Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP - The Inside View

With proud practice area diversity reigning boldly supreme, there’s a great chance you’ll find your niche at this flavorsome Philly firm.

It’s been 150 years since Morgan Lewis started out in Pennsylvania’s largest city, and the Philly firm is now a giant of the BigLaw big leagues. But, while the firm certainly has won its fair share of awards and rankings, it’s certainly not resting on its laurels. As Morgan Lewis chair Jami McKeon advises, “what you really should care about is what underpins those rankings.” For instance, she highlights how the firm is “one of the global elite without being elitist,” and associates sensed a similarly relaxed atmosphere about the place with colleagues who are “kind, diligent and easy to work with.” It was this personal touch that spoke to many of our sources, as did the smaller class sizes: “It’s more individualized here, but without the competition. I’ve had the opportunity to meet with partners and build relationships with clients.” 

“It’s more individualized here, but without the competition.” 

McKeon, whose position as chair of the firm makes Morgan Lewis the largest global law firm headed by a woman, adds that, while many firms may have historically “slimmed down” and reduced practice areas, Morgan Lewis “went the other way instead.” Luckily for one associate who “wanted to find a firm big enough to provide a niche,” McKeon confirms that “our stock and trade is our client relationships, so we’re going to stay broad and deep! What we’re going to focus on is being world-class in each of our 15 practice areas, even if everyone else thinks that’s too hard.” Associates noted a great sense of staying power on a more personal level, too, with one sharing how there are “a ton of people from partners to professional staff – such as those who work on audiovisuals, in the café and at reception – who have been here for years.” So much so, that “we just had a leaving do for a cleaner who’d been here for 30 years!” 

The firm’s variety of work is firmly on display in the Chambers USA guide, which gives Morgan Lewis top-tier nationwide approval in corporate/M&A, investment funds, international trade, labor & employment and capital markets. The guide also recognizes the firm across regions, with further top rankings in environment in California, litigation in Florida and antitrust in Massachusetts – just to name a few! This prestige applies on an international level, as the firm has 15 overseas bases and dozens of Chambers Global rankings (across Asia, Europe, the Americas and the Middle East) to match. So, not only does the firm boast diversity of practice areas, but it’s got a pretty neat geographical spread, too. Speaking of which, associates on our list were based in 13 of the firm’s 18 offices – with most in Philadelphia, DC and New York

Morgan Lewis is recognized as The Elite for Associate Satisfaction and four other categories in our 2024 survey.

Strategy & Future 



McKeon explains how “we’re at a time where a lot of law firms are struggling with layoffs, first-year deferrals and reduced compensation,” but despite this, “we’ve been very fortunate. This was again the best year we’ve ever had across all measures, including our profitability and growth.” The cause of this stability, according to McKeon, is that “we didn’t go crazy during COVID and hire a million corporate specialists. We already had a great corporate group, so we didn’t have to hire extra tax and employment lawyers.” Transactional practices are notoriously volatile across the market, but thanks to the firm’s pandemic preparation, “when interest rates create problems and the global economy is a challenge, this balance makes Morgan Lewis a safe haven.” 

On top of significant expansion across its sports and aviation practice, the firm has also grown its taskforces. These are special groups designed to inform and help clients navigate any industry issues that arise because of global crises. Initially, these were set up “to give clients thought leadership on COVID-19,” but have since developed to address client concerns following the Russo-Ukrainian war and conflict in Gaza and Israel. McKeon confirms that Germany is also a growth focus for the firm, which now has two offices in the country following its recent acquisition of an office in Munich. 

Read more from Jami McKeon under the 'Get Hired' tab.

The Work 



When it comes to practice area preferences, summer associates get to “try everything” before ranking their choices, though they are certainly not tied to their initial preference. This flexibility extends to work allocation, as Morgan Lewis has both formal and informal routes to get associates staffed on their matters. Most offices have a staffing partner for centralized allocation, yet interviewees had also used relationships with partners and mentors to find work. “I don’t need to use the coordinator as my group is extremely close,” said one insider, “but it’s nice to know they’re there if people are looking for work.” 

