Summer at Kirkland & Ellis

As a former lawyer turned recruiter in search of the best legal talent, Kirkland’s own Jason Triplett shares his unique take on the firm and what makes Kirkland & Ellis different in the sea of BigLaw firms:

With so many great opportunities and firms available, why choose Kirkland & Ellis?

Comparing opportunities is often challenging when looking at a group of firms that are the “best of the best.” It may be hard to decipher one firm from the next when they all tout their exceptional training and mentoring, culture, big-name clients, etc. However, there are a few things I think, as someone who has been recruited and done recruiting, that sets Kirkland apart; these are my top three:

1. First and foremost, there is a drive and energy that is pervasive in everything we do at Kirkland. I have never worked with so many people who are as collaborative, creative, smart, and collegial.
2. Our open assignment system is unique to Kirkland and allows our attorneys to choose from the earliest stages of their careers what they’ll work on and whom they’ll work with—Kirkland associates are actively driving their career trajectory from day one alongside an integrated support network.
3. Kirkland attorneys are afforded unprecedented amounts of autonomy over their careers, which I don’t believe is industry standard. Our lawyers work on more interesting matters and take on substantive work earlier than our peers. Kirkland’s approach to work and career development is just different, which was one of the (many) reasons I ended up coming here myself.

Why summer at Kirkland & Ellis?

Kirkland’s summer associates work on real matters directly with deal teams and clients. You’ll get experience with actual, substantive client work across practice areas, not just busy work. That’s not to say that you will be thrown in the proverbial “deep end”—you’ll work alongside senior team members who help support and guide you throughout the summer. Plus, we have business support staff, like myself, who are also here to help you with balancing assignments and training, as well as help you make connections with our attorneys. There is a real sense of accomplishment (and excitement) in knowing that your work is an actual value-add to the teams and your client.

What is the most surprising thing about working at Kirkland & Ellis?

The people. BigLaw often has a reputation for being “cutthroat” and “competitive,” an “every person for themselves mentality,” but that isn’t what I’ve experienced. I’ve never worked with a better group of people than at Kirkland. The culture is incredibly collaborative; it’s amazing to see the various groups brought into a client matter sometimes; nothing is siloed, and everyone just wants to help each other.

To what does Kirkland & Ellis attribute its success?

I feel like many firms’ answer to this would be “our people.” But, without sounding cliché, the people here are truly why I love my job.

Kirkland is continuously investing in our people. Whether it be our hands-on, partner-led training curriculum, the top-notch benefits, and offerings (where else do you have access to a free, personalized concierge service?), or investing in our office spaces to make them more collaborative and contemporary, Kirkland is focused on supporting everyone’s growth and development—as attorneys and as individuals, at Kirkland or as alumni—and, I think that is part of the secret sauce to the firm’s success.