Hogan Lovells - The Inside View

Love is in the air! Cupid’s arrow has been hard at work at Hogan Lovells, striking aspiring associates from coast to coast; seriously, all our insiders across the country had clearly come down with a case of the lovebug, positively heart-eyed when speaking about their time at the firm. It was instant attraction for our juniors during their interviews, where they “really liked the vibe of the people,” relishing the access to “all the great opportunities that come with being at a top BigLaw firm without that crazy pressure and all the dog-eat-dog stuff you get at other firms.” This wholesome reputation in conjunction with the firm’s top-tier work and pro bono opportunities left our juniors head over heels, with one sharing that they knew it’d be a perfect match from the beginning. “I heard through the grapevine that this was one of the better BigLaw firms in terms of culture and not feeling like you’re just a cog in a machine trying to make everything work,” they confessed. As another insider put it: “Hogan Lovells checked all the boxes for a holistic approach to associate life, providing opportunities unique to the firm as well as the fundamentals.”

“Hogan Lovells checked all the boxes for a holistic approach to associate life.”

Now, don’t go breaking our heart by thinking that this firm can’t have a great culture and some of the best work in the game… not that you could be mistaken once you see the sheer number of accolades the firm collects from Chambers USA! Our sister guide has recognized Hogan Lovells’ expertise across the country in appellate law, international trade, regulatory and compliance in the life sciences and food & beverages spaces, privacy & data security, as well as transportation. That’s not all – other stand-out departments include labor & employment in New York, general commercial litigation in Virginia, corporate/M&A in California, and healthcare in the District of Columbia.

Practice area breadth is only the tip of the iceberg for Hogan Lovells. The juniors on our list were spread across all 15 of the firm’s US offices, with almost half found in DC, a fair few in New York, and the rest split into smaller groups across the firm’s offices in cities like Los Angeles, Miami, Boston, and Denver.

Strategy & Future

Richard Lorenzo, regional managing partner for the Americas, explains that the firm’s strategy is focused on “continuing to position ourselves as one of the global elite law firms, and that’s where we’re driving our firm and our people.” The firm plans to achieve this by listening to its people: “We like to say here that we have three stakeholders: our business team, our associates, and our partners and counsel,” Lorenzo lists, “It’s only through listening to all three that management can make the best decision. We value the input of our stakeholders, and that’s what will allow us to drive our firm forward, to attract and retain the talent we need.”

Discussing the future of the legal profession, Lorenzo reminisces about how quickly things can change: “When I graduated from law school, the first responsibility of a litigation associate was to learn how to send a fax, and the partner showing us how told us we’d all be out of a job because the fax will revolutionize the way we do business. The fax machine is now dead and buried, but we’re still here!” As for how that looks today? “AI is going to change the way clients confront the law and the way lawyers deal with it,” he acknowledges, continuing: “It’s going to be revolutionary, but there’s still an important place for lawyers and lawyering, and in the end, that’s all it takes.” As Lorenzo summarizes: “Our willingness to learn and listen is part of our ethos and what makes us different than others, allowing us to adapt quickly to the needs of our people and the needs of the market. From a simplistic point, that’s the differentiator, I would say.”

The Work

Associates across the firm’s practice groups relayed that work assignment is “primarily based on relationships, but if a junior is ever having a slow period, the partners are really receptive to discussions about getting more work.” There is a staffing partner available, we heard, but our interviewees told us that it’s more of a fallback option. “I pretty much get pinged by partners when work is available,” one said, “or I’m cc’d in an email with a couple other associates at my level,” so work allocation is pretty free flowing. Getting into this rhythm isn’t too hard either, as insiders told us: “When you start, you have a series of mentors to help you meet everyone and get the right workflow,” a source nodded, “and by the end of your first year, it’s on you to decide what work you want to do and where you want to get it from.”

