Wiley - The Inside View

From a young age, we all learn that honesty is the best policy… so why wouldn’t you want a firm that subscribes to the same ideology? Say hello to Wiley. True to its word, Wiley really is “wired into Washington.” Seriously: this single-office sensation is “plugged in and connected to everything DC law focused,” and as such, it brings a unique flavor to the typical BigLaw model. Take it from our associate interviewees: “Juniors get real, substantive legal work from the get-go,” one emphasized, “You’re getting to do the things you learn about in law school.”

Another attribute that makes Wiley stand out from the crowd is its sense of individuality, according to insiders. “We’re not the everything firm,” an associate admitted, “but what we do is trade, insurance, election law, government contracts, and telecom, media and technology – and we do that really well.” Indeed, it does: Chambers USA awards the firm gold stars for its insurance, media & entertainment: regulatory, and telecom, broadcast & satellite work in the capital, while nationwide, it takes the cake for elite government contracts, international trade, and political law.

“Wiley is plugged in and connected to everything DC law focused.”

Having its only office in DC has allowed the firm to foster a truly “welcoming and inclusive culture that you can both see and feel,” we heard, which has brought forth opportunities aplenty for mentorship and career development. Because “we’re all in the same place, we all know each other. It gives you more opportunity to be seen and be given early responsibility.” It also means that “everyone is involved from day one – you’ll be two months in at the firm, and you’re helping it run!” No pressure though, because “Wiley is a place of growth and long-term development. People are real, and you’ll enjoy coming into work every day.”

Wiley is recognized as an Excellent Performer for Junior Satisfaction and an Excellent Performer for Mid to Senior Satisfaction in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Strategy & Future

With the firm always “trying to stay ahead of the market,” associates shared that “emerging technologies are going to be big” at Wiley, as “we’re already helping with AI related advocacy and autonomous vehicles; we’ll continue to work on that as we get even closer to those types of technologies.” We were also told that there is a “constant push” at the firm to keep on top of changes to government contract policy, in order to “make sure we’re at the leading edge of these emerging issues.” Aside from that, Wiley is also reportedly looking to expand its food and drug administration practice with recent hires reflecting its intention to do so. A new managing partner – Jon Burd, who joined Wiley as an associate – is also getting ready to take over in 2027, so take note; if you get aboard now, one day the firm’s strategy and future might be up to you.

Wiley is recognized as a Strong Performer for AI Integration in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Summer Program

Wiley’s ten-week summer program helps incoming associates get tuned into life at the firm across different practices. Summers pick up work through a free-market system and are paired with mentors to assist with their integration. It’s also a chance for summers to begin to build organic relationships: “I worked with a partner during my summer who I ended up working with a ton once I was a full associate – it’s nice to feel like you’re coming back to a place you know people.”

Summer programs can be a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to work assignments, though one source was keen to make clear that at Wiley, “I got to do real work and talk to clients!” Thankfully though, it’s not all work, no play. Alongside various summer events, “We always have a summer associate reception on our rooftop!” a source highlighted.

The Work

Wiley has a whole host of specialized practice groups – including white collar, insurance, and environment and product regulation – but most of our interviewees worked between the telecom, media and technology (TMT) and litigation groups.

As such, staffing models vary between practices. Every group has a workload management partner “who can help if you’re slow or overloaded,” but while insurance has a centralized staffing system (which is “pretty much the only way to get work,”) groups like litigation and TMT are more relationship-based. A TMT junior reflected, “We have so many specialties and subgroups, so people naturally end up working with the same people.”

Wiley is recognized as a Strong Performer for Work Allocation & Autonomy in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

The work in telecom, media and technology (TMT)“varies dramatically across the group; telecom, media, and technology are each their own separate areas,” an insider explained. As a result, clients look different depending on which sector associates are dealing with. Starting with the media side of things, juniors work with broadcasters and radio station owners, including “some of the biggest groups in the industry,” to work on rulemakings and transactions. Telecom clients are often the major carriers, as well as some smaller providers. Clients in the tech industry are mainly trade associations and smaller startups “looking for some advice.”

