Crowell & Moring LLP - The Inside View

Crowell is a firm with a somewhat unique sense of humor seldom found in BigLaw. “The rubber duck is our mascot,” commented one source nonchalantly, before explaining its origin story: “We have a fountain in our DC office where someone once put a rubber duck, and now we have rubber ducks to mark Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day and other holidays. People don’t take themselves too seriously!” For quite a few of our sources, this was all part of the attraction: “I was drawn to how quirky the firm is because I am a quirky individual. It seemed like Crowell was the firm where I could most be myself – it was the least buttoned up.” 

“We have grown to be increasingly transactional.”

Of course, to be a thriving AmLaw 100 firm you need more in your repertoire than a quirky penchant for rubber ducks. Crowell may well have a fun side, but it certainly has the expertise and track record to back up its legal endeavors. “From 1979, we’ve grown from a regulatory backbone,” says partner and chair of the management board Phil Inglima. “We have grown to be increasingly transactional and have been adding talent in practices such as corporate M&A, securities, and private equity. Even though transactional depth has been a great focus, it has not been at the expense of everything else: we still have an outstanding government contracts practice, as well as great white-collar, privacy, cybersecurity and international trade work.” 

Indeed, Crowell’s government contracts, privacy & data security, corporate crime, and international trade expertise all pick up nationwide acclaim in Chambers USA. On its home ground of DC, the firm’s general commercial litigation expertise stands out, as does its expertise in sectors like healthcare and insurance. Meanwhile, a recent merger with an IP boutique (see below) has cemented Crowell’s status in this practice area in Chicago. Most of the associates on our list could be found in the DC HQ, but there were also a number practicing out of the New York, Chicago, and California offices. 

Strategy & Future 

“There has been a lot of growth over the past two years,” Inglima tells us. “In 2021, there was an emphasis on intellectual property and technology, and we joined forces with the Chicago-based Brinks Gilson & Lione.” This move enabled Crowell to acquire over 50 lawyers in areas such as brand infringement and patent infringement and broadened the firm's scope across the Midwest. Off the back of this combination, “we now have a greater number of professionals, PhD holders, and engineers – all of whom have become subject matter experts.” This boost in the areas of IP and tech has clearly been a driver for growth across the firm: “We’ve had 150 new attorneys join us in the last 18 months.” 

“We are a mission-driven entity,” Inglima summarizes. “We want to be an organization that believes in doing things the right way, whether unpopular or uncommon. We are not the largest firm, and we’re not seeking to be everywhere, but in the areas we do work in, we want to be excellent.”  

The Work 

Junior associates tend to start out in two practice groups but have the option of potentially specializing in one or continuing to work across two further down the line. Sometimes specializing in one group is not an option if there isn’t enough work going around to satisfy billable requirements. All groups have an assignment partner who helps to allocate the work: “At the start you are getting your work formally, but then over time you start working with a few partners and assignment becomes more organic.” Having the “flexibility of both” assignment methods was well received by our interviewees, who liked “operating under a free market, while also getting calls from assigning partners – it's nice to have that crutch if you need it.” Practices with a significant number of juniors working in them included antitrust, patent, litigation, white-collar, government contracts, and tort. 

“...we do a lot of regulatory counseling for consumer protection purposes.” 

In the government contracts practice, Crowell works with federal, state, local and foreign contractors of all sizes. This work comes in different forms from all sectors and fields; some sources highlighted work on the bidding process for public contracts, while others mentioned regulatory compliance matters and litigating on behalf of government contractors. Matters were also described as addressing pertinent issues, such as “an executive order to address European concerns over surveillance practices in the US – it's meant to help companies work across borders.” We heard that juniors spend a fair amount of time reviewing and editing documents, but they can also look forward to more substantive writing opportunities and regulatory counseling tasks as they gain experience. “I enjoy anything that falls within the government contracts space,” an associate told us. “As a junior, I assumed that I wouldn’t be writing motions early on, but I was pleasantly surprised to get that opportunity within a matter of months.” 

