Kirkland & Ellis - The Inside View

Private equity powerhouse Kirkland & Ellis knows a thing or two about investment, particularly when it comes to building associates’ careers.

Fortune favors the bold. Kirkland & Ellis proved as much in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis by doubling down on its private equity and restructuring offerings – a move that arguably accelerated its growth for years to come. Today, this boldness is reflected in the firm’s undeniable prestige, market-leading revenue, global reach, and six-year path to income partnership – all of which continues to draw associates to its doors.

It’s safe to say Kirkland is no rookie in the world of BigLaw. “It’s a place for people eager to take on responsibility; there’s a lot happening, and there’s quality across the platform,” insiders emphasized. Indeed, our colleagues over at Chambers USA can only agree, awarding the firm with a long list of top-tier accolades. Kirkland gold stars for over 50 of its practices – 20 of which are recognized as some of the best nationwide (you’ll have to head over to chambers.com for the full list – we have a word count over here!). The firm’s status as a global leader is further cemented by its appearance in Chambers Global  for its investment funds, private equity, and restructuring/insolvency prowess across multiple international jurisdictions.

“Juniors take on meaningful responsibilities. If you want it and go after it, it’s not a hypothetical.”

On such high-stakes deals, associates aren’t left to the wayside either. “Juniors take on meaningful responsibilities,” a source made clear, “If you want it and go after it, it’s not a hypothetical.” Feel like a lot to bear? You’re not wrong. Thankfully, associates have the training and investment to complement the responsibilities. “It strikes a nice balance,” sources observed. Moreover, with the autonomy afforded by the open assignment system, “You’re in charge of your own path,” we heard.

Strategy & Future

2025 can only be described as yet another record-breaking year for Kirkland: the firm surpassed the $10 billion revenue mark, with profits per equity partner averaging $11 million and an estimated 225 parter promotions. It’s also been a continued story of growth for the firm’s geographical footprint with the addition of new offices in Philadelphia and Nashville. The firm’s Miami presence has also continued to grow since its inception in 2023, with the addition of a restructuring team.

As one would expect, artificial intelligence has also been top of mind for many, including associates at Kirkland: “I can see with the evolution of AI the firm is doing its level best to keep up with changes.” Associates have access to tools such as Harvey and Westlaw, alongside a dedicated working group on speed dial to answer any queries. “It’s totally changed my workflow, and I use it almost every day,” an insider shared of the AI toolkit.

Summer Program

2L summer associates join a specific practice area (for example, corporate, litigation, or restructuring), while 1L summers are encouraged to try out different work assignments and explore multiple practices through the open assignment system. Summers are also encouraged to network and be curious; “Talk to as many people as possible and ask why they like the work and find those that you most relate to,” an associate advised, “It’s the best use of your time to figure out what interests you; ask as many questions as possible!”

During the program, interviewees recalled shadowing associates, attending meetings, and getting involved in research tasks and other discrete assignments. There are also plenty of events put on for summers to get to know one another and their future colleagues, including lunches, dinners, Broadway shows, and baseball games.

The Work

Most junior associates join the corporate department, followed by general litigation and restructuring. The rest are spread across IP litigation, taxation, technology & IP transactions, antitrust/competition, investment funds, real estate, and international trade.

Across practices, associates find work through an open assignment system which allows juniors to reach out to senior associates and partners for work, and vice versa. “You get to find the people that you want to work with and the cases that you want to work on,” an insider explained. Ultimately, “it’s an adjustment to learn how to do that, but it’s a good skill to learn,” we heard.

Kirkland’s corporate department includes its capital markets, debt finance, investment funds, M&A, and private equity practices. Typically, juniors join the department as generalists before self-selecting into one of the practices at the end of their second year.

The investment funds practice represents sponsors at each stage of fund formation, from fundraising and management to secondaries and continuation. “There is diversity in the types of clients, from sophisticated multibillion-dollar asset managers to first-time funds,” an insider described.