“I’m usually the first person to draft anything…”

Hogan Lovells’ global regulatory group includes practices like international trade, energy regulatory, food & beverages, government contracts, and medical device & technology regulatory – and that’s just to name a few! Those in international trade told us that their work includes customs matters, export control, trade litigation, and work with the firm’s CFIUS practice – that’s the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. Those in the life sciences groups shared that the firm is regularly working with the largest food, drug, and device companies in the US, “and we help them with any sort of regulatory issues they have. Those range from enforcement actions to helping them design clinical trials and determine if an ingredient in a food or drug is safe.” Tons of responsibility is on offer within the group, juniors praised, as “a lot of the matters you work on are either just you and a partner, or you, someone a little more senior, and a partner.” Typical junior tasks include notetaking in client meetings, and “from there, I’m usually the first person to draft anything, looking up the laws and taking the first stab at drafting a license or memo.”

Regulatory clients: National Chicken Council, Pfizer, Novartis. Represented Eventum in drafting a marketing submission and getting FDA clearance for their QuadSense device to provide surgeons with live intraoperative data to help during knee surgery.

The firm’s litigation offering also houses a vast range of teams within the commercial, employment, securities, and banking & finance spaces, as well as appellate and Supreme Court litigation.  “We do foundational tasks like legal research and tracking litigation trends,” an insider listed, “but my favorite part is that you see a case in every single stage from initiation to resolution.”  This sentiment was echoed across our sources, and associates felt included every step of the way, with one smiling: “I like that you’re always brought along with the evolution of the case, so I feel like I’ve really gotten to learn the inside scoop on these types of cases.” Another shared that they get good exposure to drafting opportunities, telling us that “I do the first draft of most briefs – typically not the entire brief but taking the first cut at a section, doing all the preliminary research, and helping define the issues. It’s way more substantive and a lot more responsibility than I thought I’d be getting!”

Litigation clients: LG Electronics, University of Kansas, JPMorgan Chase. Representing Starbucks on a dispute with a national consumer advocacy organization concerning advertising and marketing.

“The clients are extremely cool at Hogan Lovells.”

Associates start out as generalists in the firm’s corporate group, allowing them to experience the full breadth of work at the firm to discover what they’re most interested in. Those in the group enthused that “the clients are extremely cool at Hogan Lovells. They’re very exciting and sophisticated, and I’ve worked with international attorneys too.” Getting to work with those at the firm’s international offices was something interviewees were especially excited about, because “doing cross-border transactions is always very interesting. You’re always learning something new and having to tap into that law to see how things are structured differently, as well as how it can mimic itself in the States through our processes and procedures.”

Insiders also enjoyed working on teams of various sizes because “sometimes, it’s staffed with seven lawyers on a pretty standard M&A transaction, and you’re getting good solid experience because juniors are managing checklists, implementing comments, and doing diligence.” In comparison, “on the smaller side or more discrete matters, it’s me and a partner,” a source contemplated, “Even as a first year, I’d get the opportunity to do drafting exercises and issues lists that are a little more advanced, so I think the balance is really great.” Overall, the consensus was that the sky’s the limit at Hogan Lovells; “I don’t think they put a limit on you – like, a junior can only do this or that. If you’re eager, think you can do more, and the team trusts you to do more, then they’re really open to it.”

Corporate clients: Intel Corporation, Merck, Walmart. Acted as counsel to seven leading automakers – BMW, General Motors, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and Toyota – on a joint venture to create a high-powered electric vehicle charging network across North America.

Career Development

Newbies are given a few different mentors upon joining the firm, including an ‘integration advisor’ who is usually a year more senior than them and can help with settling in at the firm. We also heard about ‘development circles,’ where a group of first years are joined by a couple of senior associates to attend events like sports games or lunches to discuss career advice in a more relaxed environment. For example, “one time, we spoke about how to respectfully let someone know you can’t take on any more projects,” a junior recalled.

Sources felt supported in their careers and shared that “like every BigLaw firm, there’s attrition, and the partners are invested in helping people find where to land if they don’t want to stay in BigLaw forever.” For those looking for partnership down the line, “I think the firm has a pretty clear path to advancement,” one interviewee described, “and it’s made pretty early on what that path is and what the expectations are.”

Hours & Compensation

Billable hours: 2,000 target

With survey respondents working an average of 50 hours a week, just a couple of hours higher than our market average, interviewees told us that around eight billable hours a day “keeps me on target, and the work is definitely there to do it!” Those in global regulatory told us their hours were pretty similar each week, while junior litigators were naturally impacted by things like filing deadlines which meant that “eight hours a day is the minimum, but that could fluctuate to 14 hours on a particularly tough drafting day.” Though there were some grumbles regarding the firm’s initial decision not to offer the “super bonus” introduced across BigLaw, they were pleased that had listened to that feedback, reversed its decision, and offered the bonus to match the other biggest players in the market.

