Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP - The Inside View

Ask insiders what sets this firm apart, and one word comes up repeatedly: innovation. With a focus across finance, tech and innovation, energy and infrastructure, and life sciences, Orrick “deeply understands the market in which its clients operate and advise on a range of different issues important to those sectors.” Simply put: “We don’t try to do everything, we try to do the most interesting work for the most interesting clients,” explained one junior.

“We have time as attorneys to focus on real substantive work…”

Well, Orrick might not do everything, but it isn't far off it. Over at Chambers USA the firm sits in a league of its own nationwide across a whole host of practices including capital markets: securitization, litigation: white-collar crime & government investigations, energy transition, financial services regulation, intellectual property, corporate/M&A, public finance, and product liability & mass torts. This external reputation for innovation has translated internally too. Most of the insiders we spoke to referenced the firm’s adoption of AI as a genuine differentiator. Indeed, the firm features amongst 'The Elite' for this in our latest satisfaction awards. The firm’s use of AI is meaningfully changing how its associates are working for the better, as one source noted: “We have time as attorneys to focus on real substantive work and think about the strategy of our cases, rather than doing more administrative work that takes a lot of time.”

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe is recognized as The Elite for Junior Satisfaction and The Elite for Mid to Senior Satisfaction in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey. Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe is also recognized as The Elite for Junior Satisfaction in Northern California specifically.

Strategy and Future

But it's not just innovation for innovation's sake. “At Orrick, we don’t try to be all things to all people,” managing partner, Jessica Perry tells us, “we focus on four specific sectors: tech and innovation; energy and infrastructure; finance; and life sciences.” Perry also highlights how the firm is focused on investing in their first-year associates to “ensure that they have all the skills that they need with AI and otherwise to be the next generation of successful lawyers.”

She also tells us how AI continues to drive demand at Orrick, and how this demand is being used to train junior lawyers: “We’re investing a lot more in mentoring, and doing more institutionally to build our GenAI literacy and professional skills.” This is due to how she believes “AI is going to be become a daily part of how we practice law and augment our skills.” Perry notes the consequences of those who do not adopt AI, explaining that “in the future those who are well-versed in using AI and integrate it into their daily practice are going to be more efficient and better able to provide advice to their clients.” In short, if you’re ready to get on board and ride the AI wave, Orrick could be the firm for you. 

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe is recognized as The Elite for AI Integration in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Summer Program

“We had a pretty balanced social calendar” shared one source, speaking to how Orrick held at least one, if not two social events each week during the summer program. The firm also runs an academy each year for its summers, “it was cool,” recalled one insider, “I got to meet summers that are in my practice group but not in the same office.”  Sources shared that although they were assigned into a practice area, they got an opportunity to sample varied work; “that was insightful, because as a summer, I wasn’t fully aware of what I wanted to do, so I got to try different things”. 

Some particularly highlighted the substantive work they did during their summer at Orrick. “It was client work, but client work that was less time sensitive” said one junior. Legal research for litigation matters was a key task, along with preparing client memos, all with the understanding that work was related to real matters. Associates also noted how important it is to use the 10 weeks to build connections. As one insider explained, “it can feel like a lot, but 10 weeks goes by fast, you don’t want to feel like you have missed out.”

Work

Although Orrick originates in San Francisco, associates we interviewed provided insights from across the firm’s roster of locations. With teams in all of its domestic offices typically taking on juniors (West Virginia currently the only exception), it’s clear that the firm’s roots reach far further than its origins. In terms of staffing, this tended to differ depending on the department associates worked within. While some favored a centralized staffing system, others preferred organic work allocation passed on directly from supervising associates and partners.

