Want a New York based firm with pro bono externships and no billable hour requirement? Look no Farrther than Willkie.
Willkie Farr Lateral Profile 2024
With its roots in the concrete jungle, it’s natural to assume this is a firm where dreams are made of. What are those dreams you ask? For this associate, it was “a warm and welcoming place where it isn’t an eat what you kill market.” Similarly, others spoke of “a collaborative and kind environment where I have an active role in the firm.” That’s certainly not to suggest there’s anything illusive about Willkie. Quite the opposite in fact: the firm’s presence is well grounded in its decoration of Chambers USA accolades, which bestow top praise on Willkie’s nationwide insurance (transactional & regulatory), investment funds (regulatory & compliance), and mid-market private equity buyouts expertise. It’s a similar story over in New York, where the firm’s general commercial litigation group score top marks; in Texas, it’s the corporate/M&A team that shine.
View the firm’s Chambers USA rankings
Read the firm’s Inside View feature on junior associate life
Career Development & the Path to Partnership
| 17 | 1.9 : 1 |
| partners made in 2023 |
associate : partner gearing |
Hours & Compensation
|
no requirement |
13.6 |
44.4 |
|
billable hours |
average number of vacation days associates took in one year |
average number of hours associates worked in one week |
Salaries
1st year: $225,000
2nd year: $235,000
3rd year: $260,000
4th year: $310,000
5th year: $365,000
6th year: $390,000
7th year: $420,000
8th year: $445,000
Diversity, Inclusion & Wellbeing
|
30.3% |
35.4% |
|
|
of partners are women |
of associates identify as ethnically diverse |
|
The view from the firm: We remain committed to developing strategies to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion on a long-term basis, including in our leadership ranks. An example of such commitment is our Mansfield Plus Certification. We have also introduced 1L summer partnerships with five of the firm’s longstanding clients, providing diverse students the opportunity to gain exposure to in-house legal departments for up to five weeks during the summer.
Pro Bono
|
79 |
|
average pro bono |
Pro bono highlights: Legal Aid Society (healthcare); ACLU, Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, Legal Services NYC, Sanctuary for Families, Law Foundation of Silicon Valley (LGBTQ+); Tahrih Justice Center, HIAS, Humans Rights First, The National Immigrant Justice Center, Kids in Need of Defense, City Bar Justice Center Immigrant Justice Project, Legal Services NYC (immigration); Project Democracy (defamation).
Sustainability & CSR
The view from the firm: In May of 2023, Willkie pledged to achieve net zero emissions across all offices by 2050. This goal is aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative to reduce emissions in keeping with the 2015 Paris Agreement. The firm is currently developing a transition plan with time-bound milestones that will help us further leverage business management to combat climate change.
Willkie’s Environmental Management System measures the firm’s carbon footprint and provides metrics that are critical to further progress. Willkie has been collecting data on scopes 1, 2, and 3 emissions for the past few years. By tracking and calculating our annual carbon footprints, we are can form accurate carbon emissions reduction strategies. In 2023, Willkie developed its first iteration of an Environmental Code of Conduct (ECC). This code was piloted and sent to selected vendors to gather preliminary information on our supply chain sustainability. The ECC has improved Willkie’s engagement with its supply chain and opened the door to further conversations with our vendors about sustainable practices in order to better account for our scope 3 emissions.
Willkie proudly sponsors five urban beehives located on the roofs of our New York, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and Chicago offices, and another sponsored hive in a community garden in London. In peak summer, Willkie’s beehives house 200,000+ honey bees. We work with urban beekeeping company Alveole, who provides educational workshops about the importance of pollinators to our personnel.
Willkie launched its Environmental Analyst Internship program in late 2020 to support further the development of Willkie Green initiatives. To date, ten students from both U.S. and U.K. colleges majoring in Environmental Studies/Science, Geography, Policy, and related subjects have taken part. With different areas of focus and complementary skillsets, the interns provide Willkie with fresh insights and help us stay informed on the latest sustainability issues. Two past interns have transitioned into full-time Willkie employees, with their roles focused solely on sustainability at the firm.
Contact
Learn more about opportunities at the firm
Recruitment contact: Susan Harlow (sharlow@willkie.com) for Partners and Counsel candidates, Lesley Stumphauzer (lstumphauzer@willkie.com) for New York and DC associates
Tiffany Piccirilli (tpiccirilli@willkie.com) for Chicago and Houston associates
Brittany Olson (bolson@willkie.com) for CA associates.