Junior litigators can get involved in a variety of contentious matters, including commercial, appellate, securities, consumer class actions and white-collar litigation. Morgan Lewis keeps it broad, and associates were happy to boast that “we do pretty much everything” and “we work with all different types of clients.” We heard that these can range from bigger pharma companies to smaller government contractors, and even includes CEOs and other individuals. One interviewee was pleased to say, “we’ve also done work on tech, crypto and environmental litigation.” Daily life for rookie litigators, we heard, typically involves joining plenty of calls, looking through discovery, assisting with management conferences and drafting basic motions, briefs and basic pleadings. One interviewee, however, was keen to express that this isn’t the extent of responsibility for greener associates: “There’s a stereotype that all juniors do is doc review, but I’ve done all kinds of stuff, such as managing review teams, preparing deposition outlines and conducting witness interviews!” 

Litigation clients: HP, Microsoft, Amazon. Acted on behalf of global travel agency Expedia in an antitrust lawsuit that alleged they had exercised unjust monopoly power to push its rivals out of the market. 

“You can dabble in a bit of everything but also get to specialize.” 

Insiders described financial institutions as a “very broad” practice area, spanning a number of sub-groups such as investment management and broker-dealer regulation. “It’s a predominantly lender-focused group,” explained one associate, “with about 70% lender- and 30% borrower-side work.” There’s also a wing that focuses on asset-based lending and impact investing loans, the latter being essentially ESG funding. “You don’t really find such opportunities in the industry,” an associate raved, while another detailed how they’ve been able to see multiple sides of transactions: “We work on both applications to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and with investors. You can dabble in a bit of everything but also get to specialize.” On the investment management side, one associate explained, “I’ve worked on examinations for the Securities Exchange Commission, with clients registering new businesses and on ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act) matters. I’ve advised on pension plan investments and joined plenty of client meetings.” In fact, calls appeared to be central to this group’s work, and insiders revealed that “sometimes you’ll just be part of the call, but other times you can lead the conversation.” Other daily tasks, according to interviewees, included research assignments, drafting responses to regulators and reviewing deals and credit agreements. Clients similarly ranged from “wirehouses and broker-dealers to large financial institutions and cryptocurrency companies.” 

Financial institutions clients: JP Morgan, Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley. Represented the New York City Retirement System on various matters, including pension plans, private funds and strategic partnerships. 

Pro Bono 



With unlimited hours on offer and an array of opportunities to try out, it likely comes as no surprise that pro bono was yet another thing that drew our associate interviewees to the firm. Although associates are set a minimum target of 20 hours with no upper limit, one insider estimated that most complete around 50 to 70 hours on average. “I’ve never had any negative response to doing over 100 hours, which I’ve done in the last two years,” said one interviewee, while another quipped, “if you’re billing 1,000 hours then someone might have a word!” That said, if pro bono floats your boat, then “there really is no upper ceiling” at Morgan Lewis, according to associates. Matters on offer include employment, immigration, asylum and racial justice work, with recent pro bono work aiding refugees in Afghanistan and El Salvador. 

Pro bono hours 

  • For all US attorneys: 115,883
  • Average per US attorney: 64

Hours & Compensation 



Billable hours: no requirement

While there is no officially mandated target at Morgan Lewis, the associates we spoke to overwhelmingly posited the figure of 1,900 hours as a general aim. Others mentioned that the firm had encouraged them to hit 2,000 hours, but recognized that this can depend on your practice area and work availability. Bonuses are allocated based on an hours threshold which changes each year but is circulated to associates, who suggested that it “is typically around 1,900.”

The hours in BigLaw can of course be punishing, but one associate was relieved that Morgan Lewis didn’t live up to the horror stories they’d heard before: “I thought it might be like the memes you see on Reddit where you have to have your phone on all the time and don’t get Friday evenings!” On the contrary, 9am to 6pm was a typical working day according to our research, with a flexible hybrid working policy on offer, too. The firm asks its associates to go into the office three days a week and, while this can differ across practice groups, for one interviewee this meant, “we're expected to be in the office from Tuesday to Thursday to build connections and structure our work schedule.” We heard that attorneys with other responsibilities (such as childcare, for example) can choose a more formal hybrid working arrangement, but “certain weeks are entirely flexible, like Thanksgiving.” 

Culture 



Our interviewees spoke highly of the culture at Morgan Lewis, though some admitted their initial apprehension at joining such a large firm. Interestingly, an associate in one of the firm’s smaller regional offices very much appreciated its “small firm feel” while still having access to all the resources of a big firm. Even with so many offices, associates felt that the culture aligned across locations and broke any stereotypes they’d heard about it: “Before I joined Morgan Lewis, people told me that I’d just be a number, but that isn’t at all the case here.” 

“People really care about their jobs and doing their best for both clients and colleagues.” 