This source continued: “There’s really no size of client that we don’t touch; 50% of them are big, household names, and others are smaller companies or play a different role in the ecosystem.” Matters range from policy and robocall rulemakings, advocacy, a fair amount of transactional work – “whether we’re main transaction counsel or FCC counsel for larger transactions” – and cybersecurity and data privacy work to internal compliance, government investigations, and federal trade.

“…encouraged to run as much of the matter on my own as I can.”

“We’re pretty leanly staffed,” a TMT insider relayed, “It’s not uncommon for me to be the only associate on a matter I’m working on.” This surprised interviewee laughed, “I was expecting a bunch of lawyers the same age on a deal, like in Suits or something! But it’s really, really lean.” This was the case among all our sources, who, even as juniors, are “encouraged to run as much of the matter on my own as I can. If you take initiative and show that you’re responsible, it’s encouraged.” Tasks involve comment writing and developing talking points, and associates were grateful to “be included in all clients calls and emails. I feel like I’m involved with the project directly.”

Telecom, media and technology clients: Maxar Intelligence, Iridium, Verizon Communications. Represented a coalition of trade associations, including CTIA, in an amici brief in the Supreme Court in relation to the Hobbs Act.

Government contracts at Wiley is split between three branches, the first of which is government investigations. Investigations clients are Fortune 500 defense and aerospace companies, or consulting companies working directly with the government and either handling defense or civilian work. False Claims Act (FCA) investigations are big here, where “we’re investigating whether the request for a payment to the government was correctly submitted.” Internal investigations also crop up, and this involves interviewing any relevant parties and reviewing the necessary documentation, followed by plenty of interfacing with the government and letter-writing back and forth with the Department of Justice.

The second branch is bid protests, which is “a type of litigation with the government: whenever a contract is awarded by the government, anyone who submitted an offer or bid on that work can sue the government for not providing the appropriate guidelines for it,” an associate explained. Lastly, the group works on claims, described as “mostly breach of contract litigation.”

Investigations were a fan favorite among our interviewees: “You get the opportunity to be a detective,” explained said one insider with a penchant for sleuthing, “You get to dig through everything that’s happening, get your head around the facts, and understand what’s going on.”

Government contracts clients: Guidehouse, The Boeing Company, Viasat. Represented PeopleTec in defending against a protest brought by Quantum Research International, challenging the $270 million award to PeopleTec to provide services in support of addressing threats faced by Army operational units.

“A partner mistook me for a fifth year, but I was only a second year! You really can take on so much.”

“Historically, litigation was more of a service group for the firm’s government contracts work,” one source told us, “But over the years, we’ve built out our own client base.” There is plenty of “government adjacent” and TMT work to go around in the practice, but associates can get involved in appellate and labor & employment matters too. Additionally, the practice handles “a lot of contract disputes,” such as settlement agreements of employment contract disputes. Aside from the typical doc review, juniors have been known to deal with subpoenas, prepare clients for depositions, and even take witnesses at trial!

It’s clear that responsibility starts from day one for Wiley’s junior litigators: “As a first year, I got to write a full section in a brief and the first draft of the complaint in an arbitration.” Insiders shared experiences of having second chaired several depositions by their second year, and “running cases with no partner.” One particularly busy source recounted: “A partner mistook me for a fifth year, but I was only a second year! You really can take on so much.” Their colleague echoed this sentiment: “That’s why I came to Wiley; this might be your first time doing something that your friends at bigger firms won’t be doing for another three years – you have to be able to rise to the occasion.”

Litigation clients: T-Mobile USA, Capital One Financial Corporation, Alo Yoga. Defended Mission Broadcasting in an antitrust suit brought by DirecTV against Mission, Nexstar Media, and White Knight Broadcasting alleging the trio’s engagement in a price-fixing conspiracy.

Career Development

A variety of “detailed, hands-on” courses for all associates are regularly run, but the firm has a structured training and mentorship program specifically for first years. Training received glowing reviews all around, because “if you’re someone who’s aware of what you need to improve on and you ask them to help you, they’ll do it,” a source explained, “People are caring and invest time in your career development and growth.”

