The Work
Venable has 23 practice groups across four main divisions: business, government, litigation and technology. “The firm’s leanly staffed,” interviewees reported, which means early responsibility and relatively informal, relationship-driven work assignment. Unlike during the summer program, when work is centrally assigned, departmental heads and partners typically approach junior associates directly with work. “Usually a partner asks if you have time to work on something,” a litigator explained. “I rarely have to seek work, but when I do I’ll send an email, or walk around and ask. I get work from different groups – commercial litigation covers several practices. Each has its own head, who may approach you.”
“I get my work only from partners, not senior associates,” a government contracts junior revealed, indicating the good amount of responsibility they’re given. “I draft pleadings, do a lot of witness interviews in investigations, even meet with CEOs of major government contractors. I’m given full responsibility to ask uncomfortable questions to people in authority, which I enjoy.” Tasks for junior litigators include a lot of research, though “over time you’ll do more than research, and work your way up to actual drafting and writing, like motions and memos. My work is a hodge-podge of local, national and international work.” Much of the work is “regular contract disputes, for individuals up to large corporations.”
An IP litigator added: “I’ve been able to contribute to filings; writing first drafts of motions and opposition briefs;and preparatory work with other associates for a deposition or hearing. I’ve gotten a lot of substantive work, and writing too, which is good because it shows up in feedback at reviews.” Another added: “We’re given autonomy – nobody's looking over your shoulder.”
In the busy bankruptcy group, “there was a period doing Chapter 11 debtor work; now we’re doing a lot of litigation relating to loans (mortgage-backed securities).” Colleagues from practices like tax, employment and corporate frequently help on bankruptcy work –“there’s a bit of everything in bankruptcy.” There’s no work coordinator. Business transactions work includes mergers and acquisitions, and “other things like debt and equity financing, various agreements – the nuts and bolts of how companies work,” a junior explained.
Training & Development
“In the first couple of weeks they introduce you to things like systems usage and legal writing,” a junior explained. New entry-levelers receive a mentor called a 'preceptor' – a senior associate or junior partner in their practice area – and a peer mentor. “A lot of training’s on the job. Partners here are very good at teaching, and love to train,” in one junior’s estimation. Technical training’s available upon request – “it’s pretty much on you to set something up if you need it” – and associates have access to free Practising Law Institute (PLI) programs online.
A formal first-year training program covers everything from research to writing to oral communication, hiring partner Bob Bolger explains. “Then each practice group does its own thing.” The ‘Venable Curriculum’ trains associates at all levels. The mix of formal to informal training is roughly 50/50, he said.
For firmwide litigators, the Trial Academy in DC “deals with the nuts and bolts of trial work.” Sources felt this was especially useful for more experienced associates.
There’s an annual formal review, and often an informal review after six months “to check you’re okay.” It’s “generally a helpful process.” However, “to be candid, I wish I got more feedback, both informal and formal,” another said.
Offices
“There are a few hundred people here,” a DC associate told us. “It’s pretty big. People gather for lunch in the cafeteria, so you’ll see people from other groups.” Juniors get their own office, “but when you start out you don’t have a window. After you’ve climbed a few rungs you get a window office.” The firm commented: “We move people into window offices in classes. So we move when we have enough room for everyone in the class. It is usually around the second or third year.”
Interviewees like the neighborhood, “the Chinatown district which has blossomed with new stores and restaurants.” The nearby Verizon Center, home to the Washington Wizards basketball team, hosts concerts, and the area is “always busy with tourists as we’re close to loads of museums, and the Washington Monument.”
DC even boasts its own rooftop bocce court. If you ever get the chance to play, don’t forget to take your shoes off, otherwise you risk treading red dusty clay into the office floors afterwards. Apparently, the first time people used the court after the renovation, “we had to replace the carpets,” Bolger recalls.
Not to be outdone, Baltimore’s even newer office building also has its own court. Sources said the office – located in the expanding Harbor East area of downtown Baltimore – has a “nice conference room and amenities.” Juniors here do have a window. The business district, the bocce players of Little Italy and historic Fells Point are all within walking distance. The office itself contains more than a few Baltimore Ravens fans.
Venable’s other offices are in New York, Los Angeles, Tysons Corner and Towson Rockville, where games enthusiasts “have somehow created a mini shuffleboard out of the tables in the cafeteria.”
Culture
Bocce’s an excuse to bring lawyers, staff and/or clients together, just to have “flat-out fun,” managing partner Karl Racine – a former basketball star at Penn – tells us. “It’s just an opportunity to get together and socialize.” The annual summer tournament’s open to all, including summer associates. “There’s a big reception for the final championship game,” a junior explained, and though coveted prizes might include gift certificates or sports and concert tickets, “most important by far are the winners’ bragging rights.” The activity illustrates Venable’s friendly culture, according to sources. Plus, “its mid to large size is not so large that you can’t get to know your colleagues,” one said.
A more senior associate felt that “based on client feedback, I think we have a reserved, gentlemanly culture here, sometimes to our detriment as we’re a little understated and I’m not sure we do enough to tell the world about our accomplishments. We’ve had good, strong, professional but not flashy, leaders historically. I feel the current leadership continues that tradition.”