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe is recognized as The Elite for Work Allocation & Autonomy in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

General litigation at Orrick means taking on litigation matters falling on all sides of the spectrum, including working on commercial disputes. Sources spoke of being able to help on defamation matters, trade secrets, employment matters, securities cases, financial disputes, and tort claims, showing that this practice group really is an all-you-can-eat buffet. One associate in particular described their love for tort claims, since “they can be more interesting, the facts are more engaging and it’s easier to keep up with the stories since the pieces in the puzzle are more interesting to look at.” Juniors also explained how the litigation practice has a structured training program provided for associates. “We have monthly training sessions that vary in subjects, from basic legal knowledge focused on discovery disputes and privilege calls, to learning how to properly set up a filing” said one source. Associates in this all-encompassing practice noted the importance of seeing the bigger picture in order to succeed. As one junior said: “We tend to focus on the tasks that are in front of us but having the ability to step back and consider a case at its macro level, and keeping in mind what we’re trying to accomplish as an end goal, is the best way to approach it.”

General litigation clients: Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, University of Washington. Represented Walmart in a class action lawsuit alleging RICO violations, Lanham Act violations, common law fraud, false advertising, and violations of consumer protection laws.

“I felt like I could make an impact, and I really liked that”

Insiders in the firm’s energy & infrastructure department told us that the group features a broad practice area, working on everything from M&A to tax. Sources spoke of how the energy side is more focused on project development matters (such as power purchase agreements and EPCs), finance, (such as debt or tax equity as well as bridge or deployment loans), and M&A matters. Meanwhile, infrastructure projects typically involve juniors assist on different elements of a project, including project development, financing, and M&A matters, with there also being a focus on public-private partnership structures, government contracts and progressive design build models. Insiders were drawn to this group due to its growing practice: “what struck me most was its renewables practice; I felt like I could make an impact, and I really liked that.” Another source added how they’re “very excited to have more people in the group” with the added team members meaning “for our team lunches we have to use the board room; there’s so many of us.” Juniors praised the work they received, and how the group prepares its associates to be ready for changes, “you need to be able to plan for unpredictability to the extent you can because everything is so fast paced” said one associate.

Energy & infrastructure clients: PepsiCo, TotalEnergies, New York Power Authority. Advised ENGIE North America on entering into a partnership with CBRE.

Over in intellectual property, insiders discussed working on both litigation and transactional matters, handling patents, copyright disputes, trade secrets, life sciences matters, technology IP disputes, and trademark pattern prosecution work. They also noted how they work in a wide variety of venues, such as District courts to the US International Trade Commission, as well as taking on cases before the patent and trademark office all the way to the Federal Circuit. The IP group stretches across both the technology and life sciences industries, and insiders specified that curious and intellectually invested individuals will succeed in this department. As one associate aptly summed up: “If you’re excited about the work, it makes it easier.”

Intellectual property clients: Wendy’s, Netflix, Meta. Represents Sonos in multiple appeals arising from multifront battle between Sonos and Google.

Career Development

“People are always super happy to talk to you”

Growth at Orrick isn’t left to chance. As one insider explained, “they check in because they care about growth trajectory,” emphasizing that “there’s lots of check-ins to make sure we’re getting the things that we want.” Sources we spoke to made sure to highlight how associate development is particularly important to the firm. “The teams aren’t super huge” noted one junior, “so if you’re on a team, you’re doing something, and you’re contributing.” The firm’s commitment to structured formal training was another recurring theme, with associates discussing the broad range of CLEs training on offer. And CLEs aren’t just offered to associates at Orrick; their clients are also given the opportunity to participate and learn. Juniors were a fan of this client service provided by the firm with one explaining that, “offering CLEs to our clients is an opportunity as an associate to learn something yourself by teaching someone else.”

When it comes to coaching associates, “everyone is encouraged to participate in Orrick Onsite,” an initiative to drive collaboration in the office, and which was praised by insiders. It’s clear too that the firm loves a day away to upskill their associates, as they hosted not one, not two, but three in-person retreats last year to provide AI training for their ranks.Mentorship and hands-on guidance from seniors were other aspects valued by associates, especially since partners work directly with juniors. However, some juniors felt that informal mentorship differed depending upon the mid-levels staffed on a matter, as “some are really excited to schedule a call and walk you through work and give detailed feedback, while others are just looking to offload work.” Despite this, general consensus seemed to be that “people are always super happy to talk to you.”