Culture

“People are always available to get coffee or have a conversation, even if they’re in an office on the other side of the country!”

Juniors across the country were absolutely delighted about their offices and were pleased to share that “whenever we’re traveling, we’re really encouraged to meet our colleagues in other offices or have a tour of it!” Insiders beamed that those at the firm make them feel “valued as a person and not just as an associate,” which they felt was a rarity in BigLaw. Sources told us that they have tons of support available to them because everyone is so happy to help: “If I’m working with a partner, I can send my work to a more senior associate, they can provide edits based on who it’s going to, and help me out, which is really nice.” The assistance from senior assistance received particularly good reviews. “When you work with a senior associate and you don’t know what’s going on,” a junior detailed, “they go the extra mile to bring you up to speed and will tell you that they remember being in your shoes.” We heard that people at the firm are “always available to get coffee or have a conversation, even if they’re in an office on the other side of the country and don’t know me for any reason except that I work at Hogan Lovells!”

Pro Bono

All our interviewees couldn’t get enough of pro bono at the firm. Uniquely, first years can do a four-month pro bono rotation where they can work exclusively on pro bono and count all those hours towards their billable requirement. Those who had completed this rotation shared that they felt “really supported and encouraged to pursue that,” but for everyone else, after hitting 1,800 billable hours, 150 hours of the billable target can consist of pro bono work.

Matters to get involved in include working with the National Veterans Legal Services Program, DC Volunteer Lawyers Project and Homeless Advocacy Project. A junior working in corporate & finance appreciated that there are opportunities to do corporate pro bono alongside other projects; so, “I’m able to home in on my writing skills while understanding certain other aspects of litigation and the law which harken back to law school.” Others nodded that pro bono provides “the opportunity to tap into other industries that aren’t necessarily yours.”

Pro bono hours

• For all (US) attorneys: 103,934
• Average per (US) attorney: 100

Hogan Lovells is recognized as a Strong Performer for Pro Bono in our 2025 survey.

Get Hired

The first stage: recruitment on and off campus 

Hogan Lovells interviews students who attend law schools across the US. Summer program hires come from a mix of on-campus meetings, relationship building through proactive outreach programs and networking, write-in applications, lawyer referrals and law school resume collections. The firm’s assessment of a candidate’s application focuses on initiative, interpersonal skills, judgment and analysis, communication skills, and an interest in community involvement. Demonstrating a sincere interest in the firm, the office of interest, and the practice of law is also important. Not all offices interview during formal on-campus programs and students are encouraged to apply directly starting early in the summer.

Top tips for this stage: 

“If you’re interested in a specific practice, be able to articulate it well. Since corporate is more general, that’s fine, but with practices such as privacy or regulatory, make sure you’re able to give a good reason as to why you’re interested.” – a third-year associate 

Callbacks 

At the callback stage, students meet a combination of partners and associates. Prospective candidates should expect to meet lawyers representing a variety of practices. The questions at this stage build on the theme in the screening stage, with an added focus on understanding better how students believe they might contribute to the firm’s client-focused teams. From an associate perspective, sources agreed that “Hogan really values team players. We don’t want people who are going to throw others under the bus or be pretentious. All firms say they pride themselves on collegiality, but Hogan really does walk the walk.” 

Summer program 

Summer associates are encouraged “to undertake projects that allow them to explore their professional interests, including at least one pro bono project, and provide them with opportunities to make oral presentations and prepare substantive written product.” In addition to practice specific, legal, and professional skills training programs, there’s a summer associate conference that lasts for three days and involves “meetings with firm leaders and interactive programming that gives a good understanding of the firm’s culture, vision, values and strategies for future success.” Summers are encouraged to be open to a range of assignments, explaining: “You never know when an assignment will spark a new interest or put you on a path that’s unexpected.” Associate sources also encouraged summers to “use your peer network. Most of my work has come from contacts I’ve met informally. People look out for each other here and there are a lot of support networks available.” 

And finally…  

The vast majority of the firm's summer associates return as associates following graduation from law school or a judicial clerkship.