Cooley LLP - The Inside View

True to its word, Cooley just has that effortless cool factor sitting at “the intersection of innovation and disruption.” CEO Rachel Proffitt tells us that the firm works “with startups and global companies that are innovators and disruptors themselves.” In fact, juniors tell us that “most of the apps you use on a daily basis are Cooley clients” – including the likes of Zoom. As one junior put it: “Personally, institutional banks and insurance companies didn’t get me excited to be a lawyer, but working with startups where you have the opportunity on small teams to email the CEO, did!”  

“Personally, institutional banks and insurance companies didn’t get me excited to be a lawyer, but working with startups where you have the opportunity on small teams to email the CEO, did!” 

A quick glance at Cooley’s Chambers USA rankings prove that there’s plenty more to the firm than just interesting clients too, with top-ranked corporate M&A, international arbitration, life sciences, privacy and data security, product liability, and startups and emerging companies practices nationwide. That’s on top of the highest accolades for its work in capital markets, life sciences, securities litigation and venture capital in California, and white-collar crime and government investigations in New York. Of course, the firm’s reputation was a big part of the draw, but associates at Cooley were quick to highlight the value of hands-on experience with small teams and the importance placed on the firm’s culture in its decision-making: “At every event, Cooley attorneys were without fail easy to talk to, open to questions, and quick to talk about their interests. It felt human compared to most other firms.” Out of the 13 offices stateside, all of which hold juniors, the majority could be found either in New York or Palo Alto. A good spread were also across San Francisco, Washington, DC and Boston too.  

Cooley is recognized as an Excellent Performer for Associate Satisfaction and two other categories in our 2025 survey.

Strategy & Future 

“Our ethos as a firm is about being able to support the small start up in a garage all the way to global multinational enterprises,” Rachel Proffitt reminds us. In essence, the entire life cycle of a startup from fundraisers to IPOs, M&A exists and any litigation. “We are united regardless of practice, office and geography,” Proffitt adds, “the idea is that we serve our clients within our four walls globally as one team.” The firm has recently appointed its first chief operating officer and chief innovation officer, and is focusing on technological offerings with products like ‘Cooley Go’ - a microsite offering legal and business know-how resources to entrepreneurs.  

In such a competitive market, we heard Cooley is concentrating its efforts on “key transactional areas like M&A and private equity and continuing to bolster the litigation side of the house, including trial work, government investigations and regulatory work.” Looking to the future growth, Proffitt adds that: “We need to be able to provide the right level of focus, expertise and acumen at each stage. And so, we’ll look at where we need to bolster across the board and continue to invest in our core strategies.” 

Read more from CEO Rachel Proffit under the ‘Get Hired’ tab. 

The Work  

The vast majority of juniors could be found either in general corporate or business litigation. The rest were spread across a handful of practices including technology transactions, fund formation, labor and employment, patent prosecution and IP litigation. As for work allocation, most practices have a centralized staffing coordinator handing out the work and associates fill out a weekly form outlining their capacity and can note down any interests workwise. “It works well for me; it’s having the system in place if you are feeling slow or too busy” juniors agreed, “there’s flexibility in taking work directly from individual partners as well.”   

“As early a stage as two incorporating founders in a garage with a name on paper, all the way to Fortune 500 companies.” 

Starting off with the general corporate practice, here you’ll find clients at “as early a stage as two incorporating founders in a garage with a name on paper, all the way to Fortune 500 companies.” For private and public companies, the focus is on handling everything from venture capital financing, corporate governance advice, stock issuances and capital markets, to initial public offerings and M&A deals. In short, the entire life cycle, “we have strong relationships. There’s a pipeline from those early days that turn into successful companies.” As generalists for the first three years (unless they decide to specialize earlier), juniors work across the above: “The Bay Area and New York are hubs for start-ups and emerging companies, and DC has lots of regulatory work” sources told us, “and the newer Miami office has a cryptocurrency specialism as a hotbed for that work.” As such, working cross office is commonplace for associates.  