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe is recognized as an Excellent Performer for Career Development in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Culture

“It’s a place where I can be myself whilst working on cutting edge assignments”

Culture at Orrick has a “California law firm” vibe to it, as “it’s much more business casual than other firms.” Associates noted how this relaxed atmosphere allows for more approachability between juniors and seniors, making for a firm full of “friendly people”. As one noted, “I feel very comfortable walking into a partner’s office and asking about something that’s not even directly matter related. I think that’s a real plus of the firm.” Having a Cali vibe doesn’t take away from the considerable cases being worked on by associates, making it “a place where I can be myself whilst working on cutting edge assignments.” Sources also described a sense of togetherness and teamwork, in particular noting a big emphasis on not wanting to go head-to-head against their own constituents. “They want you to enjoy the environment whilst also putting in great work,” explained one insider, “there’s not a sense of being the best, it’s all collaborative.”  When discussing the office, juniors noted how it’s an “encouraging place to be in.” There is currently a three day in-office rule, which, according to sources, is now being enforced with increased rigor. Orrick’s offices mainly follow a hot-desk system, but associates who are in more than others get an assigned office.

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe is recognized as an Excellent Performer for Culture in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Hours and Compensation

Billable target: no requirement

Insiders told us that whilst there was no official billable target, in order to be in the best position to earn a bonus, associates were expected to hit a minimum of 1,950 eligible billable hours, of which at least 1,800 must be client billable hours. This did not deter interviewees who said: “I don’t think it’s a problem to hit the target.” Beyond the 1,800 client billables, the extra 150 eligible hours can consist of pro bono, business development, self-investment time such as training and shadowing, and up to 40 hours annually of unplug time after busy work periods. All in all, “there’s a lot of ways you can get that last 150”. Sources noted that hitting 1,950 hours is very achievable, with one telling us: “I have consistently exceeded my hours every year. I don’t think at Orrick you need to be looking for work, work just comes around”. Juniors were also happy to report that the firm is keen to ensure that nobody is overworked. Insiders in the litigation practice group noted how they can find themselves working 80 hour weeks during trial, though they added how “there are weeks where I only bill 30 hours, it’s the nature of our practice.” With regard to compensation, the firm offers flexible working arrangements where you can reduce billable hour expectations for lower pay. Other than that, the firm follows the Cravath pay scale and also allows for the opportunity to receive regular and special bonuses.

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe is recognized as an Excellent Performer for Benefits & Quality of Life in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Pro Bono

Associates at Orrick are encouraged to do at least 20 hours of pro bono work per year, with no cap placed on the maximum amount of hours you can do, and since it often “seems like the supply outweighs the demand” the firm’s pro bono coordinator is always looking for willing volunteers meaning juniors are free to do as much pro bono work as they like. However, insiders noted that “there’s more of an emphasis on the billable work, and they want us to always keep that in mind” but if you have the capacity then you’re welcome to take on pro bono cases without limitation. And despite billables coming first, insiders noted that the majority of associates still make time for pro bono: “the majority of us hit our 20-hour minimum goals” said one junior. The firm offers a broad range of matters to work on, with all associates noting immigration related cases being a big focus for the firm.

Pro bono hours

• For all US attorneys: 53,829
• Average per US attorney: 65

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe is recognized as an Excellent Performer for Pro Bono in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Inclusion

“It’s baked into the culture, it’s so steeped into us” explained one source when asked about inclusion at the firm. When looking to join Orrick, one insider noted that what partly drew them in was “the quality-of-life metrics seemed strong.” Associates also pointed out how the firm has been less vocal about their inclusion initiatives externally, but they highlighted how the firm still makes everyone feel included internally and will do everything to make everyone feel included. Insiders praised the amount of inclusion networks the firm has, such as the Asian Pacific Attorneys, Black Lawyers of Orrick, LGBTQ+ Attorneys, and the Women’s Initiative (including the Women of Colour Collective). Sources also noted how leadership at the firm is receptive to recommendations provided by these groups.

