Jackson Walker LLP - The Inside View

Texas is synonymous with a few things and in more recent years, it’s Beyonce’s catchy country anthem that had many of us line dancing with the belief that we’d hit that next viral video on TikTok. In the legal world, it’s Jackson Walker, who have secured themselves as one of the biggest names in Texas (no embarrassing TikTok involved). “For companies trying to get things done within the state of Texas, there is no other firm that offers a broader suite of services than we can,” Jackson Walker’s managing partner Wade Cooper tells us. With six offices across the state, it seems clear that alongside a growing economy, the secret to the firm’s success is Southern charm and Texan hospitality.

“The perfect marriage between having the enjoyable work atmosphere of a smaller firm with the prestige, mentorships and cases that you would get at any other big law firm.”

One source attested that the firm is “the perfect marriage between having the enjoyable work atmosphere of a smaller firm with the prestige, mentorships and cases that you would get at any other big law firm.” There seems to be consensus on this from sources, with all being quick to praise the firm’s work rivalling bigger firms without feeling like “a satellite office of a New York firm.” There is also the added bonus of “cross-office collaboration” meaning that “the office you’re in doesn’t restrict the work you do with the firm,” we heard.

Indeed, with a whole host of practices in its remit, Chambers USA bestows the firm with a range of rankings to match. Most notably, Jackson Walker picks up top-tier awards for its work across real estate (including zoning/land use), tax, water law, corporate/M&A, and general commercial litigation in Texas. Nationwide, it’s the firm’s government relations work which shines bright.

Strategy & Future

“We recently hired the longest serving Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court,” Cooper announces, adding this “is a feather in our cap because he has an encyclopedic knowledge of Texas law.” This addition to Jackson Walker’s cohort of attorneys comes at an interesting time for the state, with an increased land rush from tech giants (Tesla, Apple, and Oracle to name a few) who are keen to invest in the US’ upcoming tech hub.

“Texas is at the forefront of the development of the new economy in the US,” Cooper confirms, “Because of the availability of the resources in Texas required to build and operate data centers, we have become the focal point for the development of data centers related to AI.” The firm is also keen to keep associates up to date with advances in AI and encourages associates to utilize the legal tech made available to them. “We were one of the few firms to be the first with Harvey access,” explained one associate.

Cooper expresses his excitement for this new era of technology: “I think we are going to see it change things more quickly than we anticipated,” adding “over time, with AI, I think we will see the pace of the practice and the complexity increase another order of magnitude.”

Read more from our conversation with Wade Cooper under the 'Get Hired' tab.

Summer Program

Summer associates are typically assigned to a specific practice group at the firm. Tasks vary depending on the practice group, though we heard of plenty of shadowing opportunities and general networking. “As a summer, you might be CC’d on emails to see how attorneys interact with one another and gain a view into the types of questions they’re asking each other,” one associate recalled. Others highlighted the opportunity to get “hands on experience, not only drafting, but being able to join client calls and sometimes meet clients.“

“You’re able to jump in from day one, and there’s a big emphasis on being intentional with forming relationships,” an insider detailed. The firm provides resources for summers to attend lunch with members of the firm and network.

The Work

Most associates on our list hailed from Dallas. This was followed closely with associates from Austin, with a few coming from Houston, and some from Fort Worth and San Antonio. As to be expected, most sources were housed within the real estate, corporate, and litigation practice groups.

All of the work at the firm is distributed directly from partners which invoked mixed feelings from associates. “Because it isn’t centrally managed, sometimes I think it comes down to who is available at the time, so deal flow can vary per person and there can be fluctuation,” said one source. Another source lamented that “you aren’t able to bill as many hours as you want to,” and that with a more centralized staffing system there is the potential to “do hours to your heart’s content.” However, sources did praise the support provided by partners who they received work from, and the ability to be taken notice of more easily due to the direct contact they had with partners.

In the corporate team, associates discussed difficulties in having consistent workflow as one of the disadvantages of the firm’s work allocation system. However, one source revealed, “To a large degree it puts the onus on the associate which forced me out of my shell, and now workflow hasn’t been a problem for the last seven months.”