More specifically, Morgan Lewis was described to us as the kind of place where “people really care about their jobs and doing their best for both clients and colleagues.” Adjectives such as “collaborative, smart and talented” were used when discussing the firm’s people, with one associate adding: “I’ve never felt any competition with my class year or anyone above me.” This Philly firm’s social life wasn’t lacking either, with sources mentioning “Christmas parties, baseball games, coffee trips and Tuesday lunches” as examples of its community spirit. As one associate summarized, “you can just tell people like each other here!” 

Career Development 



“I think the firm is somewhat unique,” one associate suggested in a discussion on career development at Morgan Lewis. “People here want to develop associates in their careers for as long as possible. There’s no model of extracting as much out of us as they can before we exit. It’s a very supportive environment where we can discuss our career plans with each other.” Interviewees highlighted orientation academies as an example of the firm’s commitment to associate progression, as they focus on training and aligning associates with the culture. There are different tiers for junior, mid-level and senior associates, and one source felt this shows how the firm “really puts people in positions to succeed.” 

“Although the industry is perhaps slow to move, Morgan Lewis really tries to be one of the quickest.” 

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 



When questioned on the firm’s efforts to promote DEI, one associate shared, “I think the firm is very intentional in trying to recruit attorneys from under-represented groups.” Some of our interviewees spoke of their involvement in the firm’s many affinity groups, which focus on various ethnic and racial backgrounds, disability awareness, parents, veterans and more. One associate really praised this aspect of the firm, stating, “although the industry is perhaps slow to move, Morgan Lewis really tries to be one of the quickest.” What’s more, the firm recently announced that it will be offering up to 50 hours of additional billable credit for time spent on DEI, which includes participation in recruiting, events and panels.

Get Hired



The First Stage: Recruitment On and Off Campus 

  • OCI applicants interviewed in 2023: 1182 
  • Interviewees outside 2023 OCI: 237 

Morgan Lewis takes part in on-campus interviews (OCI) at 43 law schools and numerous job fairs across the United States. We have valuable relationships with law schools that have exceptional and diverse student bodies and an abundant alumni presence at the firm. 

Initial interviews are conducted by a partner and associate team that collectively represent the various offices and practices. These teams show potential recruits the relationship dynamic - both instructive and collegiate - between our partners and associates. Questions are aimed at identifying behaviors that align with the culture and values of Morgan Lewis. We are looking for students who exemplify exceptional client service, on-the-spot problem-solving, collaboration, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion. 

Insider Advice 

“We know OCI can be stressful, and you meet with many firms! Do your research, show your interest, and be yourself to make a connection with the interviewers.” –Partner Jennifer Breen 

The Second Stage: Callbacks 

  • Applicants invited to second-stage interviews in 2023: 542 

Successful candidates can expect to meet with a combination of partners, associates, and hiring committee members. If a student has expressed specific practice group interests prior to their meeting, we aim to select interviewers who can speak to that interest or practice, and we work to align our candidates’ interests with our hiring needs. 

At this point, the meetings include behavioral interview questions based around core competencies used in our annual associate evaluations. This allows us to evaluate students’ future performance at the firm, while giving the students insight into what makes a successful Morgan Lewis associate. We also consider prior work experience and extracurricular, community, or volunteer activities as insight into what has driven a student to succeed, or their particular accomplishments or challenges. 

Insider Advice 

“Candidates stand out when they have concrete examples of instances throughout their education, and perhaps in previous careers, where they have demonstrated their ability to collaborate with others, a drive to succeed, and engage with their communities. It’s also nice to see candidates who are genuinely eager and enthusiastic about the prospect of working at our firm.” –Partner Jennifer Breen 

Summer Associate Program 

  • Offers made following 2023 program: 177 (2L) 
  • Offers accepted in 2023: 102 (2L) 

Morgan Lewis’ summer program runs for 10 weeks and kicks off with a firm-wide, multi-day gathering of summer associates, hiring partners, firm leaders, and select lawyers. Our program gives summer associates a clear sense of our firm’s culture, market-leading practices, and commitment to well-being, diversity and inclusion, mentorship, and pro bono. 

In addition to providing interesting and challenging work assignments throughout the program, our Summer Academy curriculum includes a balance of practice training and broader professional skills and development training. We also build in many fun and engaging social activities so that summer associates can interact with our lawyers and with one another - relationships are key at Morgan Lewis. 