Get Hired

The first stage: recruitment on and off campus  

Applicants interviewed 2025: 412

1L candidates interviewed in 2025: 97

2L candidates interviewed in 2025: 315

Orrick hires summer associates on a national, business unit-based model. That is, Orrick’s OCI interview schedules are national in nature (any student can interview for any office on any schedule), and students are asked in their interview which of Orrick’s six business units they prefer: Litigation, Corporate, Intellectual Property, Energy & Infrastructure, Finance, and Strategic Advisory and Government Enforcement (SAGE) as well as any practice group interests. Orrick participates in over 20 OCI, Preview, and career fair programs, as well as over a dozen resume collection drops. Orrick also encourages applicants to apply directly through Orrick’s Careers page. The firm utilizes interviewers from different practice groups at multiple levels of experience – from midlevel associates to partners – to offer unique perspectives.

Top tips for this stage:  

“We encourage candidates to discuss their backgrounds and interests, and their interesting life experiences and perspectives that shape their world view. We’ve identified qualities our most successful lawyers have in common: grit, EQ, team play and innovation, and we look for these qualities when meeting with prospective attorneys.”– Orrick hiring source.  

Callbacks  

Callback candidates generally interview with four attorneys from their preferred practice area(s). These interviewers are a mix of associates and partners. “Typically,” the firm tells us, “the local hiring partner or a representative designated by the local office hiring partner is involved in the interview process as well.” Things become slightly more forensic at this stage, with questions being “a bit more fine-tuned,” to establish a personal rapport and discuss an individual’s career goals. In order to see “if they are a good fit for our team and practices,” the firm uses this stage to explore one’s personal and professional interests. The firm note that callback interviews are “fairly standardized across all offices.”  

Top tips for this stage:  

“We encourage candidates to highlight their backgrounds and interests, interesting life experiences, and perspectives that shape their world view.” – Orrick hiring source.   

Summer program  

Offers 2025: 66 

1L: 21

2L: 45

Summer associates are placed within the business unit they identified as their preferred business unit during the interview process. Within each business unit, however, there are a number of practice areas. Summer associates can usually work with the various practice groups represented by their assigned business unit.  Each summer selects and receives assignments through a centralized assignment database. Workflow coordinators help manage this database and pair summer associates with work in their areas of interest. After finishing the program, “associates indicate their top practice group preferences. Nearly all new hires are placed in their first-choice practice group.” Summer associates are also encouraged to work on pro bono matters during the summer. 

Orrick also provides a mentorship program; each summer associate is paired with a partner mentor and associate mentor based on their business unit/practice group interests and their office location. These mentors meet with their mentees weekly, organically and through planned events and activities. The program offers summer associates formal training through a variety of workshops, “touching on legal writing and research skills,” professional development, wellness, soft skills, and more. Bolstering integration efforts, summers collectively attend a national Summer Academy for training and team building. The firm also engages in formalized mid- and end-of summer reviews, as well as “constructive feedback” on assignments.  

A wide variety of social events – from concerts to surfing, Disney World, MLB games, Broadway shows, and more – foster further integration. By asking summer associates to rank their practice group preferences at the end of the summer, the firm seeks to accommodate and allocate practice groups based on the groups’ needs, “as well as the summer associate’s exposure to practicing within the preferred group.” The firm tells us that “nearly all of our summer associates return as junior associates." 

Top tips for this stage:  

“Summer associate candidates should take this opportunity to get to know as many people as they can within their preferred practices and office. They should take advantage of opportunities to shadow our attorneys, attend client meetings, participate in events, and attend targeted trainings.” – Orrick hiring source.  

And finally…  

Across the entire process, Orrick identifies four sought-after qualities from candidates: “Grit (perseverance and passion for your long-term goals); EQ (the other kind of smarts, such as empathy and relationships); Team Play (motivated by opportunities to collaborate on complex problems); and Innovation (inspired by driving change and making improvements in the way things are done).”  

Interview with Jessica Perry, managing partner

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?