Here, associates are able to get involved in M&A, corporate governance contracts, real estate joint ventures, investment fund work, and debt work including borrower side credit facilities. Junior tasks range from due diligence to taking the first run at a legal opinion. “A common thing we do as an associate is to draft consents authorizing different actions for companies,” said one source, with another sharing that “taking charge and ownership” of transaction checklists is a key task as a junior associate to ensure that you’re “helping to coordinate that transaction across the finish line.”

Corporate clients: Prophet Equity, Novaria Holdings, Retail Cloud Technologies. Represented County Line Rail in its acquisition of the Sabine River & Northern Railroad from a Fortune 500 Company.

“Every piece of land has its own unique problems, and so as a transactional attorney, you have to be a problem solver…”

Within the real estate department, junior associates quipped, “Wedip our toes into every area of real estate law.” This includes acquisitions and dispositions of property, lease work, and development work to name just a few areas serviced by the team. “I love this work,” one associate beamed, explaining that “every piece of land has its own unique problems, and so as a transactional attorney, you have to be a problem solver and tell your client if there is a high risk or low risk to their investment.”

Juniors can expect a lot of responsibility early, but sources were keen to caveat, “We’re not just thrown in; we have lots of guidance but, depending on what the matter is, we can have a great deal of autonomy and control over it.” Sources in real estate were also happy with the approach taken for work allocation as it allows them to build relationships with the partners who are “really approachable and easy to ask questions of.”

Real estate clients: Blackstone Group, Greystar Real Estate, University of Texas System. Represented Ghost Sign Development, a joint venture between Todd Interests and JPMorgan, in a retail lease agreement.

In litigation, associates are given the opportunity to work on a range of disputes. Within court rooms, “Jackson Walker’s name precedes itself,” expressed one junior. The department hones in on business litigation, property disputes, and personal injury/product liability, as well as representing clients within the appellate courts. The team also supports fiduciary litigation within the trusts and estates practice area, and clients hail from various industries including real estate, electric and energy, aviation, and tech.

Litigation clients: Jerry Jones and Dallas Cowboys, Microsoft, City of Austin – Austin Energy. Represented Jed Wallace in a high-profile defamation lawsuit brought by Blake Lively in connection with It Ends With Us legal battle with co-star Justin Baldoni.

Career Development

Making partner at a law firm is the eventual goal most associates ride for and at Jackson Walker, a transparent route is provided to ensure associates are on the right track to make it a reality. One junior assured, “When someone walks through the door as a new attorney the goal is that in eight years, they become a partner at the firm.”

This is also part of the firm’s hiring strategy, as “Jackson Walker hires pretty lean; they aren’t hiring huge classes of summer associates because they’re trying to fill their needs for the long term,” an interviewee explained.

A mentorship program also sees all new associates paired up with an associate mentor, as well as a partner mentor at the firm. “I think it is well implemented,” commented one source, “anytime I’m not sure of something or I just need to know how to handle a situation, they are the people that I can go to for that guidance.”

Associates are provided with a stipend for lunches with their mentor, with the firm sending email reminders to check in with them. “It might not seem like a big deal but there’s a million things going on at once so it’s a nice reminder for us to continue pouring into those relationships,” one source concluded.

Hours & Compensation

Billable hours: 1,950 target

Like with most firms, the achievability of the billable hours target varies by practice area and market condition. “Sometimes corporate/M&A will be down, sometimes finance will be down, or sometimes it’ll be real estate. Every practice group kind of ebbs and flows but when that happens the firm doesn’t hold it against you,” an interviewee reassured.

The firm doesn’t penalize its associates for not hitting targets, but they do provide bonus incentives for those that do. “Once you hit 2,000 hours or above, you receive a bonus,” explained an associate, “There’s a full metric system that decides what your bonus will be, and it takes into account a lot of different factors, so your time is very valued.”

Associates’ workdays also varied greatly depending on the matters they were working on. “Sometimes it’ll be a due diligence review where I’ll block a couple of hours at a time, but other times it’ll be an hour or less on each matter because deals will be at different stages,” commented one source, “You think you have a plan for the next day and then in the morning your inbox will say otherwise.”

Culture

The motto at the firm is “We take our work seriously but not ourselves,” sources explained, attesting that it’s “a bit cheesy but it’s true!” The firm ensures that there are “lots of opportunities to really get to know your colleagues.”

