Welcome to Chambers Associate 2011/12

We're a careers guide published by leading legal publisher Chambers and Partners to help US law students choose the right firm for them. We provide in-depth, independent research and a nuanced portrayal of firms to determine what it would be like to work there as a junior associate.

 

This edition covers 70 leading law firms in the USA. Sixty-six of them provided us with a comprehensive list of their second and third-year associates (aka 'juniors' or 'associates'), of whom we telephone interviewed an anonymous, representative sample balancing location, practice area, gender and ethnicity. Having a full list of associates to choose from ensures research objectivity and creates an even footing among participating firms.

 

There are over 30 more firms featured on this website from last year’s edition.

 

For this edition, our third, we again invited all of the Am Law 200 firms to participate in the guide. In response to feedback from law schools, we also extended our invitation to several leading firms outside of the 200, in order to make this guide useful for students interested in regional players as well as the biggest beasts.

 

We can't cover every single firm in the US, much as we'd love to, so this year we decided to prioritize firms that wanted to undergo the full 'Chambers treatment' by allowing our researchers to conduct in-depth phone interviews with their associates and senior management. The result is more complete coverage of a greater number of firms, large and small.

As we grow, for future editions we will continue to invite all Am Law 200 firms and beyond to participate, and expect the number of firms we feature to grow incrementally. We hope Chambers Associate will prove an invaluable companion during your research into potential employers. Good luck!

 

The Inside View

 

The Inside View contains features on 70 of the nation's top firms – over 30 more can be found on this site from last year's edition. The Inside View's built from detailed telephone interviews with second and third-year associates and senior management. For the handful of firms that did not allow us to speak freely with their associates, we provide an introduction to their work and – in the case of two – added insight into the strategy and future of the firm direct from their leaders.

 

Opening

The opening of each feature provides a snapshot of the firm, and often we’ll mention a detail from the managing partner interview. The opening tends to encompass the following:

A view of the firm ‘at a glance’ including noteworthy recent events. Core practice areas and any Chambers USA rankings the firm may have. A look at how the firm is currently doing and where it is headed. Associates Say…

‘Associates say…’ constitutes the bulk of the feature. We cover all aspects of firm life, from training and assignment to pro bono and diversity, as seen through the eyes of junior associates. We believe that confidential telephone interviews with associates are the best means of producing accurate, balanced and comprehensive firm evaluations. We strive to illustrate the consensus view and do not publish standalone comments.

 

We also speak to the hiring partner (or a senior recruitment source) in order to provide a factual backdrop, plus the managing partner to tell us about firm strategy. The section is broken down into the following categories:

 

The Work: Are associates allocated a practice group and an assigning partner or do they operate in a free market system? What kind of work are they doing, and do they like it? Training & Development: What kind of training's on offer? What do associates think of it? Does it differ across practice groups? Is it formal or informal? How does the appraisal process work? Is there a mentoring program? Offices: Is the New York office in Midtown or on Wall Street? Does the San Francisco office have a view of the Golden Gate Bridge? Is the DC office close to good transport links? Do offices interact much? Do associates get their own office in their first year? How do they rate the décor? The technology? The coffee? Culture: Are people academic and polite or chatty high-fivers? Is the firm entrepreneurial or more traditional? What are partner-associate relations like? Is it a one-firm culture, or does it vary by office? Hours & Compensation: Is there a billable hours requirement? What is it? How much do associates get paid? Lockstep or merit-based – or a combination of both? Do juniors love their comp or think it sucks? Does it vary from office to office? How are bonuses determined? What are they? What's the vacation policy? Can attorneys work from home? Pro Bono: What is the firm’s approach to pro bono? Do juniors think firms merely pay lip service or really do actively promote it? Does it count as billable? What kind of assignments do they get involved in? Diversity: How diverse does the firm feel in reality, on the ground? What are the firm’s statistics? What do associates think of the firm’s approach to diversity? Get Hired: What does the firm look for in a candidate? Where does it recruit? What law fairs does it attend? Where does it conduct OCIs? Associates and recruiters offer tips on how to impress... Strategy & Future: How's the firm performing? Where's it heading? Will it be opening new offices? What practice areas are becoming hot? What challenges lie ahead? Chairs and managing partners give us their insights.

 

The Website

 

This site provides all the information in the book and more. Not only does it feature additional firms but it also provides extra information on firms covered in the book.

 

Here, you can read more about popular areas of law, compare firms by size or revenue, see what senior sources have to say about the legal world, the state of their firms and more.

 

About Chambers and Partners

 

Chambers and partners publishes six global rankings directories, including the market-leading Chambers USA. In the UK it has also published the go-to guide for law students for 15 years.

 

It has published legal directories for over 20 years and now has eight titles under its name: Chambers Associate, Chambers Student Guide (for UK law students), Chambers USA, Chambers UK, Chambers Europe, Chambers Asia Pacific, Chambers Latin America, and Chambers Global. Clients, lawyers and law students around the globe consider Chambers to be the definitive authority on the world’s leading law firms and lawyers. All Chambers publications are freely accessible online at www.chambersandpartners.com.

 

Chambers USA 

Launched in 1999, Chambers USA is now America’s leading legal directory. It ranks and reviews firms and attorneys across the country in more than 50 practice areas, such as antitrust, banking and finance, corporate, environment, IP, labor and employment, litigation, and tax, as well as more discrete areas like retail and Latin American investment. Chambers USA 2011 is available in print and online now.

 

How do Chambers USA rankings work? 

The Chambers USA research team speaks to a wide range of lawyers and their clients, the latter of which are generally major commercial users of legal services. Greater weighting is given to the views of the clients, and any biased viewpoints tend to cancel each other out. All interviews are conducted purely for research purposes; they are entirely confidential and unaccredited.

 

A team of more than 50 full-time researchers conducts thousands of interviews with lawyers and their clients every year and, unlike its competitors, Chambers USA researches, compiles and launches completely new editions on an annual basis.

 

We select our sources on the basis of:

Confidential submissions put forward by law firms. Lawyer and client interviews during the course of research. Our own database resources.

 

Law firms and individual lawyers are ranked in Bands from 1-6, with 1 being the best.

 

In addition, there are further categories in which lawyers can be ranked as exceptional individuals. A 'Senior Statesman' is a lawyer who no longer works hands-on with the same intensity but who, by virtue of close links with major clients, remains pivotal to the firm’s success. A 'Star' ranking is given to lawyers with exceptional recommendations in their field.

 

Two additional Bands list those who are at the forefront of their generation but who do not yet warrant inclusion in the tables. The ‘Up-and-Coming’ band lists those who do not yet have an established reputation but who are driving their firm's growth. ‘Associates to Watch’ are senior associates who are recognized for their support in major cases.

 

The qualities on which rankings are assessed include technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial astuteness, diligence, commitment, and other qualities most valued by the client.

 

The rankings and editorial comment about lawyers are independent and objective. Inclusion in this section of the guide is based solely on the research team's findings. No firm or attorney can buy its way in.