We were told that one positive of working with start-up founders is that “the clients are so small that even as a junior, you become the first person a client will call or email with questions.” Of course, that comes with the challenge that you won’t always have other people to fall back on. Corporate governance advice is a core component “acting as in-house counsel,” there’s also advisory work, ensuring that SEC rules and regulations are abided by with offerings, transactions and disclosures. Series financing, capital markets and M&A deal work shape up a significant portion of the work too. Across the board, juniors roll up their sleeves with managing the diligence process and reviewing documentation, coordinating with specialists, updating cap tables, and picking up the pen to draft ancillaries: “I’ve been able to draft some of the main documents at this point” a third year highlighted, “and you can get the hands-on reps with main transaction agreements.” 

Corporate clients: Snowflake, Horizon Therapeutics, Uber. Represented Accel, a venture capital firm, in its investment in Silver Lake and CPP Investment’s take-private acquisition of Qualtrics for $12.5 billion. 

The business litigation practice mainly encompasses commercial disputes and white-collar investigations, involving agencies such as the DOJ, Special Committees and the US Attorney’s Office. Securities litigation falls under this practice, with associates working on contract breaches, trademark, and IP litigation. An insider highlighted, “Lots of our clients are innovative people with groundbreaking tech and healthcare products.” As a rule of thumb, juniors are tasked with legal research and doc review, with responsibilities evolving to “writing briefs and then turning that into a filing, which is a huge responsibility that you can get early on if you show that you’re interested and willing.” The same applies to depositions: “There’s a lot of fact discovery establishing the baseline and themes for depositions and cross examination outlines.” Not stuck behind a desk but also on the ground, one associate recalled that: “Very early on I was pulled onto the case and went to the client site straightaway. I was involved in the data collection and witness interviews, and I enjoyed that the most.” Over time, as associates approach mid-level, they’re also expected to take on more of a management role, delegating work to juniors.  

Business litigation clients: Google, Roblox, University of Southern California. Represented OpenAI against a class action where plaintiffs alleged the violation of privacy and property rights of Internet users during the training of its large language models (LLMs), including ChatGPT. 

Career Development 

First years at the firm begin their time with ‘Cooley College’ a year-long program which received high praise for its tailored weekly programming for litigation and corporate-based sessions: “These sessions dovetail with the work you’re doing and give you a framework to think about it through.” These sessions offer guidance on the likes of public company annual reporting when those deadlines near, for example. There’s also practice presentations and online resources including a webinar series on AI and the legal landscape. On top of that, for the first six months newbies are paired with a partner mentor and integration buddy: “It’s great having that support system to walk you through BigLaw life” insiders acknowledged, emphasizing that “there’s lots of informal mentorship that goes on with those you work with. It varies, but people generally leave their doors open and encourage you to chat about matters, feedback or broader career development.” 

As they progress, associates have access to an in-house career coach to take advantage of. The majority felt that partnership is attainable “as most have been here a long time, at least since the early part of their careers.” When it came to transparency, it was too early to know the ins and outs, “but, from what I understand, there are mid-level and senior academies designed as crucial steps for that and other career paths” a junior added. If that’s not on the cards, associates felt confident about the prospect of government and in-house opportunities too.  

Culture 

“BigLaw is fundamentally hard” one junior told us, “but it would be even harder if the people around you were unforgiving or demanding. At Cooley, the people are smart and there’s an expectation of quality work, but there’s also an understanding that we have lives outside of it.” With an emphasis on collaboration and togetherness, “everyone feels like a valued member of the team.” Sources valued the interactions and relationships they had with business staff, fellow associates and partners: “People are always stopping by each other’s offices, it’s a pretty open and laid back culture. The West Coast culture rings true.” New York was highlighted as having a slightly different vibe to the rest of the firm: “There a good number of lateral associates and partners, and by virtue of New York being New York it self-selects a faster paced life. Still, a lot embody the Cooley image of life outside of work.”   

“There’s a wealth of events and opportunities to connect” associates told us, from casually grabbing lunch together, practice lunch and learns, and happy hours. Events often reflect occasions from Chinese New Year, Thanksgiving to March Madness, participating in pickleball and softball leagues and attending concerts and baseball games during the summer program. A past highlight was the “Cooley Olympics – it was like The Office Olympic episode with different activities in the parking lot – just a bunch of fun games.”  A Palo Alto source told us: “that is a huge signal of the culture here.” That said, associates reassured that “there is a respect for your personal life. There’s no expectation to attend extra-curricular events.”  