Insider Advice 

“Take advantage of the opportunities that come your way and be engaged. Try different assignments, and connect with attorneys and your fellow summer associates. The relationships you make and experiences you have will be invaluable as you start your legal career.” –Partner Jennifer Breen 

Interview with Jami McKeon, Chairperson



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? 

Jami McKeon: I would describe us as one of the global elite—without being elitist. Having just celebrated our 150th anniversary, we’ve been spending a lot of time talking about how we started out with two lawyers in Philadelphia! However, we’ve been expanding considerably and winning awards for our work ever since. Our rankings are great, but I think that what you really should care about is what underpins those rankings. Of course, you need the revenue and financial performance, but topping charts in associate satisfaction, pro bono, or diversity is important to me. I believe that if you get everything else right then the financial results will follow. So, I’ve been chair for 10 years, and we’ve spent most of that time really focusing on those other things. For example, we’re the first law firm to hire a director of well-being with a master’s in applied positive psychology, and the only law firm of our size to mandate that every lawyer participates in pro bono. We focus heavily on engagement and were the first firm to appoint a chief engagement officer. We also represent 80% of the Fortune 100 and the overwhelming majority of our clients have been with us for more than 20, or even 30 years. Most of our clients work with us in at least six practice groups across 12 offices. That’s what I believe differentiates Morgan Lewis from its peers. 

Looking back to when I started practicing law—and all law was local, with no voicemail, email, or computers—you could only practice with people in your town, so every law firm was full-service. As time went on and technology changed, in-house lawyers came to the fore and were the most sophisticated about the quality of what they wanted. So, most law firms slimmed down, said they weren’t going to do everything and may have picked corporate or litigation over labor and employment, for example. We went the other way instead; our stock and trade are our client relationships, so we’re going to stay broad and deep! What we’re going to focus on is being world-class in each of our 15 practice areas, even if everyone else thinks that’s too hard. That means we still have people who come to us because of our employee benefits work and stay to use our corporate work. Others might come from labor and employment, a practice a lot of firms thought was too rate-sensitive, but for us it’s a jewel in our crown. Clients are looking for a firm where they can get consistent excellence across the board, working with real, likeable people who are trained to not just be excellent lawyers, but to be empathetic, compassionate, and innovative. I think that package is what makes us stand out, as we’re not just trying to wring the last dollar out of your biggest deal. We tell people to call us for their biggest problem, and then call us for the problem they think that no other major elite law firm cares about. However, another critical issue here is that there are some firms that have lots of different practices but they’re not world-class in each of them. So, for us, the important thing has been maintaining our world-class quality while staying broad, but a lot of firms don’t want to do that because it is such hard work.   

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

McKeon: Last year, we majorly expanded our aviation presence in places such as London, Dubai, and Singapore. We really exploded in a lot of our other industry teams, too, whether that’s automotives or sports. If you look at our industry penetration, we’ve been very targeted in our growth and now have 13 expansive industry teams. We’ve been in some of those for ages and everyone knows who we are—like retail, for example—but we’re also globally relevant in sports. 

When COVID hit, we suddenly had clients in every practice and industry, so we started forming task forces to provide immediate thought leadership. Our COVID-19 task force ended up involving 30 different sub–task forces with 500 lawyers around the firm to give clients thought leadership on COVID-19. For example, we’ve offered guidance on PPP plans, health problems, and how to deal with employment issues. We found this really resonated with our clients, so we’ve done the same thing with DEI and the Inflation Reduction Act in the US. We’ve now expanded to strategic initiatives, ESG and sovereign wealth funds, and we have a 2026 World Cup strategic initiative. We’ve formalized bringing people together from different industries, practices, and geographies, just to be able to give our clients what they need. We also developed a Ukraine task force during the Russia crisis, and we’re now expanding that to include what’s going on in Israel/Gaza. Any geopolitical war conflict breeds all sorts of challenging issues for clients and those issues cross every industry. What we’ve really tried to do is provide a mature offering across 15 practice groups which are globally recognized for their excellence, and then take that to the next level by providing clients with the accessible and digestible information that they need. 

We were very fortunate that the entire Shearman & Sterling office in Munich joined us, so now we have two bases in Germany. The Munich expansion is very significant as we’re continuing to really focus on Germany, and you’ll see us doing more there. We also opened an office in Shenzhen which is our third office in China. We’ve had some huge cases and deals this year, whether it’s representing Hostess Brands, huge sports transactions, pharmaceutical companies, licensing and collaboration agreements. For example, we won a $133 million plaintive verdict for Shell—and it’s unusual for a giant law firm to do that—and a complete defense verdict for Toyota in what had been a certified class action. 