This year the firm hosted its first all-associate retreat in Texas’ very own wine country (aka Fredericksburg) which involved associates from across all the different offices. “We got to hang out and bond,” told one source with another commenting that “camaraderie across the offices is helpful, especially in gaining additional work and projects.” The retreat, we heard, will continue each year with a different location each time.

Associates also described the open-door policy at Jackson Walker as being intrinsic to the open communication between colleagues. “You’re not looked down upon for not knowing an answer and that creates an environment that encourages learning and development where you have the opportunity to be vulnerable about what you do and don’t know,” an interviewee detailed.

“This is a place where people aren’t afraid to show that they have these lives outside of work, and people don’t just respect that, they cultivate it.”

The culture of the firm seems to stem from the encouragement to be “a good firm citizen.” A source explained that this means “showing up for lunches and events, supporting others in the firm, and generally going above and beyond.” This includes attending a weekly happy hour, where associates take a break to catch up over drinks. As one source expressed, “This is a place where people aren’t afraid to show that they have these lives outside of work, and people don’t just respect that, they cultivate it.”

Pro Bono

Typically, associates can bill up to 50 hours of pro bono work towards their billable targets, however, the cap was waived this year to allow associates to provide help to those affected by the devastating flooding that occurred in Texas in July 2025. “A lot of lives were lost, and people were impacted by property damage in addition to losing loved ones,” shared one associate, “Given the circumstances, the firm encouraged us to go out and do as much pro bono as we could within the state.”

The firm has its own pro bono committee which provides associates with information on matters they can get involved with. Alongside the more typical pro bono matters, the firm invites associates to help out at local animal shelters, foodbanks, drives for local charities, and soup kitchens. “There is a genuine feeling that Jackson Walker cares about its people and the state it’s in,” a source shared. The only slight critique sources had was that most pro bono matters centered on litigation, meaning that some transactional associates felt they couldn’t get involved with it.

Pro bono hours

• For all (US) attorneys: 14
• Average per (US) attorney: 6,789

Inclusion

“We have events throughout the year from our inclusion and belonging committee,” revealed one associate, adding, “We have a lot of lawyer resources. There are various webinars and events to provide that support for you.” For the younger female associates, “the more senior women are very open when talking about their experiences of balancing different parts of their lives,” we heard.

There is also a women’s group which hosts quarterly lunches with speakers and panelists. “I think the concept that everyone is involved in everything is very important,” one associate told us, “The firm has special interest groups that do presentations not just for the special interest group but for the firm as a whole, and those are very well attended.” The key takeaway was that Jackson Walker “understands that diversity makes us stronger as a firm,” associates concluded.

Get Hired 

The first stage: recruitment on and off campus   

2L OCI applicants interviewed:  0

2L Interviewees outside OCI:  9

“Since Jackson Walker is the largest firm in Texas, we focus our recruiting on top law students who are interested in practicing in the Texas market,” Jackson Walker's firm-wide hiring partner Jonathan Neerman told us. “We encourage applicants to submit their application directly through our firm website. We engage with law students nationwide by hosting and participating in a range of recruiting events, both in person and virtual. This allows candidates to connect with our attorneys, learn more about our practices and culture, and gain insight into what distinguishes Jackson Walker as a place to build a career.” 

Screening Interviews are conducted by attorneys in practice areas that have a summer associate hiring need. During the screening interview, JW interviewers aim to “learn more about the candidate’s background and experience” in order to determine whether what they are looking for in a firm “is consistent with what JW offers.”   

Top tips for this stage:   

“The interviewer and I really hit it off. It was already a laid-back and relaxed atmosphere.” – a junior associate

“Learn about our firm and the interviewers in advance of the interview so you can ask informed questions that demonstrate your interest in our firm.” – Jonathan Neerman, firm-wide hiring partner 

Callbacks   

2L Applicants invited to second stage interview: 12 

Candidates who stand out during their screening interview are invited back for an interview with partners and associates in the office. This usually includes six-to-eight attorneys from the practice areas that the candidate has expressed an interest in. During the callback interview, the focus is on assessing “whether the candidate possesses the core qualities that JW finds lead to success at our firm.” These qualities include “a strong work ethic, leadership capabilities, a strong academic record and self-motivation.” Candidates should again arrive “prepared to ask questions and provide answers that show particular interest in the firm and the interviewers,” with a focus on career longevity. 