As for mentorship, newbies are matched with a partner and associate mentor, whom they spend time with to “get to know each other and the firm’s activities.” Interviewees were happy with their formal mentorship – “I was matched with people who aligned with my interests, so I got up to speed much quicker” – and also praised the informal mentorship that comes from forming organic relationships. “There are casual opportunities to engage with people more senior to develop those mentor-mentee relationships,” one noted.

Insiders were pleased to report that Wiley “definitely promotes from within. A lot of the partners summered here, so there’s a history of people staying here for their whole careers.” An inspiring sight for juniors, as one laughed: “When I first joined, I couldn’t believe partnership was available to mere mortals! The more I saw lifers here, the more I realized it might be something I’m interested in.” So, the consensus was that if partnership is in your sights, “you have a really awesome chance at getting it!”

Wiley is recognized as an Excellent Performer for Career Development in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Culture

“Wiley lets people be who they are,” interviewees affirmed, and the firm was described as “a kind place with people who value excellence as well as the individual person. We really support and build each other up, recognizing that even though the work is very important, there’s more to life than just that,” an insider explained. It’s ever likely then that so many interviewees told us they “genuinely love going to work!”  Add to that a “very modern” office with a gym, “white walls and countertops, a lot of glass, and a cold brew tap,” it’s no wonder some of our interviewees “go in to the office pretty religiously.”

“Wiley lets people be who they are.”

Associates all agreed: “I love my associate colleagues. Every team is different, but we try to do fun, integrating activities like TopGolf or a dinner when people join.” Other notable events include Bagel Wednesdays and Taco Tuesdays (“they definitely feed us a lot!”), a holiday party at the Ritz, a March Madness tournament, a DC United game, and a Beyoncé concert (!). All of this fosters “really good relationships” between associates that are “beyond just work friendships.”

Wiley is recognized as an Excellent Performer for Culture in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Hours & Compensation

Billable hours: 1,950 target

Reviews on whether the billable hour target is achievable were varied, though this was practice dependent. Those in insurance and government contracts reported having an easier time hitting the goal, but opinions from litigation and TMT associates were more of a mixed bag. “For a regulatory practice, it is hard, but that said, I have gotten close or hit it all the years I’ve been here,” a junior relayed.

Litigation associates, who “have a need to do BD as part of our competencies,” did feel as though if there was a creditable allowance for that time, they would be well over their target. But overall, nobody was overly worried about where they stood in terms of billables because of the discretionary bonus: “We take the more relaxed approach,” one source admitted, “It’s based on a wide variety of factors, but there’s not a massive incentive to bill far beyond the goal because you don’t automatically get an additional amount for getting to another level.”

Associates are expected to spend 50% of their working time in-office, and for the most part, tend to come in around three days a week, though “it’s very flexible.” Ebbs and flows in the intensity of caseloads meant that hours “come in waves,” which left our insiders were working anywhere from 40 to 50 hours on a regular week.

Wiley is recognized as a Strong Performer for Benefits & Quality of Life in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Pro Bono

“We have an excellent pro bono program, and we’re really giving back,” an interviewee told us. There is an automatic creditable 50-hour pro bono allowance, though associates can also apply for extra credit. Matters are also “so easy to find,” which is owed in part to the pro bono partner “who does so much work! He has so many connections that he will always find you a source and a case.” A source laughed: “We’ve got it out the wazoo if you want to do it!”

“We have an excellent pro bono program, and we’re really giving back.”

Immigration, landlord/tenant disputes, election rights, domestic violence, and veterans’ rights were areas of interest for those we spoke to, and this is bolstered by the firm’s partnerships with various organizations. Care Immigration Service, Kimcare (which provides professional care services to seniors), and the ACLU of Maryland were just a few that sources mentioned.

Wiley also leaves plenty of room for juniors to bring their own cases to the firm’s doorstep: “I brought a matter to a senior associate, pitched it, and got to bring it in as a pro bono matter,” an insider relayed, “If you have a passion for a project, people are fully supportive of you bringing it in, because they know you want to give back to those communities.”