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? 

McKeon: We’re at a time where a lot of law firms are struggling with layoffs, first-year deferrals, and reduced compensation. We’ve been very fortunate. This was again the best year we’ve ever had across all measures, including our profitability and growth. I think we can do that because of our approach to our practice. For instance, we didn’t go crazy during COVID and hire a million corporate specialists. We already had a great corporate group, so we didn’t have to hire extra tax and employment lawyers to support that explosive growth as we already had them. And so, when the sands shift and the transactional world is a little slower, we’re going upwards! That’s because, when transactional work is slow and people are laying you off, you need employment lawyers. When interest rates create problems and the global economy is a challenge, this balance makes Morgan Lewis a safe haven. We don’t aspire to be the firm where everyone thinks, “Oh my gosh, they have the highest profit per partner in the world!” We don’t try to attract people because they want to sell us their practices to make more money with us. We want to be at the very top of the elite law firms, paying people at the market rate wherever we are. 

Inside the Firm 

CA: Could you tell us a bit more about the junior, mid-level, and senior associate academies? 

McKeon: I’m a strong believer in a unified firm, so when I became the chair, we were a single partnership. We were one firm with one vision, and I think it’s really important for people to be trained together and connect together. We bring all our first-year associates from around the world together for our junior introduction orientation academy. However, I think mid-level associates are really stepping up to a different level of responsibility with our clients and within the firm. They’ve been with us longer and we’re asking them to move into another rank. So, all our fourth-year associates from around the world come together for our mid-level academy. There, we focus on training, culture, and just spending time together. Finally, we have a senior associate academy—an invitational academy for seventh-years and above—where we discuss the things we talk about as partners. 

We are also training our partners and senior lawyers to be better at managing and at giving feedback. As we come out of COVID, partners must focus on how we can do our jobs better, delivering better feedback and managing work products and assignments. 543 of our 725 partners took those courses last year. I don’t think it’s a surprise that we have good mid-level associate satisfaction because we have partners who are really paying attention to giving better feedback and managing time. It’s another reason why we have a partner meeting every year when we're such a large firm; I really think there’s no substitute for people sitting and talking together. That’s why we still require people to be in the office so often. I just think you can’t really develop the skills you need to lead people without spending time with them. 

CA: What’s the firm’s approach to bolstering diversity, equity, and inclusion?  

McKeon: I think we’re ahead of the game. In 2017, we hired somebody with a master’s in applied positive psychology to be our first director of well-being, so by the time COVID came along, we had already rolled out a well-being website. We’ve developed since then, and we now work with a company called Wellable. Well-being is not just about substance abuse or physical well-being, but it’s also about occupational, intellectual, and financial well-being. We pay for all our associates who attend academies to make a financial plan. We don’t see the financial plan, but we have an arrangement with Morgan Stanley where they help associates out. All of them start off understanding things like paying off mortgage and law school debt and saving for their children’s future. 

That leads naturally into DEI, and we’re the largest law firm in the world that’s been led by a woman for 10 years! We have a bit of a leg up in the DEI space because we’re walking the walk, and we’ve really focused on expanding that. We have a Mobilizing for Equality program which is about racial justice, and we have affinity groups of every single type you can possibly imagine. For us, diversity and inclusion is really about building an organization where everyone thrives. The new science in psychology is about belonging, and belonging is really the next step in diversity and inclusion. It’s not just that we’ll give you a chance here, but rather we want you here because of all the unique things that you bring. Diverse organizations are just more interesting and can better meet the needs of clients because they’re bringing together people who look at problems differently and think differently. DEI is important not just because it’s the right thing to do, but also because it’s smart business. 

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? 

McKeon: The problems of law firms are becoming bigger and more expensive because of the cost of AI and cybersecurity, the cost of talent, and the increasingly global nature of every client. There just aren’t clients anymore who don’t have global problems. So, can you really be a successful service provider if you can’t serve a broad array of your clients’ issues? Problems now are so expansive that law firms are increasingly facing the issue of scale. But, on the flip side, because things are so global, law firms are facing challenges of a world full of geopolitical tension. It becomes very hard when you’re running a global operation, so I think it’s a bigger and harder challenge than it has been in the past.  

CA: How do you predict the rise in AI will affect the ways in which lawyers work? How will it affect the services law firms provide? 