Jessica Perry: At Orrick, we don't try to be all things to all people. We focus on four specific sectors: tech and innovation; energy and infrastructure; finance; and life sciences. By focusing on those four sectors and being high quality practitioners, we deeply understand the market in which our clients operate and advise on a range of different issues important to those sectors.

One of our key strengths and differentiators is that because of our depth and excellence in advising on sector specific work, we have a unique understanding of the work at the seams of those sectors. There is a lot of cutting-edge legal work that is happening in seams between those sectors, like FinTech, for example, or in areas like AI, which sits at the intersection of all of those sectors. That's one of the areas where we really differentiate ourselves: not only in our sector expertise, but where those sectors overlap. 2025 was a year of growth for us. Each of our six business units grew last year, reflecting the strength of our integrated platform and the balance across our transactional, litigation and regulatory practices.

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

Perry: Number one, AI really continued to drive demand. We advised on more than $65 billion in AI venture transactions, and on 70 M&A transactions within the AI space in 2025. One example is advising Anthropic on its $30 billion Series G financing. We've represented Anthropic not just on that, but on all of its prior fundraising rounds since the company's founding back in 2021. We're also litigating several cases that are raising existential questions about the use of AI for clients like Microsoft, Workday, Cohere, and others.

Secondly, our M&A platform has never been stronger where we now rank in the top 10 globally. Data center demand was also a major driver of our transactions, including on the sale of Intersect, another client since its inception that we worked with to sell to Alphabet. There’s also been nuclear pioneer Okla’s landmark partnership with Meta to develop an advanced nuclear technology campus. So those are a couple examples of some of the M&A work we did last year.

Third, our litigation practice, which is nearly half of our firm, is really in demand across commercial, financial services, securities, employment, privacy, appellate and cutting-edge platform litigation. Our appellate team, over the span of six months, convinced courts to overturn two different $1 billion+ verdicts: one that was a trade secret jury judgment against Pegasystems, and another was a judgment against Cox Communications and the largest copyright verdict ever. We’re also litigating AI cases for Microsoft, Workday and others. We’re litigating platform liability matters for Roblox and Meta. On the life sciences front, we’re handling key IP, antitrust, and commercial cases for Johnson & Johnson, Regeneron, Genentech, Sanofi, and others.

Fourth, our energy and infrastructure demand was really strong across every type of asset as we help the market meet power demand. We're continuing to do incredibly exciting work for Microsoft and other disruptors on data center and nuclear energy solutions. We're the only firm that's advised on the financing of every nuclear project that has come online this century. We're advising clients on all kinds of innovative fission, fusion, and SMR technologies.

Finally, on the finance front, we've made a lot of really exciting investments in the last year, including adding 40 lawyers from Cadwalader to create the most comprehensive finance platform across private credit, securitization, restructuring, and litigation. We've been working deeply in the crypto area, advising on the first securities issuances on the private blockchain of a major bank and the first crypto-backed muni issuance. At the seams of public and private finance, we're advising on the US FAA's multibillion-dollar air traffic control system overhaul and the first public-private space port financing under new federal law.

CA: Are there any domestic or international events/trends that are affecting any of the firm’s practices at the moment?

Perry: One of the most significant trends is how AI is disrupting the legal industry - we're investing a lot more in mentoring, and doing more institutionally to build our GenAI literacy and professional skills. We’re putting greater emphasis on GenAI training for everyone at Orrick. We had three in-person retreats last year, where we also delivered AI training as well. We've mapped out our first generation of AI use cases across our transactional and litigation practices. And last year, we delivered over 260 hours of training and academies, and 500 hours of professional coaching, including writing coaching.

One of the other things we've continued to do is invest in our first-year associates and ensure that they have all the skills that they need with AI and otherwise to be the next generation of successful lawyers. We do this through our Residency program, which is a unique six-month program to get first year attorneys up to speed with a mix of client experience and training. That includes opportunities to be embedded with clients, and our Residency Lab provides even more training on AI skills.