Top tips for this stage:   

“The candidate should exhibit self-confidence without arrogance.” – Neerman 

Summer program   

2L Offers:  4 

2L Acceptances:  2 

Jackson Walker’s summer program lasts nine weeks. Over the course of the program, summer associates receive projects within their assigned practice areas and attend client meetings, closings, negotiations, depositions, trials, and courtroom hearings. If a summer associate indicates a strong interest in multiple practice areas, JW will provide the opportunity to work on projects within the indicated practice areas over the course of the summer program. “In addition to substantive work assignments, summer associates will have the opportunity to participate in a mock trial or hearing based on an active case, or a mediation seminar," we heard.   

During the summer program, the firm is aware of which practice groups want to hire a first-year attorney. The summer associates who have expressed an interest in those practice areas will get work assignments from those practice areas: “At the end of the summer, those practice areas will give a practice group specific offer to 2L summer associates.” Neerman advises summers to “produce excellent work product and take a genuine interest in coming to know as many attorneys in the office as possible.”   

Notable summer events: firm-wide summer associate event, volunteer events, client visits, partner events, associates' night out, cooking classes, fitness activities, sporting events, concerts, and informal gatherings.   

Top tips for this stage:   

“Be confident, engage with the attorneys and staff, express genuine interest in the firm and produce excellent work.” – Neerman

“They also have a lot of meetings to generate feedback about different summers and interactions they’ve had. Those are taken seriously in terms of if someone is a good culture fit for the firm – they really do look at that. If someone has good grades and good work but we thought they didn’t fit in culturally, we’d be hesitant about hiring that person.” – a junior associate

“I have high hopes for Jackson Walker. I don’t anticipate leaving or making a move; I’d like to stay here my whole career.” – a junior associate

Interview with managing partner, Wade Cooper

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?

Wade Cooper: We are the largest firm in the state, and we have the most comprehensive and robust set of service offerings. So, for companies trying to get things done within the state of Texas, there is no other firm that offers a broader suite of services than we can. We have handled some of the largest projects in the state relating to chip manufacturing, power and data centers. Additionally, we have experience and areas of expertise that extend well beyond the borders of this state. For example, our litigation, electric power, and real estate work is known nationally. We are essentially a national firm with our bricks and mortar within the state of Texas and with a unique ability to get things done within the state of Texas.

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

Cooper: A number of interesting things have happened. We recently hired the longest serving Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court upon his retirement, which is a feather in our cap because he has an encyclopedic knowledge of Texas law, and it is an indication that people who know Texas law are coming to Jackson Walker. The most interesting thing happening currently in the state is that Texas is becoming one of the key focal points in the country for the development of AI and data centers. There has been a bit of a land rush going on with the development of data centers, which are entirely dependent on availability of electricity in large amounts. So, a lot of what we are seeing now has to do with the development of resources which are necessary for AI. As such, Texas has become ground zero for data centers.

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?

Cooper: Because of the availability of the resources in Texas required to build and operate data centers, we have become the focal point for the development of data centers related to AI. Texas is also a very important state for the development of chip manufacturing. Oil and gas continue to be an interesting and significant industry, and we continue to see real estate growth in the state of Texas. With Elon Musk moving his entities over here and Apple, Oracle, and Google having their largest facilities here, Texas is at the forefront of the development of the new economy in the US.

CA: What is your firm’s commercial strategy focusing on, and how do you expect the next year to unfold?

Cooper: The firm continues to aggressively seek out talent for all our practice areas – both from the ranks of our summer associate and from the lateral market; and to grow within our existing footprint. We don’t have any plans to develop offices outside the state of Texas at present, but we do an awful lot of work outside Texas. So while our bricks and mortar are here, and we have a great client base within Texas, we’re keen to continue to develop relationships with both national and international clients as well.

CA: I understand that JW opened up a new office in San Antonio last year. How’s that going, and are there any further plans to expand?

Cooper: We moved to our new office in San Antonio about a year and a half ago, and it is a great space in a cool part of town. Additionally, we’re currently on the final stretch of expanding and completely renovating our Houston office and we will be done with that by the end of the year. We also have expanded and renovated part of our Dallas office, and that should also be done by the end of the year. Fort Worth was expanded and renovated last year. That leaves Austin and we are in the market for a new space in Austin, and within the next twelve to 18 months, we will have secured our long-term home there. So, we’re 80% done creating the Jackson Walker that’s going to be around for the next 20 to 30 years.