McKeon: I think it’ll have a major impact on both, but maybe in a different way than people think. When we started having computers, that didn’t mean fewer lawyers. Again, now that we have predictive coding for things, it doesn’t mean we have fewer lawyers. It just means that there’s different work for lawyers, so in some ways good judgement and analytical skills are going to be even more important. It’s not just going to be about digging around in different boxes looking for the right document, it’ll be about how to bring all those different pieces together. Judgment will be critical. The problems people have gotten into using AI almost always come down to judgement and whether they were thoughtful in their approach to using something or addressing an issue. 

I also think that one of the biggest challenges for law firms will be the whipsaw effect of AI. Some clients are telling us that they don't want us to let our associates use AI, while others want to make sure they’re going to get all the benefits of it. Now we can find things out so quickly, they might not expect us to charge them for that work, so law firms will have to figure out how to bridge that gap. One of the things we’re focusing on is a third-party partnership where the goal is to create a data set of safe information that you can use to draw on and eliminate some of those other risks. 

I disagree with people who suggest that there’s going to be less work for lawyers and that young attorneys should be afraid. I tell people all the time that it’s still the best job out there! There’s a lot of autonomy, lots of intellectual challenges, and opportunities to help people. We’re talking about how to creatively and thoughtfully solve people’s problems, and that’s not going away! 

The Fun Bit 

CA: Is there any advice you’d give to your younger self starting out your career? 

McKeon: First, the one everybody always says—it’s a marathon not a sprint. As in, you should focus on excellence and not get ahead of yourself. Just learn your craft, be an excellent lawyer and immerse yourself in the work—it’s more interesting that way. Also, it’s all about relationships, and wherever you’re building them, you’re going to do better. It makes you better at giving and getting help and understanding. Try to keep that growth mindset where you learn from every experience you have, but also apply that creative empathy that got you to where you are. Lawyers are well known for being high on skepticism and low on optimism, and although that cynicism might make them good lawyers, you must be careful to not let that penetrate your daily life. 

CA: The hours in BigLaw can be punishing. How do you unwind at the end of a long day/week? 

McKeon: I’m lucky to have a great family. My husband is hugely supportive, and our children are great. For me, family was always the way to carve out that other time. If I’m cooking in the kitchen and making a mess, it takes my mind off everything, but you’ve got to keep your perspective. There will be long hours, and I think I always tell people there’s no such thing as work-life balance. It’s just balance, because it’s all life! You have to understand that sometimes it’s going to be out of whack, so sometimes you’ll be in trial and not paying much attention to your personal life, while other times your personal life will take time away from your professional life. That’s ok, as you’re focusing on doing your best to find a way to make all these things work. The most important thing is figuring out what works for you, and then developing a life that works for it. I think it’s important to take stock of what will make life fulfilling for you while understanding that it’s not going to be perfect every day. 

CA: Is there a movie/TV show/books about lawyers or the legal profession that you particularly enjoy? And how accurate would you say it is? 

McKeon: I don’t tend to really focus on movies about the legal profession, but one of my all-time favorite movies is About Time. The leading actor in the movie plays a lawyer, so I can probably get away with that! It’s a great movie about life and the main character is a barrister. But I think if I were a doctor, I wouldn’t want to watch anything medical—I’d get too frustrated! 

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

1701 Market Street,
Philadelphia,
PA 19103-2921
Website www.morganlewis.com

Main areas of work



 We provide a dynamic range of services that fall into four broad categories: corporate, finance, and investment management; intellectual property; labour, employment, and benefits; and litigation, regulation, and investigations. Our teams support clients across a range of industries, including energy, banking, investment funds, insurance, healthcare, life sciences, retail and ecommerce, sports, technology, education, and transportation.

Firm profile



 Morgan Lewis is recognized for exceptional client service, legal innovation, and commitment to its communities. Our global depth reaches across North America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, resulting in the collaboration of more than 2,200 lawyers and specialists who provide elite legal services for clients across industry sectors—from multinational corporations to startups around the world.

At Morgan Lewis, we know that moving the needle on diversity and inclusion (D&I) takes purposeful effort, consistency, and communication. We are dedicated to D&I because it is integral to how we do business. D&I influences how we service clients, collaborate with colleagues, and engage talented lawyers and professional staff, as well as how we engage the global communities where we live and work.