Consistent with this vibe, DC’s holiday party involved “nothing too over-the-top,” just food and drinks in the office. Most “bawdy” perhaps is the Halloween party, when many, including partners, dress up for a costume contest. “Some people really get into the spirit of it. There are skits, some bawdy, some not. The IP group put on a performance of Glee.”
Karl Racine summed up Venable’s culture as: “Hard-working, entrepreneurial, team-focused. Extremely committed to the communities in which we serve.” Juniors get three weeks’ vacation, and midlevel associates and above get four. “People do take holiday!”
Hours & Compensation
Venable associates are expected to log 2,200 hours per year, with a 1,900 hours target and 1,950 billable hours to be bonus-eligible. (The 50 in between can be billable or pro bono work.) First-years have a 100-hour cushion. Entry-levelers in the preceptor program have a target of 1,800, but would still need to hit 1,950 to be bonus-eligible. The expectation is that they can spend the 100 hours essentially in training – attending depositions, shadowing attorneys or working directly with their preceptor. Fifty pro bono hours can count as billable once associates have hit 1,900 hours.
During the recession the firm cut salaries. “People weren’t pleased to lose 8 percent of their salary, but Venable is at or above the level of most law firms in the area,” one associate reflected. Another concurred: “We could understand the pay cuts, which were better than the alternative of mass layoffs. Venable laid off relatively few attorneys compared to other firms in 2009.” Some feel they’re not paid enough. “The perception is that we’re compensated less than peers at other firms. But we’re not as far behind as we thought,” another agreed. “I think they spared a lot of people who they could have got rid of, given the economy, which is to their credit.”
Pro Bono
Fifty hours of pro bono contribute toward the billable target once 1,900 hours have been reached. A pro bono coordinator - litigation partner Seth Rosenthal - notifies associates about pro bono opportunities, which include children’s rights, death row cases, veterans’ rights, immigration, advising debtors in Chapter 7 bankruptcies and representing writers and artists. Juniors reported gaining responsibility writing briefs, and arguing before a judge. “No one’s assigned cases without asking,” a litigator reported. “Litigation has been hit hard by the recession, so it would be nice to have more pro bono hours count as billable.” The firm commented that pro bono hours “are considered in the bonus once associates have reached their 1,900 billable target.”
The Venable Foundation, established in 1983, donates to good causes in and around the firm’s locations. In 2010, it handed out over $2 million. The partners at the firm all contribute a portion of their salary to the foundation.
Diversity
Venable’s managing partner, Karl Racine, is the first African American managing partner of an Am Law 100 firm, and for some interviewees his example plus the firm’s attendance at diversity job fairs “stressed the point that minorities are valued here.” Not all juniors were as clued up: “I know they have initiatives, but I don’t know what they are,” one admitted.
Various events have included a brown bag lunch for LGBT staff; sponsorship of the DC Minority Attorney Networking Series; and in March 2011, the Diversity Committee Book Club presented Dr Sarah Weddington, the lawyer and women’s rights activist best known for representing Jane Roe in the landmark case Roe v Wade.
“One of our African-American partners (Robert Wilkins) just became a federal judge, nominated by President Obama,” hiring partner Bob Bolger points out. Venable attends diversity career fairs like DC and Atlanta, though Bolger admits the results are “mixed.” The firm further commented: “It very much depends on the year – last year we had great success at the DC-based job fair.”
Get Hired
Karl Racine says that despite smaller class sizes following the recession, “the summer program has continued and there’s a nice-sized class coming up. We’ll continue to recruit juniors, especially in Baltimore, New York, DC and LA.” What advice does he have for law students right now? “If I were a law student I’d work hard to identify emerging areas of practice – like media, advertising, privacy, internet data and cyber security – as well as practices always important to clients, like tax and litigation. Students should use their advantage (over older lawyers) in technology.”
What is Venable looking for in candidates? Hiring partner Bob Bolger says you should “demonstrate a good academic record but also be well rounded, and focused. This might sound strange, but someone who’s done 50 different things on their resume may not be as good as someone who’s focused on one thing. They may make good politicians, but not be able to sit in a room all day being a lawyer.” The “ability to get along well with others” is essential: “a team player, not individualistic.”
Strategy & Future
In the business division, Karl Racine says tax-related issues are an area of growth, “especially relating to wealthy individuals, entrepreneurs and emerging companies. We continue to grow in this area in DC, Baltimore and LA, where we brought in a team.” In response to the economy, “we have built up the bankruptcy practice.” Additionally, “despite the economy’s instability, transactions and real estate had a very good year and will continue to perform well as the economy recovers.” Anticipating growth here, Venable hired a five-strong real estate team in November 2010.
In government, he expects regulatory and public affairs groups to grow, and “we’re looking to grow the Chambers-rated media advertisements group. We’re looking to add depth to FTC and FDA practices, where we think there’s going to be a lot of activity.”
In litigation, he says: “Venable has been a powerhouse in product liability, for example representing pharmaceuticals clients like Merck, and we’ll continue growing the team. We’re hopeful that SEC and white-collar work will pick up in the ‘new SEC era’. Energy and specifically utilities are growing.” Finally, he says that in IP, life sciences in particular has picked up.
No new offices are planned for 2011, although “Silicon Valley is a market that interests us. We have zero long-term debt and would like to attract lawyers and practices. 2011 is a year for growth.”