Government contracts clients: Lockheed Martin Corporation, MBIA Insurance Corp, BAE Systems. Represented Lockheed Martin Corporation during an appeal to recover $143 million from the U.S. Air Force related to its C-5 Galaxy military aircraft. 

“We are currently excelling in litigation,” Inglima remarks. One of the big draws here was the chance to work in specialized areas that not every firm covers, like international terrorism litigation. Other litigation specialisms include insurance, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), antitrust, healthcare and mass torts. “We do everything from bankruptcy to general commercial disputes,” a source confirmed. “The companies we work with range from startups to Fortune 500 clients – we also do plaintiff and defense work.” In the tort space, “we do a lot of regulatory counseling for consumer protection purposes,” a source explained. When teams are lean (“just me, a counsel, and a partner”), juniors found that they could get “a lot of good, substantive work, including the chance to take a couple of depositions and draft motions and memos – you don’t feel like a number, and your colleagues seek out opportunities for you.” Another highlight was conducting direct client briefings, “where you get to present your analyses to the client.” 

Litigation clients: Blue Cross Blue Shield, Marriott International, Howard University. Defending HP during a class action that relates to the sale and marketing of HP computers that contain a certain kind of processor. 

In IP, our sources had taken on patent litigation assignments, as well as International Trade Commission (ITC) and cybersecurity matters. Clients here can range from “telecommunications companies and consulting organizations to startups and entities focused on new technologies such as blockchain.” Tasks included “conducting legal research, preparing responses, answering complaints, taking depositions, and drafting motions and briefs – you have to take responsibility, read the requirements carefully, and keep the people you work with informed.” Chambers USA recognizes Crowell’s ITC know-how on a nationwide scale, while its litigation capabilities are praised in DC and its trademark and copyright expertise receives nods across its Chicago and California offices. 

IP clients: Microsoft, brewing company Molson Coors, and software company Xinuos. Currently defending a subsidiary of Molson Coors against claims of trademark infringement and dilution, as well as unfair competition. 

Career Development 

“My work does not just enter a black hole – I get the end product back with edits and expectations.” 

Formal training opportunities reportedly vary by practice group, with larger areas – like litigation – viewed as offering more: “The firm offers some incredible deposition training and a litigation bootcamp.” All associates are assigned a partner mentor and a peer mentor. “Both of them are active,” noted one interviewee, “and they’re always asking how they can support me and if I have enough work.” Our sources also emphasized that partners will go out of their way to make sure associates get experience while also offering feedback: “My work does not just enter a black hole – I get the end product back with edits and expectations.” This junior did note that “professional development is a two-way street: if I am invested in my development, then so will the seniors and partners I work with.”  

Opinions on the path to partnership also varied, with some declaring it “attainable - they lay all that out and it’s pretty straightforward,” while others felt that “it’s not transparent, but I know that it exists.” A positive highlight was that “we have permanent counsel and they are happy in those positions, although I have also seen people switch from counsel to partner tracks.” Another concluded that “development at the firm depends on your personal relationships, and I have been lucky enough to form strong relationships with partners.” 

Hours & Compensation 

Billable hours: 1,900 or 2,000 target 

Crowell has two full-time billable hour tracks, pitched at 1,900 and 2,000 hours (associates can also opt to pursue a reduced hours track below 1,900 hours). If associates are on the higher track and “miss it by a certain amount, they can put you on the 1,900 track and your base pay is reduced accordingly.” We did hear that an associate's extenuating circumstances, current performance reviews, and historical performance at the firm are considered, however. Also, a perk of being on the 1,900 track is that “if I happen to meet the 2,000 hours, I’ll get the higher compensation.” Juniors felt that it was easier to hit the hours in some groups than others, but Crowell’s overall approach is that “they don’t want people to work themselves to the bone – in my practice group, no one is hounding me about the hours.”  

“Transparency is best!” 