Associates are able to get involved with project management, which means providing status updates to internal and external parties, and running the closing process. Juniors can also pick up the pen to draft and review subscription booklets, side letters, and various ancillary documents, and eventually ramp up to things like private placement memorandums. Once newbies have gained their footing, they’re able to step up and strategize with partners and their teams too.

Corporate clients: KKR, Eli Lilly, Meta. Advised PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners in relation to the acquisition of Electronic Arts (EA), valued at around $55 billion.

The litigation department hosts a variety of practices, including commercial litigation, IP litigation, bankruptcy, product liability, mass torts, securities, and white-collar investigations. “It runs the gamut!” one junior summarized. Teams regularly work cross-office, and juniors are able to explore the different practices within the department.

“You have to put yourself out there, seek it and ask for it.”

While it varies depending on the size and stage of a matter, junior associate tasks can include legal research, discovery review and management (which involves meeting with experts), as well as picking up the pen to draft motions. Juniors can also get stuck into assisting with deposition preparation and, in some cases, second chair a deposition. “It’s a lot of responsibility to stand on your own two feet,” one emphasized, adding “You have to put yourself out there, seek it and ask for it.”

Litigation clients: GlaxoSmithKline, United Airlines, Zoom. Serves as lead outside advisor to Eli Lilly on crisis management and communications and product liability suits relating to the Mounjaro, Trulicity, and Zepbound medicines.

The restructuring practice represents debtors, investors, and creditors in financial and operational restructurings and insolvency proceedings, like Chapter 11 cases. As one insider put it, “We work with businesses in varying levels of distress to use in court and out of court tools and processes to achieve their goals.”

As such, associates work across in-court bankruptcy proceedings as well as liability management exercises which can involve debt negotiations. It’s common for fresh-faced juniors to work on in-court matters primarily, “as it’s the skillset you come out of law school with, for the more litigation style work.”

Here, rookies get stuck in with research – “I wouldn’t feel like a lawyer if I didn’t fire up Westlaw enough,” one quipped – as well as plenty of motion drafting opportunities: “When a company enters Chapter 11, everything stops. You have to file a series of motions for relief to allow the company to do the simplest things like pay employees and taxes – first years are drafting these.”

The out of court work is more corporate adjacent. As such, junior tasks often revolve around corporate governance and understanding organizations and their entities and subsidiaries.

Restructuring clients: Tupperware, Claire’s, Global Clean Energy. Advised American Tire Distributors in the commencement of its Chapter 11 cases.

Career Development

“Absolutely, there is a big focus on structured training and learning every day with the work that you’re doing - the training is rigorous,” insiders were quick to highlight. There are plenty of resources available to juniors, starting with general sessions for first-years. These turn into more targeted training sessions as associates progress.

For instance, litigators undergo take part in the annual Kirkland Institute for Trial Advocacy (KITA) program which is aimed to provide hands-on learning opportunities: “We had a weeklong mock trial: witness prep, trial prep, and a bench or jury trial, with direct instruction from partners who have done this many times before.” Those in restructuring have similar exercises including a mock presentation to a board for a restructuring deal.

Upon joining the firm, associates are typically assigned mentors, including more senior associates for career guidance and colleagues for more day-to-day questions. “I’ve been able to take younger associates under my wing and summers that are coming back – it goes both ways,” an insider emphasized.

“…you’re given leeway to make mistakes and grow.”

We heard that associates ultimately benefit from an entrepreneurial spirit as “there are lots of opportunities to raise your hand, and no shortage of mentorship and guidance.” One added, “it’s rough and tumble sometimes, but you’re given leeway to make mistakes and grow; you’re treated like a professional with respect.”

As for long-term career progression, our interviewees agreed that the path to income partnership is transparent and attainable with a defined six-year path, though the equity tier was a tad more elusive. Associates were also confident about their ability to look at alternate options, with a robust alumni network and career services support particularly for those looking to clerk and go in-house.

Culture

While there are a variety of personalities across the firm, associates consistently described a culture where “people are driven and willing to put themselves out there, go above and beyond, and look for opportunities.” This drive manifests itself in different ways, from those seeking out exposure to highly-sophisticated clients, those pushing towards partnership, or those wanting to make a mark before moving in-house.