Cooley is recognized as The Elite for Quality of Life and Pro Bono in our 2025 survey.

Pro Bono 

“Pro bono is definitely encouraged,” with associates enjoying the unlimited pro bono policy available to them. Day to day “pro bono is so woven in its not given a second thought” one junior explained, “I’ve never been chastised for doing too much” (we heard north of 100 hours). “Urgent pro bono deadlines are treated seriously as a litigation matter, I’ve never felt pro bono has had to take a second chair.” Opportunities are frequently communicated by the dedicated pro bono team and partners themselves. What’s more, attorneys can bring their own projects to the table.  

“Pro bono is so woven in, it's not given a second thought.” 

There’s plenty of chances to get involved from short-term commitments like day clinics to longer term projects. We heard of associates assisting in everything from providing corporate advice to local business and non-profits, immigration and asylum cases, voting rights and LGBTQ+ matters, amicus briefs, and criminal law matters. Opportunities come through relationships with the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project, Kids in Need for Defence, DC Bar Pro Bono Center, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. Not only is it “really rewarding to be out helping in the local community,” but it also offers “that direct ownership of a matter and direct contact with clients.” 

Pro bono hours:

• For all US offices: 84,959
• Average per US attorney: 75

Hours & Compensation  

Billable hours: 1,950 target 

Interviewees agreed that the 1,950 billable target is “achievable” especially when considering the unlimited creditable pro bono and a 107-hour bucket for firm citizenship hours, which includes client pitches, internal publications, shadowing, recruiting, firm innovation, and volunteering. Those working with emerging companies noted having to be cognizant of the fact that, "unlike M&A and capital markets, you don’t have one big client to bill to, you’re jumping between ten or so clients throughout the day.” That said, we were told across intellectual property, litigation and transactions that it’s been busy and so those who are recognized as meeting performance expectations for their level receive a market level bonus.  

Associates are expected to be in the office the majority of the time, which translates to three days a week in practice. We heard there’s a degree of flexibility in the working day, for example “I tend to work from home in the morning and then beat traffic by going in later” one associate shared. As for the hours, our survey respondents indicated working on average just over 46 hours a week. Those we spoke to tended to start between 7.30am to 9.30am before heading home between 6 and 7pm. Although this was sometimes followed by logging back on in the evenings and at weekends towards deadlines. “It’s going to happen as it’s the nature of the beast, but you have that support” a corporate source emphasized, “I don’t feel alone, if I’m up late, most of the team are online and working towards it too.”

Get Hired

The first stage: recruitment on and off campus  

OCI applicants interviewed: 563

Interviewees outside OCI: 262

Cooley engages in a wide range of outreach activities and events throughout the year. Students are encouraged to apply via Cooley Direct or through their law school's OCI/resume collection process, if the firm is participating. Typically, candidates will apply directly to General Corporate, Business Litigation, or one of the firm's specialty groups (e.g., Compensation & Benefits, Cyber Data Privacy, Debt Finance, Life Sciences Partnering, etc.) and will interview with members of the respective office or practice area. At the screening stage, the criteria include a genuine interest in and understanding of Cooley's culture and practice, and interviews will focus on assessing the candidate's competencies.

Top tips:  

“They make no secret that it's behavioral interviewing, and they also evaluate whether they can socialize with the person professionally and whether the candidate is presentable and potentially easy-going with a client.” – a junior associate   

“I think having a good understanding of the tech ecosystem, especially in New York, would help. Being actively interested and up to date on startup ties into the larger theme of showing interest in the type of work we do.” – a junior associate  

Callbacks 

Applicants invited to second stage:  411

The firm's legal talent team greets callback interviewees prior to their meetings with five to seven lawyers total; there's also (where possible) a coffee or lunch with two junior associates. Interviewers will vary in seniority and practice area, based on the candidate's stated interests – the firm “always asks if there are specific types of individuals you'd like to meet during your visit.”  

Competencies remain central to this interview stage. Cooley follows behavioral interviewing techniques, “assigning each interviewer a specific topic to establish if the candidate possesses the traits that we find work best for Cooley teams.” Impressing at this stage requires research into the firm's practice, asking candid questions and making sure you know your goals and that they align with those of the firm.  