Morgan Lewis is also committed to serving the public good. It is embedded in our culture and our practice. Every lawyer in every one of our offices participates in our innovative, award-winning pro bono practice. We expect every eligible lawyer to contribute at least 20 hours to pro bono representations annually, and we are proud to say that 100% of our lawyers meet this goal each year. And, while we expect at least 20 pro bono hours per lawyer, our lawyers typically average more than 50 hours per year, further exemplifying the firm’s commitment to pro bono.

We are focused on providing our associates with the opportunities and tools for success, and our comprehensive training programs and supportive coaching resources reflect the firm’s belief that professional development is a career-long process. We do this through firmwide and practice-specific training curricula which are tied to our core competency model, a robust informal and formalized mentoring program, practice-based assignment processes, individual development goals, and a substantive annual review and evaluation process that focuses on past performance and areas for development and growth.   

Recruitment



 Law Schools attending for OCIs in 2024:
American University, Boston College, Boston University, Catholic University, University of Chicago Law School, Columbia Law School, Cornell University, Duke University, Duquesne University, Fordham University Law School, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Harvard Law School, University of Houston Law Center, Howard University School of Law, Loyola-Chicago University, New York University, Northeastern University School of Law, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, University of Pittsburgh, Santa Clara University School of Law, Stanford Law School, Temple University Beasley School of Law, University of Texas at Austin School of Law, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Hastings, UC Irvine, UC Los Angeles, University of Chicago, University of Illinois, University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania, University of San Francisco, University of Southern California, University of Texas, University of Virginia, Villanova University, Yale University

Recruitment outside OCIs:
The firm participates in a number of diversity and practice-related job fairs.

Summer associate profile:
Highly motivated individuals who have a record of outstanding academic achievement; superior writing and analytical skills; a commitment to community, diversity and inclusion, and client service; initiative; and an ability to succeed in a challenging, collaborative workplace.

Summer program components:
Running from late May through late July, Morgan Lewis hosts a 10-week summer program for law students that offers a substantive training curriculum, hands-on pro bono opportunities, sophisticated client work, and engaging social activities. The focus of the summer experience is to introduce our summer associates to our firm, our unique culture, and our enthusiasm for working together. Our program starts with our experiential Summer Program Kick-off, an interactive multiday orientation with firm leaders, hiring partners, and all summer associates from across the United States, providing students the opportunity to experience our collaborative firm culture firsthand. The location of the Summer Program Kick-off changes each year and is hosted in an exciting city where we have an office. Past locations have included Boston, Brooklyn, Chicago, and Santa Monica. After the Summer Program Kick-off, training continues through our Summer Academy curriculum, which includes a balance of practice training as well as broader professional skills and development programming. Summer associates are also provided with a robust mentorship program, including connections with our firm’s affinity group networks. At the end of the 10-week period, law students leave with a very clear picture of the day-to-day life of a Morgan Lewis lawyer.

Social media



Recruitment website: www.morganlewis.com
LinkedIn: Morgan Lewis
X/Twitter: @MorganLewisLaw@mlrecruit
Facebook: Morgan Lewis
Instagram: @morganlewis_law