Associates are expected to be in office Tuesday through Thursday, with some flexibility for those working later hours or in different time zones, for example. Ultimately, “one of the biggest selling points of being in is the free coffee, breakfast, and lunch every day!” one associate quipped.

There are also weekly opportunities to mingle, typically revolving around food or drinks. Insiders agreed the summer program is certainly the liveliest period at the firm, and associates also look forward to the holiday party: “a big shebang which everyone goes to!”

Hours & Compensation

Billable hours: no requirement

Associates at the firm don’t have a formal billable hour requirement, nor are bonuses tied to any hours targets. However, insiders indicated that informally, there is the general expectation to be hitting at least 1,800 to 2,000 billable hours, which is pretty typical for BigLaw. Regardless, the lack of a formal target certainly helped ease stress level for sources, who commented: “I just bill time without worrying about meeting a target – there’s certainly no shortage of work.”

Breaking this down, sources indicated working anywhere between 40 to 50 hours a week, although naturally there are ebbs and flows. For example, associates working on M&A might have more intense periods in contrast to those in investment funds which typically have longer time frames and are a bit more predictable. Those in litigation can find themselves in particularly busy periods as well, especially in the lead up to and during trials.

In turn, associates receive market-rate compensation for their efforts, and are awarded a bonus for being in good standing. There is also an additional discretionary bonus available.

Pro Bono

There is no limit on how many hours of pro bono work associates can undertake, and “it’s all counted as billable, which is fantastic!” Of course, “You need to balance it out with client billable work,” a source reasoned. This policy was certainly appreciated by first-year associates during their ramp up periods at the firm – not only for logging hours, but also for gaining experience. “I got substantive drafting experience from month one,” a litigator enthused. The firm also rewards those who accrue a certain number of hours with a ‘pro bono all-star’ sign on their office door.

There are plenty of projects to get involved in which are circulated regularly by the firm’s dedicated pro bono coordinators. Opportunities range from short-term legal clinic commitments to veterans, immigration, and asylum cases, and criminal justice matters – to name just a few. “It’s so great to see the good work that we’re doing in real time,” an insider beamed.

Pro bono hours

  • For all US attorneys: 106,613
  • Average per US attorney: 29

Get Hired 

The first stage: recruitment on and off campus 

OCI Applicants: undisclosed 

Interviewees Outside of OCI: undisclosed 

Kirkland offers a variety of engagement opportunities, both in person and virtual, to create a dynamic and inclusive recruitment process to reach the best talent, regardless of law school. Through in-person networking events, candidates have the chance to engage face-to-face with the firm’s attorneys, fostering genuine interactions and gaining deeper insights into Kirkland’s culture.  

“Our approach to recruiting emphasizes consistent engagement with candidates year-round, leveraging networking and engagement events to offer students distinct opportunities to cultivate relationships with the firm,” hiring sources explain. “By providing multiple opportunities to engage with members of our recruiting committees and Kirkland attorneys, we ensure candidates are adequately prepared for the interview process and feel empowered to make informed decisions about their summer associate experience.” 

Interested 1L candidates are encouraged to apply for 2L positions starting in November.  

Callbacks 

Applicants Invited to Second Stage Interview: undisclosed 

The interview represents a crucial stage for candidates and attorneys alike. The firm utilizes this phase to establish meaningful connections while assessing a candidate's capacity to manage multiple tasks professionally and in a collegial manner, contribute effectively to the firm’s collaborative environment, and deliver value to both clients and the organization. 

For candidates, the interview also serves as a valuable opportunity to assess whether Kirkland aligns with their professional aspirations and career trajectory. Hiring sources at the firm tell us: “Self-starters who demonstrate initiative, ambition, passion and enthusiasm often thrive.” 