Top tips:  

“Compared to other firms people have to be very practical and have a certain maturity: we work with a lot of smaller companies who don't want a memo – they want practical advice.” – a junior associate   

“Cooley tries to find people who are people and not just lawyers. It's about finding out whether or not you're a well-rounded person with interests outside academics.” – a junior associate  

Summer program 

Offers:  155 2L offers

Acceptances:  84 2L acceptances

Eschewing a formal rotation system, Cooley has its assignment coordinators meet regularly with summer associates to ensure they're getting a taste of everything they're interested in within their practice group. They also each get an associate and partner mentor, and 'comprehensive' training sessions including mini 'Cooley College' sessions throughout the summer. Cooley also gives formal feedback to its summer associates once they’ve completed each assignment and via mid and end-of-summer sessions.  

“An entrepreneurial mindset” will serve summer associates well, as those who seize the chance to guide their experience will thrive. Cooley is looking for summers “to take ownership and inspire confidence,” as the majority will return to the firm as juniors and will have decided on their area of practice by that stage.  

Notable summer events: Assortment of cooking classes from pizza and dumpling making to key lime pie making.  Volunteer opportunities, pickle ball, a spray paint workshop, pottery making, beach yoga, and a variety of happy hours and other opportunities for summer associates to meet informally with our lawyers. (Office Dependent)  

Top tips:  

“The best way to approach the summer is to try and figure out if you're interested in certain things, if there's someone you really want to work with to get a taste of that and just meet people. Figuring out if you like the people and would be happy to spend late nights with them in the office is most important.” – a junior associate  

And finally...  

At interview “it shines through when you are genuine and enthusiastic about where you see yourself and why, and it provides for genuine conversation.” – the firm  

Interview with Rachel Proffitt, CEO

Commercial strategy, market position and trends 

Chambers Associate: How would you define your firm’s current position and identity in the legal market? What differentiates your firm from your peer firms in the market?  

Rachel Proffitt: We’ve been at the center of the technology ecosystem for over 50 years; it’s part of our DNA. We are fortunate to sit at the intersection of innovation and disruption and work with startups and global companies that are innovators and disrupters themselves. We work across the entire corporate life cycle whether it's a start up going through fundraising rounds, through to an IPO or M&A exit, and any bet-the-company litigation. As a result, we are unparalleled both in the nature of our work and the breadth of our client base, with over 12,000 clients, an order of magnitude that is greater than most.  

Moreover, our ‘one team’ approach sets us apart. We are united regardless of practice, office and geography, the idea is that we serve our clients within our four walls globally as one team. If they hire Rachel, they are hiring the whole army behind me, there is no territorialism or protectionism there. We’re all striving towards the common goal of being the go-to law firm for the modern economy. 

CA: Have there been any developments at the firm over the past year that you’d like law students to know about?  

Proffitt: Over the last year, we’ve continued doing what we do best, having a sharpened focus on making strategic investments in key markets and practices, whether that’s nationally, or in Europe and Asia. We continue to refine and add to our core capabilities in technology and life sciences, and beyond. We saw remarkable performance and sustained momentum in our litigation department over the last year in particular.  

We continue to have a very keen focus on operational excellence and hired our first Chief Operating Officer and our first Chief Innovation Officer. We advised AI companies on some of their most ground-breaking matters – that’s a leadership position we’re proud of as it reflects our commitment to innovation, and innovation in our own industry as well.  

CA: Are there any domestic or international events/trends that are affecting any of the firm’s practices at the moment? Are there any trends that you think are affecting the business of law firms more generally, and how is that playing out with your firm? 

Proffitt: With the onset of AI and technological advancements, many industries are going through a period of disruption which is exciting for us as going back to our DNA, we’ve always been focused on innovation in how we practice and service our clients. And so, for us it will be critical to strengthen our reputation as the go-to law firm that is supporting innovative technologies for today and tomorrow.  