This Firm's Rankings in
USA Guide, 2023

Ranked Departments

    • Antitrust (Band 3)
    • Banking & Finance (Band 4)
    • Energy: State Regulatory & Litigation (Band 2)
    • Environment (Band 1)
    • Healthcare (Band 5)
    • Insurance: Policyholder (Band 3)
    • Intellectual Property: Patent Litigation (Band 5)
    • Intellectual Property: Patent Prosecution (Band 2)
    • Intellectual Property: Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets (Band 3)
    • Labor & Employment: The Elite (Band 2)
    • Life Sciences (Band 4)
    • Litigation: General Commercial: Highly Regarded (Band 2)
    • Litigation: Securities (Band 3)
    • Private Equity: Buyouts (Band 4)
    • Tax (Band 2)
    • Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (Band 2)
    • Antitrust (Band 5)
    • Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (Band 4)
    • Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (Band 2)
    • Environment (Band 4)
    • Healthcare (Band 3)
    • Healthcare: Pharmaceutical/Medical Products Regulatory (Band 3)
    • Immigration (Band 1)
    • Insurance: Policyholder (Band 2)
    • Intellectual Property: Patent Prosecution (Band 3)
    • Labor & Employment (Band 1)
    • Tax (Band 1)
    • Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite (Band 3)
    • Labor & Employment (Band 2)
    • Litigation: General Commercial: Highly Regarded (Band 1)
    • Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (Band 1)
    • Intellectual Property (Band 3)
    • Labor & Employment: The Elite (Band 2)
    • Antitrust (Band 1)
    • Banking & Finance (Band 2)
    • Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Band 2)
    • Corporate/M&A (Band 3)
    • Hedge & Mutual Funds (Band 1)
    • Insurance (Band 2)
    • Intellectual Property (Band 4)
    • Life Sciences (Band 3)
    • Litigation: General Commercial (Band 2)
    • Litigation: Securities (Band 2)
    • Private Equity: Venture Capital Investment (Band 3)
    • Tax (Band 3)
    • Corporate/M&A (Band 2)
    • Environment (Band 2)
    • Labor & Employment (Band 1)
    • Life Sciences (Band 1)
    • Antitrust (Band 4)
    • Bankruptcy/Restructuring: Highly Regarded (Band 1)
    • Corporate/M&A: Highly Regarded (Band 1)
    • Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (Band 2)
    • Labor & Employment: The Elite (Band 2)
    • Litigation: General Commercial: Highly Regarded (Band 5)
    • Outsourcing (Band 3)
    • Tax (Band 4)
    • Antitrust (Band 2)
    • Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (Band 1)
    • Environment (Band 4)
    • Intellectual Property (Band 2)
    • Labor & Employment (Band 1)
    • Litigation: Securities (Band 1)
    • Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Band 1)
    • Tax (Band 1)
    • Banking & Finance (Band 3)
    • Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Band 5)
    • Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (Band 1)
    • Litigation: General Commercial (Band 1)
    • Real Estate (Band 3)
    • Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (Band 2)
    • Corporate/M&A: Highly Regarded (Band 2)
    • Healthcare (Band 1)
    • Intellectual Property (Band 4)
    • Labor & Employment (Band 1)
    • Litigation: General Commercial (Band 4)
    • Antitrust (Band 3)
    • Banking & Finance (Band 5)
    • Bankruptcy/Restructuring: Highly Regarded (Band 2)
    • Capital Markets: Securitization: ABS (Band 1)
    • Capital Markets: Securitization: RMBS (Band 1)
    • Corporate Crime & Investigations: Highly Regarded (Band 1)
    • Corporate/M&A: Highly Regarded (Band 1)
    • Derivatives (Band 4)
    • E-Discovery & Information Governance (Band 2)
    • Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (Band 1)
    • Energy Transition (Band 2)
    • Energy: Electricity (Finance) (Band 2)
    • Energy: Electricity (Regulatory & Litigation) (Band 3)
    • Energy: Electricity (Transactional) (Band 3)
    • Energy: Nuclear (Regulatory & Litigation) (Band 1)
    • Energy: Oil & Gas (Regulatory & Litigation) (Band 4)
    • Environment (Band 2)
    • ERISA Litigation (Band 1)
    • False Claims Act (Band 3)
    • FCPA (Band 5)
    • Financial Services Regulation: Banking (Compliance) (Band 5)
    • Financial Services Regulation: Broker Dealer (Compliance & Enforcement) (Band 2)
    • Healthcare: The Elite (Band 4)
    • Hedge Funds (Band 3)
    • Immigration (Band 2)
    • Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Policyholder (Band 3)
    • Intellectual Property (Band 5)
    • International Trade: Export Controls & Economic Sanctions: Highly Regarded (Band 1)
    • International Trade: Intellectual Property (Section 337) (Band 5)
    • Investment Funds: Investor Representation (Band 1)
    • Investment Funds: Regulatory & Compliance (Band 2)
    • Labor & Employment (Band 1)
    • Life Sciences (Band 4)
    • Life Sciences: Regulatory/Compliance (Band 2)
    • Occupational Safety and Health (Band 1)
    • Outsourcing (Band 2)
    • Private Equity: Buyouts: Mid-Market (Band 3)
    • Product Liability & Mass Torts: Highly Regarded (Band 2)
    • Projects: Power (Band 2)
    • Projects: Power & Renewables: Transactional (Band 2)
    • Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy (Band 4)
    • Registered Funds (Band 2)
    • Retail (Band 1)
    • Retail: Corporate & Transactional (Band 2)
    • Securities: Litigation (Band 5)
    • Sports Law (Band 4)
    • Startups & Emerging Companies (Band 4)
    • Tax: Controversy (Band 2)
    • Tax: Corporate & Finance (Band 3)
    • Technology (Band 4)
    • Litigation: General Commercial (Band 2)
    • Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Band 1)

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