Summer program 

Summer Program Offers: undisclosed 

Summer Program Acceptances: undisclosed 

At Kirkland the work is interesting, cutting-edge, and involves clients from businesses in all industries and sectors. When joining Kirkland, starting with the Summer Associate Program, associates quickly become part of the team. Providing solutions to high-profile clients, they are involved in real deals and cases — not just listening and learning — but relied upon to make valuable contributions. Summer associates experience substantive, hands-on work, accelerating their early career development by working directly with partners. 

Like Kirkland attorneys, summer associates experience the distinctive open assignment system which empowers individuals to choose the types of matters on which they work while the firm provides an integrated support network to help ensure robust development opportunities. In addition to specific assignments, summer associates participate in the firm’s numerous interactive training programs, shadow attorneys in negotiations, team meetings and client calls, and participate in trials, depositions, hearings, negotiations, and deal closings. There are also opportunities to network with attorneys and fellow summer associates though various social events.

Kirkland & Ellis

Firm profile

 

At Kirkland & Ellis, we are united in our ambition and drive to move the Firm forward. We invest in our people and build dynamic teams powered by passion and enthusiasm. Our work is underscored by our shared commitment to our core values; excellence, collaboration, drive & energy, and empowerment. Our talented professionals show up every day knowing they will engage in meaningful work, continuous learning and professional development.

Our work is interesting, cutting-edge and high-profile, and involves clients from businesses in all industries and sectors. Kirkland & Ellis attorneys handle the most complicated and sophisticated legal matters because we don’t just meet industry standards, we create them.

As a Firm with a global presence, we embrace inclusion at Kirkland, throughout the legal profession and within the communities in which we live and work. We strive to build and maintain a culture that values our differences and provides a supportive environment to grow and develop the next generation of leaders.

Kirkland and Ellis operates across the United States, Europe and Asia.

Social media

 

Recruitment website: www.kirkland.com/careers
Linkedin:Kirkland & Ellis
Twitter:@Kirkland_Ellis
Instagram:@lifeatkirkland