Pro bono hours 

• For all US attorneys: 10,895
• Average per US attorney: 44

Wiley is recognized as a Strong Performer for Pro Bono in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Inclusion

Inclusion remains a core part of Wiley’s identity: “It’s super important for our firm and a big part of our culture.” With affinity groups aplenty – “especially for the size of the firm” – the firm runs “compelling programming,” where associates have found “meaningful mentorship that grows organically from attending those events.” Juniors can also attend conferences, something that “a lot of different people are involved in. They’re always advocating for that, so we’re never not encouraged to do stuff and go places.” To sum it up, one source commented: “We have a very diverse group of people, and I’ve never had an issue in terms of feeling disrespected or not included.”

Get Hired

The first stage: recruitment on and off campus  

OCI applicants interviewed: 58   

Interviewees outside OCI: 15  

Wiley’s recruiting focus reflects its commitment to DC, as it recruits from top law schools in Washington, DC and along the East Coast. However, Lukman Azeez and Liz Lee, co-chairs of the Recruiting Committee, tell us “we also attract write-in candidates from law schools across the country.” 

The firm seeks “exceptional candidates who have a demonstrated interest in joining a DC-based practice and one or more of Wiley’s core practice areas,” says Lee. Interviewers ask questions about the interviewee’s “analytic ability, drive, focus and interpersonal skills.” They look too for an interest in the firm’s involvement in DC and are seeking “promising new attorneys who share Wiley’s commitments to long-term professional development within our demonstrated areas of expertise.”  

They also ask questions to figure out if candidates will be a good cultural fit – “so we may ask behavioral interviewing questions to find out how students have responded to different situations in school or in other work they have done,” Lee clarifies. 

Top tips for this stage:  

“Candidates who do well in our interview process project confidence, maturity, authenticity and strong interpersonal skills. At the interview, be able to demonstrate that you are hard-working, intelligent, courteous and pleasant, and that you have the soft skills to pass the airport test.” –Lukman Azeez, Co-Chair Recruiting Committee  

Callbacks  

Applicants invited to second-stage interview: 50

The firm creates individualized schedules for each candidate, “based on the candidate’s potential practice area interests, professional/work history, law school and other interests,” says Azeez. Each candidate typically meets with four attorneys for 20 minutes each, including a mix of partners and associates who are members of the firm’s Recruiting Committee.  

Top tips for this stage:  

“Here you’ll fit in well if you demonstrate a good attitude and are open to helping others alongside being generally hard-working.” – A junior associate.  

Summer program  

2L Offers: 8

2L Acceptances: 7  

Wiley describes its summer program as having six facets: integration; guidance and sponsorship; substantive work; hands-on learning; evaluation, feedback and growth; and special opportunities. Integration involves social activities that allow the summer associate and firm to “get to know each other better.” Guidance and sponsorship involves mentoring and meeting clients. Substantive work involves summers self-selecting work from the assignment database. Hands-on learning includes training sessions and taking part in the firm’s litigation skills workshop, which “includes opportunities to take and defend mock depositions and build a litigation case strategy,” Azeez  explains. Evaluation, feedback and growth includes mid-summer and end-of-summer reviews to receive and give feedback. Special opportunities include attending client meetings, depositions, affinity group lunches and seminars.  

“Wiley’s Summer Associate Program is a key pathway to our entry-level associate class, and we are proud of our strong track record of extending offers at the end of the program. The program encourages associates to explore multiple practice areas and supports a thoughtful placement process informed by associate preferences and firm needs as they transition to first-year roles,” Lee tells us. 

Top tips for this stage:  

“Ask a lot of thoughtful questions that reflect your interest in learning and understanding the practice of law. Take advantage of special opportunities such as attending depositions, listening in on conference calls, and attending social events organized by the firm. It’s important to talk to as many people as possible about their experience at the firm.” – Liz Lee, Co-Chair Recruiting Committee 

And finally…  

Azeez believes that “Wiley is a great place to build a career. This is a 30+ years-young, innovative firm that is invested in building for the future by consistently identifying and growing top talent to lead the next generation of outstanding Wiley attorneys.”