern Firms Employer Alumnus/a Location Practice Page Class Action Lawrence & Bundy Allegra J. Atlanta, GA 36 Defense; Complex Lawrence-Hardy, Business Litigation; J.D. 1996 Insurance; Internal Investigations; Labor & Employment; Litigation; Education, Government & Civil Rights; Crisis Management; Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) Wyche Jo Watson Hackl, Greenville, SC Corporate, Securities, 37 J.D. 1988 Mergers and Acquisitions D. Midwest Firms Employer Alumnus/a Location Practice Page Goldberg Kohn Stephanie Jacobs Chicago, IL Banking/Finance, 39 Luger, J.D. 2008 Business/Corporate Law, Real Estate Kirkland & Ellis Benjamin P. Chicago, IL Mergers and 40 Clinger, J.D./MBA Acquisitions, Private 2008 Equity, Venture Capital Yale Law School Career Development Office 4 E. Western Firms Employer Alumnus/a Location Practice Page Coppersmith Sam Coppersmith, Phoenix, AZ Transactional Law, 41 Brockelman J.D. 1982 Real Estate and Land Use, Business Organizations, Nonprofit Governance Cozen O’Connor Charles E. Wheeler San Diego, CA Commercial 42 J.D. 1978 Litigation, Insurance 45 Fenwick & West Stuart P. Meyer, Mountain View, CA Computer and J.D. 1988 Technology F. Abroad Employer Alumnus/a Location Practice Page Cleary Gottlieb Steen Gamal Abouali, J.D. Abu Dhabi, United Corporate Law, 46 & Hamilton 1997 Arab Emirates Mergers and Acquisitions, Capital Markets Fieldfisher Christopher Paris, France Mergers and 48 Mesnooh, J.D. 1983 Acquisitions, International Technology Transactions Some sections of this public guide have been removed due to proprietary nature. Yale Law School Career Development Office 5 G. Public Interest Law Firms Employer Alumnus/a Location Practice Page David Rosen & Andrea Armstrong, New Haven, CT Prisoners Rights 50 Associates – Former J.D. 2007 Thomas Emerson Fellow Heller, Huron, Tammany Kramer, Washington, DC Employment Law, 51 Chertkof, Lemer, J.D. 2002 Discrimination, Civil Simon & Salzman – Rights Former Associate Sanford Heisler Katherine Kimpel, Washington, DC Civil Rights/ 53 Kimpel – former J.D. 2006 Liberties, Managing Partner and Employment, Executive Board Litigation, Class Member Action Waltzer Wiygul & Michael Brown, New Orleans, LA Environmental, 55 Garside