Cool as you like: this tech and life sciences powerhouse keeps associates on their toes from coast to coast.
Cooley Lateral Profile 2024
As far as law firm names go, Cooley does a great job of being one of the most self-descriptive. As the firm that formed the first venture capital partnership on the West Coast, and took Qualcomm public, the firm still leads the way in emerging companies and tech work – pretty cool right? Well, as one junior put it: “it’s fun to help clients that are building something cool, some cool IP they’ve created maybe some drug that’s going to save the world, it’s cool to learn about these companies and be involved at an early stage.” It’s this fact that made Cooley such a no-brainer for most of our interviewees, another insider added that they joined “because of their tech client base – I thought that’d make the work more interesting!”– Or should we say, cool-er?
View the firm’s Chambers USA rankings
Read the firm’s Inside View feature on junior associate life
Why did you join your firm? Associates say…
“Everyone seemed genuinely concerned about my development as an attorney even if I decided to leave the firm eventually.”
“The camaraderie, the kindness, the ability to laugh and joke and sometimes complain with each other about the challenges of the job. Everyone is very real at Cooley.”
“It was open and inclusive and tolerant; it seemed more casual and not overly fancy or fluffed up.”
Strategic Recruitment Focuses 2024
Careers at Cooley
The view from the firm: We seek to meet the evolving needs of our clients by building a community of professionals of the highest caliber who share our vision and embrace our values. For more information on current hiring needs, please visit the Careers section of cooley.com.
International & Secondment Opportunities
Client secondment examples – the view from the firm: Occasionally, lawyers have the opportunity to spend 3-6 months on a client secondment offering them the opportunity to gain valuable experience that enhances their career development.
Career Development & the Path to Partnership
21 |
2.2 : 1 |
69% |
||
partners made in 2023 |
associate : partner gearing |
of associates intend to make partner |
||
81% |
62% |
89% |
||
felt partnership was achievable for attorneys with children | felt partnership was achievable at the firm | agreed partners are nurturing future leaders |
The view from the firm: Our training program for junior associates begins with New Associate Academy, which is focused on the essential professional skills for integrating into the practice of law as part of a team. The training continues with Cooley College, which is our “boot camp” for incoming first- year associates. Cooley College follow-on training programs take place throughout your first year. We also offer the Mid-Level Academy to fourth-year associates. The Mid-Level Academy focuses on management, delegation, leadership and supervisory skills, and helps associates develop a career plan that meets their goals. The Senior Associate Academy invites seventh-year associates to plan for their paths ahead, whether it be the partnership path or other routes. Topics include executive presence, developing a personal leadership style, building and leveraging a business case, and leading teams.
Hours & Compensation
1,950 |
10.2 |
48.5 |
billable hours |
average number of vacation days associates took in one year |
average number of hours associates worked in one week |
63% |
74% |
69% |
agreed they had a good work-life balance |
said the benefits package makes the workload worthwhile |
found the bonus allocation fair and transparent |
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: $435,000
The view from the firm: Cooley understands the importance of maintaining a culture which accommodates a need for lawyers to "ramp-up" and "ramp-down" based on their professional and personal commitments. This kind of flexibility allows our lawyers to construct a part-time schedule that helps them balance their personal lives with their professional development.
To ease the transition for those preparing for and returning from an eligible paid or unpaid leave of absence extending at least 12 consecutive weeks, non-partner lawyers, patent agents and patent technical advisors will have their billable hours threshold reduced by 30% of their current FTE schedule with no reduction in current base compensation for a period of one month (20 business days) prior to the start of their leave and three months (60 business days) upon return. Discretionary year-end bonuses will not be pro-rated as a result of this reduced schedule.
Following the Ramp-Up period noted above, lawyers have the option to continue to work on a reduced schedule (50% ,60%, 70% or 80%), without prior approval, for an additional 3 months, although compensation will be adjusted accordingly. While the official approval process is waived, advanced notice is required.
To ensure parity in compensation, Cooley’s base compensation true-up policy allows for those working a reduced schedule to earn additional base compensation should they work in excess of their scheduled FTE in any given calendar year.