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

Perry: We hired 47 lateral partners in 2025, doubling what we did in 2024, and we hired 166 lateral associates in the United States. That included adding the 40-lawyer transatlantic finance team from Cadwalader and a new Charlotte office. We added 18 energy partners globally. We strengthened our tech and M&A offerings, including doubling our Southern California team, adding more life sciences practitioners in Boston and adding fund formation talent. We launched a new office in Miami to serve South Florida's growing tech and innovation ecosystem. We're in the office three days a week and have recently upgraded our Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Paris offices, and we're about to turn to Silicon Valley.

CA: How would you describe the firm’s approach to professional development? What opportunities exist for junior and mid-level lawyers to grow their skills and take on increasing responsibility?

Perry: A few things. One, I would definitely point to the extensive AI training, as well as the Residency program, as those are really designed for our brand-new lawyers. We also remain very committed to pro bono. More than 50 of our associates gained courtroom experience through pro bono work, including a couple of associates who led en banc Ninth Circuit arguments and were featured in AmLaw, one in an immigration case and the other in a civil forfeiture case. We're continuing to do meaningful pro bono work, and that's an excellent area for associates to get practical, on-their-feet experience.

We also continue to invest in providing the types of academies that we've done for a number of years at different points in one's career, focusing on the skills needed as a junior associate, as a mid-level associate, and as a senior associate. That includes intensive business development skills training, practical training, as well as legal training on the basics and some of the advanced trial skills important to a litigation practice.

Inside the Firm

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

Perry: We've made a major investment in our internal AI platform. Last year we surpassed our millionth prompt on our own internal AI platform. Our team averages over 3,000 daily prompts. We’re providing GenAI training programs globally in addition to one-on-one coaching from innovation attorneys to really help associates integrate AI tools into their practice. We've mapped GenAI use cases for all of our transactional and litigation practices to teach people not only what technology is out there, but how you use it in your everyday practice and your day-to-day. Then we're continuing to invest in having people in the office three days a week so that they can shadow other attorneys, be part of a larger community, and connect to their peers. Being around and learning from more senior lawyers also really help in developing those on-the-job skills.

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?

Perry: AI is going to become a daily part of how we practice law and augment our skills. It's made us so much more efficient, and that’s going to continue to evolve. That’s why we're so invested in training all of our lawyers on the best way to use AI in their day-to-day practice, because in the future those who are well-versed in using AI and integrate it into their daily practice are going to be more efficient and better able to provide advice to their clients.

The other thing with respect to AI is that human social skills are going to be more important because you're going to be able to rely on AI tools to help you gather and synthesize information, but it's practical judgment and relationships that really are at the cornerstone of our business. It’s going to be even more important that people develop those relationships and can apply their own judgment in advising clients and helping guide them through a range of different options that may be available.

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?

Perry: I think AI is going to continue to be a driver of demand, and we have certainly seen that in the number of deals that we’re doing in the AI space, including AI venture financing transactions and M&A activity. Also, having guided three AI companies to $10 billion+ valuations, it’s creating a whole new area of law and practice that’s producing additional opportunities. I definitely think that is something that we're going to continue to see. We're also seeing a huge data center demand, and that's an area where we are deepening our expertise from development to commercialization. We're counselling companies every day on their AI, tech and policy needs - that, too, is an area of increasing demand. We’ve built a number of really innovative tools to help clients manage the day-to-day as their companies scale with AI, such as  an AI Law Center with a state-by-state AI law tracker, European Union AI Act guide and additional resources for startups, a policy builder tool, transactional due diligence and risk assessments to help navigate AI. AI is by far the most popular topic on our CLE platform for clients. We’re continuing to make an investment not just in the training that we provide our own lawyers, but also in the legal areas that touch AI that are going to continue to be a source of demand well into the future.

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?

Perry: Anything that involves pasta.

CA: What was the first concert you attended?

Perry: A reggae concert in Jamaica.

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?

Perry: Active listening. It's a skill that you've got to learn, whether you're a litigator or a transactional or a regulatory lawyer. You've got to listen very carefully to a judge's questions, to how opposing counsel is arguing a case or a motion. to what your client is telling you are the real pressure points or the things that are top of mind for them.