Summer at Jackson Walker

Who We Are

Jackson Walker is a national, full-service law firm with offices strategically located within the state of Texas. As the largest firm in Texas, with deep experience and know-how in dozens of industries, our almost 500 attorneys serve hundreds of clients across the United States and worldwide. 

Since our founding in 1887, our attorneys have represented some of the most influential companies in the state in key industries that have shaped the course of Texas history, including railroads, oil and gas exploration, the media, and healthcare. 

We pride ourselves on being the kind of attorneys clients enjoy working with, and we invest in our people right from the start. As a firm, we strive to foster a dynamic and collaborative environment that enables our talented attorneys to think beyond traditional law and develop innovative ways to serve our global clients.

Our Core Values

• Integrity: We conduct ourselves according to high ethical standards and serve as an example for others in our profession.
• Client Focus: We are dedicated to our clients’ interests and responsive to our clients’ needs.
• Firm Citizenship: We hold ourselves accountable to uphold our responsibilities and the commitments we’ve made to the Firm.
• Added Value: We look for opportunities to excel within the legal industry and to offer assistance and creative ideas to our clients.
• Respect: We foster an inclusive workplace that affords all employees equal respect.
• Optimism: We support each other and serve our clients and communities with a positive attitude and a sense of humor.

Firm Facts

To see our firm highlights, visit Jackson Walker Recognitions & Awards.

Our Summer Program

The Jackson Walker summer associate program is a nine-week program. Summer associates are assigned Responsible Attorneys, who keep in touch with them throughout the program to maximize the opportunities available to them for meaningful legal work and watching attorneys in action. Over the course of the program, summer associates work on junior associate-level projects within their assigned practice areas and attend client meetings, closings, negotiations, depositions, trials, and courtroom hearings. In addition to substantive work assignments, summer associates have the opportunity to participate in a mock trial before a jury of non-lawyers. For this exercise, JW attorneys act as presiding judges and trim down actual cases that have been or will be tried. In other cases, summer associates may participate in a mediation seminar. Through these experiences, summer associates receive practical instruction designed to make young lawyers better advocates for their clients. 

Each office has a full social calendar for the summer, affording the opportunity to get to know our attorneys and get a feel for our culture. These events also provide our attorneys with the opportunity to get to know the summer associates. We also have an annual firmwide summer associate event that brings all of our summer associates together in one office for a 2 day event with presentations from our firm’s managing partner, guest speakers, panel presentations and our annual firmwide summer associate challenge.

To learn more about our summer associate program, visit Law Students.

Diversity and Inclusion at JW

As the largest law firm in Texas, we believe that it is incumbent upon us to lead the way on diversity and inclusion. Our commitment is a reflection of our core values, and we are dedicated to creating an environment where each one of us feels like we belong at Jackson Walker.

Thanks to the collective progress we have made, in 2022 we achieved Mansfield Rule 5.0 Certification Plus status. We were also recognized with the 2022 Compass Award by the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD). 

To ensure our entire practice promotes equality for all, our Diversity & Inclusion Committee, comprising both attorneys and staff, directs diversity-related goals and collaborates on best practices for implementing initiatives.

Diversity & Inclusion By the Numbers

• 37.5% of the Management Committee are underrepresented talent
• 44% of the Compensation Committee are underrepresented talent
• 41% of our combined Management, Compensation, and Hiring Committees are underrepresented talent
• 29% of Associates and 19% of all attorneys are from underrepresented racial & ethnic groups
• 56% of associates and 37% of all attorneys are women

To learn more, please visit Diversity & Inclusion at Jackson Walker.

Pro Bono 

Jackson Walker’s award-winning pro bono program demonstrates our values and commitment to representing clients of limited economic means who would otherwise be unable to afford legal services. We do this to improve the law and the legal system, and to help ensure equal access to justice by all members of society. Engaging in public interest legal service also provides valuable experience for our attorneys and gets them further engaged with the community. We are quite proud of the fact that the Firm spends over 6,000 hours on pro bono causes every year.

For a full list of JW’s legal service organizations, visit Pro Bono.

Attorney Development

At Jackson Walker, our people are our greatest strength, and we know the future of the firm is dependent on how well we develop, integrate, and retain our talented professionals. We strive to provide our attorneys with opportunities to achieve their maximum potential through thoughtfully planned training, coaching, mentoring, and evaluating ongoing development.

Jackson Walker demonstrates its commitment to the development of its associates through a Mentor Program that builds meaningful relationships between each associate and exceptional, experienced attorneys. The Mentor Program facilitates the progress of Jackson Walker associates by focusing on achievement of substantive legal benchmarks, professional skills competencies, client and partner relationships, and personal professional goals.​​

Collaboration Corner helps partners meet to find synergies that exist between each other's practices, clients, networks, and industry knowledge. Partners are arranged into groups of three with partners outside their own offices and practice groups. Each group meets via Zoom for 30 minutes once a month to build trust and unlock opportunities.

Culture

Personality, culture, and human values are cornerstones of Jackson Walker’s identity. That shows in the way people treat, respect, and help each other—staff and lawyers alike—and how they enjoy an atmosphere different from that of other firms. The Firm’s culture and commitment to excellence have been major factors in its success. That is why we are always seeking talented associates who enhance the Firm’s personality, diversity, culture, and focus on human values.

Transparency

Jackson Walker aims for transparency from day one at the firm. At orientation, associates are given a copy of the firm’s compensation matrix, and they receive a full explanation of the annual review process—including access to the evaluation form. The firm also provides clarity into the partnership process, including a benchmark document that allows associates to compare their actual performance with firm expectations. Beyond orientation, the firm’s managing partner keeps everyone informed through annual town halls and quarterly communications with all attorneys.

Office Locations

Austin • Dallas • Fort Worth • Houston • San Angelo • San Antonio

Our Practice Groups