Another trend is there is a lot of talent mobility in the legal market and it’s critical that we continue to identify that talent that is going to be the most additive to our goals so that we remain competitive and protect our unique culture. Our ‘one team culture’, incenting collaboration and that we do this together, is critical. As the industry goes through this evolution with talent mobility it’s important that we find talent that is deeply connected to our core values and commitment to providing excellent service, together.  

CA: What is your firm’s commercial strategy focusing on, and how do you expect the next year to unfold? 

Proffitt: It’s a highly competitive market – so it's critical to maintain our market leading position in the areas we are known for and also where we aspire to grow. This includes key transactional areas like M&A and private equity and continuing to bolster the litigation side of the house, including trial work, government investigations and regulatory work. Our ethos as a firm is about being able to support the small start up in a garage all the way to the global multinational enterprises. We need to be able to provide the right level of focus, expertise and acumen at each stage. And so, we’ll look at where we need to bolster across the board and continue to invest in our core strategies. 

Inside the Firm 

CA: How is the firm evolving to accommodate the needs/expectations of the next generation of lawyers? 

Proffitt: It’s two-fold, we need to be designing our workplace to accommodate the next generation of talent and help our next generation of talent to understand what it means to be in a high-performance client service industry. That’s really important as our clients, like at other top firms, pay top dollar for top advice and so we need to ensure we meet the moment there. This relates to the highly collaborative environment we create, ensuring folks come in feeling they are part of a community and belong. We appreciate the differences among us, the perspectives, personalities and all the things that make us unique, and we strive to create an environment that welcomes all of that within our four walls. We also have a whole committee dedicated to mental health and wellness that has a broad and lasting impact on our teammates, this is not just for the next generation but everyone.  

Secondly, we have a robust legal education and professional development program, which breaks into two buckets. One is making sure folks have the right substantive legal acumen to become the best lawyer they can possibly be. That starts from the moment you get here, our young talent benefits from a robust nine-month deep dive into the foundational building blocks of our practice, focusing on the lifecycle of a company and the lifecycle of a litigation matter. Also, we have a fairly rigorous professional development program, which consists of academies to mark significant times of transition in seniority and optional executive coaching. Whether it’s about ‘how do I network?’, ‘what is the most effective way to develop?’, ‘how should I be thinking about my career?’, or ‘what if I don’t want to be at a law firm forever?’ It’s important we create spaces that allow people to find what will make them professionally fulfilled, and I think we do a very good job at those things. Knock on wood, most don’t leave to other firms, but choose to go in-house, which is a testament to the rewarding environment we’ve created.  

The Legal Profession 

CA: How do you predict the legal profession will change in the next five years? Are there any particular challenges the industry is facing? 

Proffitt: The reality of innovation is AI has been around for some time, but this new wave of generative AI and all that comes with it is absolutely transforming the way we deliver services and practice law. I can’t say yet what that will look like in the next five years, but I believe it will create more efficiency and free the younger talent from the mundane day to day activities and level them up to think more strategically.  

With our Chief Innovation Officer, we have been considering the business of law as it relates to new technological offerings. The beauty is we’ve been doing this for years and years, we have ‘Cooley Go’ and document generators that enables us and our clients to be more efficient. We’ll continue to leverage our desire to be entrepreneurial and technology forward. The evolution will be dramatic, and while it’s hard to say what shape it will take, we’re pretty excited to lead here.  

The Fun Bit 

CA: What was the first car you owned? 

Proffitt: A Honda Accord – well, it was stick shift. They don’t really make manual transmissions anymore, I really loved that, it was fun for me to learn and drive. 

CA: What memory/moment has stuck with you from law school? 

Proffitt: It’s interesting now given the role I have; I used to be terrified of public speaking and the thought of getting called on in class horrified me, I would always get nervous. Once I was in moot court serving as a litigator, it was nerve-wracking, but I won my argument! I remember thinking this solidifies that I’m going be a transactional lawyer - I don’t want to live in court, as it was an emotionally depleting experience. Thinking back now, I still get nervous publicly speaking but I wonder if I had had more experience or exposure to it in law school, would I have loved to litigate and found my way to oral arguments. But alas, here I am – I didn’t see this in law school.  

CA: Which actor/actress would you want to play you in a biopic about your life? 

Proffitt: That’s a great one – Gwyneth Paltrow!