This Firm's Rankings in
USA Guide, 2026

Ranked Departments

    • Banking & Finance (Band 1)
    • Capital Markets: Debt & Equity (Band 3)
    • Intellectual Property: Patent Litigation (Band 1)
    • Intellectual Property: Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets (Band 2)
    • Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite (Band 2)
    • Private Equity: Buyouts (Band 1)
    • Tax (Band 4)
    • Real Estate (Band 2)
    • Tax (Band 3)
    • Antitrust (Band 1)
    • Environment: Mainly Transactional (Band 1)
    • Intellectual Property: Litigation (Band 1)
    • Labor & Employment (Band 4)
    • Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite (Band 1)
    • Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Band 3)
    • Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (Band 3)
    • Antitrust (Band 1)
    • Banking & Finance (Band 1)
    • Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Band 1)
    • Capital Markets: Debt & Equity (Band 2)
    • Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (Band 1)
    • Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (Band 2)
    • Insurance: Transactional & Regulatory (Band 2)
    • Intellectual Property (Band 1)
    • Litigation: General Commercial (Band 1)
    • Litigation: Product Liability (Band 1)
    • Litigation: Securities (Band 2)
    • Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Band 1)
    • Media & Entertainment: Transactional (Band 2)
    • Real Estate (Band 1)
    • Tax (Band 1)
    • Technology & Outsourcing (Band 1)
    • Banking & Finance (Band 1)
    • Corporate/M&A (Band 1)
    • Private Equity: Buyouts (Band 1)
    • Private Equity: Fund Formation (Band 1)
    • Tax (Band 2)
    • Antitrust (Band 2)
    • Banking & Finance (Band 1)
    • Bankruptcy/Restructuring: The Elite (Band 1)
    • Corporate/M&A: Takeover Defense (Band 1)
    • Corporate/M&A: The Elite (Band 1)
    • Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (Band 3)
    • Environment: Mainly Transactional (Band 2)
    • Healthcare (Band 3)
    • Insurance: Transactional & Regulatory (Band 3)
    • Intellectual Property: Patent (Band 1)
    • Intellectual Property: Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets (Band 1)
    • Labor & Employment: Transactional (Band 1)
    • Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite (Band 1)
    • Litigation: Securities (Band 2)
    • Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations: The Elite (Band 4)
    • Media & Entertainment: Litigation (Band 2)
    • Private Equity: Buyouts (Band 1)
    • Real Estate: Mainly Corporate & Finance (Band 1)
    • Tax (Band 1)
    • Litigation: Product Liability (Band 2)
    • Antitrust (Band 3)
    • Banking & Finance (Band 1)
    • Capital Markets: Debt & Equity (Band 2)
    • Corporate/M&A: The Elite (Band 1)
    • Environment: Mainly Transactional (Band 1)
    • Intellectual Property (Band 5)
    • Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Band 2)
    • Private Equity: Buyouts (Band 1)
    • Tax (Band 1)
    • Tax: Litigation (Band 2)
    • Corporate/M&A (Band 2)
    • Litigation: General Commercial (Band 2)
    • Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (Band 1)
    • Litigation: General Commercial (Band 4)
    • Advertising: Litigation (Band 2)
    • Antitrust (Band 1)
    • Antitrust: Cartel (Band 3)
    • Artificial Intelligence (Band 3)
    • Asset Management M&A (Band 1)
    • Banking & Finance (Band 1)
    • Bankruptcy/Restructuring: The Elite (Band 1)
    • Capital Markets: Equity: Issuer Counsel (Band 2)
    • Capital Markets: High-Yield Debt (Band 1)
    • Capital Markets: Investment Grade Debt: Issuer Counsel (Band 3)
    • Capital Markets: Securitization: ABS (Band 2)
    • Capital Markets: Securitization: Whole Business (Band 1)
    • Climate Change (Band 3)
    • Corporate Crime & Investigations: The Elite (Band 1)
    • Corporate/M&A: The Elite (Band 1)
    • Derivatives (Band 4)
    • E-Discovery & Information Governance (Band 2)
    • Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (Band 3)
    • Energy Transition (Band 2)
    • Energy: Electricity (Regulatory & Litigation) (Band 4)
    • Energy: Electricity (Transactional) (Band 2)
    • Energy: Oil & Gas (Regulatory & Litigation) (Band 5)
    • Energy: Oil & Gas (Transactional) (Band 1)
    • Environment: Mainly Transactional (Band 1)
    • FCPA (Band 3)
    • Government Relations: Congressional Investigations (Band 1)
    • Impact Investing (Band 2)
    • Insurance: Transactional & Regulatory (Band 3)
    • Intellectual Property (Band 1)
    • Intellectual Property: Appellate (Band 1)
    • Intellectual Property: Trade Secrets (Band 1)
    • Intellectual Property: Trademark & Copyright (Band 1)
    • International Trade: CFIUS Experts (Band 1)
    • International Trade: Export Controls & Economic Sanctions: Highly Regarded (Band 2)
    • International Trade: Intellectual Property (Section 337) (Band 1)
    • Investment Funds: Regulatory & Compliance (Band 1)
    • Life Sciences (Band 3)
    • Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite (Band 1)
    • Offshore Energy (Band 3)
    • Oil & Gas Litigation (Band 1)
    • Outsourcing (Band 4)
    • Privacy & Data Security: Highly Regarded (Band 3)
    • Private Equity: Buyouts: High-end Capability (Band 1)
    • Private Equity: Fund Formation (Band 1)
    • Private Equity: Secondaries (Band 1)
    • Product Liability & Mass Torts: The Elite (Band 1)
    • Projects: Power (Band 3)
    • Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy (Band 3)
    • Real Estate (Band 1)
    • Registered Funds (Band 2)
    • REITs (Band 5)
    • Retail: Corporate & Transactional (Band 2)
    • Securities: Litigation (Band 2)
    • Securities: Regulation: Enforcement (Band 3)
    • Sports Law (Band 4)
    • Tax: Controversy (Band 5)
    • Tax: Corporate & Finance (Band 1)
    • Technology (Band 4)
    • Transportation: Aviation: Litigation (Band 3)
    • Venture Capital: Fund Formation (Band 3)
    • Corporate/M&A (Band 2)
    • Litigation: General Commercial (Band 3)

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