Those on the 2,000 track can count up to 100 hours of nonbillable time – pro bono, DE&I and investment hours – toward their target, while those on the 1,900 track can count up to 50 hours of DE&I time and an unlimited amount of pro bono and investment hours. Bonuses are awarded based on an associate's level; how many hours they've billed; the quality of their performance; and overall contributions to the firm. Compensation at the firm is lockstep, which went down well with our sources: “Transparency is best!” They also flagged that base salaries and bonuses could be below market, but that this “creates a better culture,” with this source wisely noting: “Crowell doesn’t attract people because of the pay.” The other trade-off was felt to be a better work/life balance, but sources were still keen to emphasize that “this isn’t a nine-to-five!” During peak times, associates estimated that they were working between ten and 12 hours a day. 

Culture 

“We want to create a good culture, a sharing economy, and a sharing mentality,” Phil Inglima, partner and chair of the management board, tells us. “We all have a sense that we share a common purpose and it’s imbued in us.” With this mentality acting as a foundation, creating community is a big priority. The pandemic changed work and people’s ability to work from home, but it also led to isolation. Consequently, the firm is maintaining the hybrid work environment and recommending that associates come into the office for at least two days per week. This is to allow for better collaboration on assignments and more informal bonding between attorneys.  

“...the back-and-forth emails between the offices were hilarious!” 

Our interviewees confirmed that “there’s a big push for collaboration” and there’s “a sense of community – the partners and associates are colleagues but also friends.” This means that Crowell has “a small-firm feel where people are down to earth: we have tons of email chains where people are just cracking jokes. For example, the DC and San Francisco offices were competing to raise money for charity, and the back-and-forth emails between the offices were hilarious!” There can be some regional variations, with those in California declaring that “we’re a little more laid back and not as traditional as the DC office.” Sources agreed that the culture at Crowell “starts at the top” and praised management for being clear and communicative: “We have monthly conference calls with management where we get an idea of where we can expect changes – the transparency from the top creates comfort.” 

Pro Bono 

“The pro bono network is not just words – it is supported and demonstrated by action,” a source stated. This action was evidenced by the firm’s move to “create a racial taskforce that takes on racial equity cases following George Floyd, and then, after the Supreme Court Dobbs decision, to create a reproductive rights taskforce.” Another junior informed us that “we have a pro bono partner and around three attorneys who are focused on pro bono – it's highly encouraged, and the pro bono group is always receptive to expanding on the areas they help with.” Our interviewees had worked on veteran and immigration matters, with longer-term assignments focused on “helping people from Afghanistan apply for asylum: I helped them to prepare for interviews and interacted with the immigration officers.” Every year, the firm hosts the George Bailey Pro Bono Awards event. 

While sources certainly felt encouraged to do pro bono, a few were disappointed by the 100-hour billable credit cap that has been placed on the activity for those on the 2,000-hour track. “In August I got an interesting pro bono matter, but I was already 70 hours in,” one explained. “It would cost me money unless I worked weekends to meet my billable hours.” Another relayed that they “reached my billable credit cap, which was disappointing – the firm has made a big push to do pro bono, but there is a credit limit.” 

“It’s a big goal for the firm and they’ve presented to us how they are trying to diversify every level.” 

Pro bono hours 

• For all (US) attorneys: 39,244
• Average per (US) attorney: 59.9

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 

Crowell achieved Mansfield 5.0 Certification in 2022 and is taking part in the sixth iteration of the Mansfield program, which has put an ever-increasing focus on diversifying law firm leadership. The firm has also pledged to add at least 150 women and lawyers from diverse backgrounds by 2026. “It’s a big goal for the firm and they’ve presented to us how they are trying to diversify every level,” a source confirmed. “At the partnership level we’re not there yet, but we are better than other firms.” Another found that Crowell is taking “tangible steps – they are vocal and acting on it, by providing sponsorship to diverse associates and giving them the tools to advance at the firm. There was a diversity retreat and I felt that it was genuine.” 82% of our survey respondents believed that the firm is putting in effort to retain and mentor diverse associates.  