Is Cooley the right firm for you?
91% |
96% |
88% |
were happy in their current role |
agreed the work is interesting |
felt comfortable being themselves at work |
The view from the firm: We look for high academic achievement, previous work experience, involvement in extracurricular activities, strong interpersonal skills, demonstrated initiative, and evidence of being one who works well in a diverse team environment.
Here's what survey respondents had to say about the firm's culture...
“It’s a true team dynamic, where nobody is too important, and no member is unimportant. Seeing the value that each person, attorney, business professional, or support staff brings to the effort makes for a very cohesive work environment.”
“People are friendly and quite funny. They have a sense of humor, and they know how to keep things optimistic even while staying focused. They respect that everyone has a life outside of work and try to accommodate people's life commitments etc.”
“It’s very laid back which is nice, and there are very nice people here who seem genuinely interested in creating a positive culture.”
Diversity, Inclusion & Wellbeing
86% |
33% |
40.4% |
||
reported diverse staffing on teams/cases/matters |
of partners are women |
of associates identify as ethnically diverse |
The view from the firm: In 2020, Cooley’s board of directors approved a bold and robust DEI Action Plan in our ongoing efforts to fight systemic racism, bias and injustice and build a firm and workplace that reflects equality for all. We have set a series of goals to achieve by January 1, 2026. These goals and tactics include increasing the percentage of women, ethnic/racial and LGBTQ+ representation among all firm levels, incorporating DEI contributions into partner compensation and promotion decisions and expanding our Diversity Fellowship programs.
In 2023, we expanded our affinity groups to include Middle Eastern and North African lawyers and business professionals. We are proud to expand our resources, which currently include the API Allyship + Antiracism Resource Kit to cultivate self-awareness and encourage intentionality by learning more about Asian Pacific Islander communities and the Black Attorney Affinity Group Allyship + Anti-racism Resource Kit, which provides guidance for engaging on, deepening and expanding understanding of antiracism and allyship work. The LGBTQ+ affinity group has also assembled an LGBTQ+ Allyship Resource Kit to amplify LGBTQ+ voices and expand awareness of LGBTQ+ and in the wake of the Dobbs decision, the Women’s Initiative created a Reproductive Rights Allyship Resource Kit to educate on and bring awareness of reproductive rights and the organizations working on expanding access and protections.
Additionally, all non-partner lawyers and patent professionals can receive up to 50 hours and paralegals can receive up to 25 hours of billable credit for time spent leading DEI efforts. In 2022, Cooley introduced a 20 DEI hours goal for all lawyers, encouraging every lawyer to spend at least 20 hours annually participating in DEI-related efforts, training and events.
Pro Bono
62.29 |
91% |
average pro bono |
agreed the firm is committed to pro bono |
Pro bono highlights: Amos Wells (federal habeas corpus AKA death penalty); Frances Tapps, ACLU of Louisiana (police misconduct, abuse of power).
Sustainability & CSR
The view from the firm: Through our ESG practice, our Social Impact practice, and across the firm, we are partnering with companies on the front lines of fighting the climate crisis and building better and more sustainable supply chains, power grids, food sources and more. Cooley works with clients to instill environmental and societal transformation goals and metrics throughout their business models – from integrating ESG priorities to produce sustainable, responsible, and ethical outcomes and ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory bodies, to making sound investments and mitigating risk. Our acclaimed Cooley GO resource center provides a variety of information, tools, and advice to support entrepreneurs and innovators to develop their businesses and make positive impacts on the world.
The firm is also a founding member of Lawyers for a Sustainable Economy, a law firm-led effort to provide pro bono legal services to sustainability-focused entrepreneurs and nonprofit organizations. Cooley serves as pro bono counsel to a number of environmental nonprofit organizations, including The Nature Conservancy, the Yosemite Conservancy, Save-the-Redwoods League, and the Surfrider Foundation, among many others, as well as a number of local organizations in the U.S. and the U.K. focused on clean water, pollution migration, carbon reduction, land and wildlife conservation, and other environmental matters.
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Learn more about opportunities at the firm