CA: Are there any current issues facing the real estate sector, and how is this affecting the work you do at JW?

Cooper: It has been a little bit slower with the increases in the last couple years of the federal funds interest rates, but with recent decreases in those rates, we have seen increasing business in real estate. The real estate market isn’t monolithic; there are lots of segments and sub-markets. So while there have not been a lot of new offices buildings being built in cities, there is a lot going on in residential and commercial and as I said earlier, there is a lot of real estate activity around data centers and supporting the tech industry. So, it has shifted its focus real estate will become even vibrant as interest rates decrease. That said, some of our busiest lawyers, currently are our real estate finance lawyers.

Inside the Firm

CA: How is the firm evolving to accommodate the needs/expectations of the next generation of lawyers?

Cooper: I think the key thing is providing a supportive culture and the training to give them the skills they need as quickly as possible, and then the opportunity to work on matters in which they are interested. We don’t over-hire, so our associates have the opportunity to get experience quickly.  I don’t know any other firm that puts as many resources into their associates as we do. In addition to technical skills in their practice areas we give them client development training and then leadership skills as they progress. We believe strongly in investing in and developing our people and the current development is in making training and collaboration around AI available. We are working hard to bring our people up to speed on AI, because that will change the practice of law very quickly.

The Legal Profession

CA: Speaking of artificial intelligence, 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?

Cooper: It’s interesting. I recently visited with all our associates around the state, and I would say 90% of them are pretty engaged with AI at present. Right now, there is a lot of experimentation to see what it can be used for reliably. I think we are going to see it change things more quickly than we anticipated. Right now, it’s being used quite successfully as a learning tool. It is helpful also for research and for creating a starting place for communications or documents, but what the associates seem most satisfied with is its ability to explain new things and prepare them in the early stages of their work. So, I think it’s going to have very rapid uptake. I think we are going to see it embraced by the youngest lawyers most quickly.

I’m old enough to remember when computers and the internet were a new thing, and one of the outcomes of computers being available was an increase in the pace of the practice of law. Before computers, lawyers were loath to change documents much because a simple change could mean the secretary had to re-type everything within the document. And drafts would be put in the “snail mail,” With computers, lawyers could make wholesale changes very quickly and transmit them almost instantaneously. Over time, with AI, I think we will see the pace of the practice and the complexity increase another order of magnitude. 

CA: Do you have any advice for law students?

Cooper: There’s huge pressure now in Texas on first years having to make decisions about what law firms they want to clerk with as early as two months after they have gone to law school. And this isn’t happening all across the country, so recruits outside of Texas don’t fully appreciate this very dramatic change. So, if you’re outside the state of Texas, and interested in clerking here, it’s important that you join a Texas club or do a lot of research, because the timing and the method of getting a clerkship is totally different here. It’s not a good development in my judgement, because there’s huge pressure for first years to commit their first summer and perhaps their second summer by the end of their first year, so they really need to be prepared if they want to come to a law firm in Texas. As I said, it has been a very dramatic change.

The Fun Bit

CA: Throwing it back to law school: it's been a long day of classes and studying. What's your go-to easy meal to have before you crash?

Cooper: Mine was probably a dish called migas: scrambled eggs, but we would include peppers onions, nachos, and cheese.

CA: What was the first concert you attended?

Cooper We went to see a band play that they were going to hire for our senior prom, and it was at a kind of festival in a park with a creek. The festival got out of hand, and the riot police had to be called in. It was a crazy time.

CA: Thinking about the ways in which the legal profession is developing, what is the one skill you have learnt in your career that you think is key for young attorneys to learn?

Cooper: My young attorneys are tired of hearing me talk about this, but I am a huge fan of a fellow by the name of Chris Voss who is a former FBI hostage negotiator. And I think the skill I wish I had acquired at an earlier age, and one which I’m still trying to acquire, is the ability to have difficult conversations in a positive fashion. I think attorneys don’t like confrontation, don’t like having hard conversations, and aren’t very good at them. But Chris Voss is great; he has a masterclass called “The Art of Negotiation.” You can find a lot of him on various podcasts, and the skills he teaches are very useful and very practical.