Get Hired

OCIs

Crowell conducts OCIs and resume collections at a number of schools across the country on a national and regional basis. To achieve the firm’s goals of attracting a significant diverse pool of talent, Crowell lawyers participate in a number of interview programs and job fairs nationally and in local markets.  Write-in candidates are encouraged from outside the established schedules.

The number of students interviewed varies by school, depending on the number of interview schedules and the hiring goals.

“We not only consider, but regularly extend offers to, write-in candidates, and we always ask our OCI interviewers to accommodate additional candidates. We don’t want to miss an exceptional candidate with a strong interest in Crowell because he or she didn’t make it onto our schedule.” – Dj Wolff, Co-Chair Associate & Counsel Recruiting Committee.

Interviews are usually conducted by a team of two attorneys. The attorneys will demonstrate the diversity of the firm in many ways including by title, practice, years of experience, and sometimes even location.

"We like to send a team of two attorneys, and we try to pick people who will approach the interview from unique perspectives. That means students will often meet partners and associates, from different practice groups, and engage with interviewers with diverse perspectives and experiences. That way our candidates can get a range of questions answered, and a range of answers to their questions." – DJ Wolff, , Co-Chair Associate & Counsel Recruiting Committee.

Interviewers will try to gauge why candidates want to work in law, their goals and working style, their strengths, how they see themselves interacting with clients and fellow attorneys, and their level of interest in the firm. 

“We love candidates who can provide concrete examples of their educational, personal or working experiences and tie those experiences to their goals and expectations as a lawyer at Crowell & Moring.” - Astor Heaven, Co-Chair Associate & Counsel Recruiting Committee.

Callbacks

Callback interviews are conducted by teams of lawyers from various backgrounds, seniority, and practice groups. The number of interviewers varies by office, and candidates should expect to meet with four and six interviewers.

At this stage, interviewers are looking to hear about specific formative experiences. For example, interviewees could be asked to talk through a problem they previously worked through, and how they might do things the same or differently given things they have learned since.

In addition, interviewers look for people who are entrepreneurial and goal oriented, function well in a team environment, bring demonstrated leadership capabilities, and represent diverse backgrounds. Interviewers at Crowell are great at connecting and will ask questions that enrich a conversation.

“Be yourself.  Be invested.  And don’t be afraid to ask questions – we are most impressed when candidates are well informed and based on some insights into the legal profession, our firm or our client base.” - Astor Heaven, Co-Chair Associate & Counsel Recruiting Committee.

Summer Program

During the summer, work is assigned by staffing coordinators based on practice interests of the summer associate. Each summer associate is also required to work on at least one pro bono project.

Crowell summer associates participate in a robust training program. They are introduced to firm leaders and practice groups, and have opportunities to learn about various legal paths from firm lawyers in a “spotlight” series. Training programs for critical skills include writing, communication, negotiations, receiving feedback, and client service.

Summer program activities are designed to introduce summer associates to lawyers and professional staff, build a class community, and get to know the city. Summer associates participate in a range of events, that could include cooking and art classes, sporting events, historic tours, or boating on a nearby waterway.

“We want our summers to have fun, but we want them to have meaningful work and a real opportunity to see what employment looks like at Crowell.  Our staffing coordinators work closely with each summer to ensure each is getting great assignments in a broad cross section of practice areas.  We want them ready to hit the ground when they start, and part of that is figuring out where to land.” – Astor Heaven, Co-Chair Associate & Counsel Recruiting Committee.

“Don’t be shy!  Talk to other lawyers and staff and other summers, and try to experience what life will be like when they become junior associates. Make the most out of the experience.”  – Astor Heaven, Co-Chair Associate & Counsel Recruiting Committee.

Those who receive an offer are matched to practice areas the summer before they start based on a combination of their preferences and the needs of each practice. First-year associates are typically assigned to two practices with the opportunity to specialize, if they wish, over time.

“We approach our summer associate hiring from the perspective of identifying talent with whom we want to be colleagues.  Help us get to know you and understand why you are a perfect fit, not just for the summer, but hopefully for a career.” – Dj Wolff, Co-Chair Associate & Counsel Recruiting Committee.