Overview
Introduction
One of DC’s finest, and a global megafirm, Arnold & Porter is home to around 1,000 lawyers practicing across dozens of areas—with antitrust being one of the most notable. The firm focuses heavily on mentoring, with mentoring budgets, shadowing opportunities, and multiple formal mentors for junior associates. Pro bono is a big deal at Arnold & Porter, too, as the firm allows up to 200 hours to count toward the annual billable goal and has won numerous awards for its efforts.
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2022)
No. of Partners Named (2021)
Featured Rankings
No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2022)
No. of Summer Associates (2022)
Base Salary
Vault Verdict
Sophisticated work, dedication to pro bono work, and a respect for work-life balance draw associates to Arnold & Porter. And if you need more than that, then consider the Thursday Garden Room happy hours. The firm recruits associates from top schools with top grades, but also considers clerkships, work experience, drive, and diversity. Firm culture is casual and down to earth, and family time is respected. While partners value associates and their opinions, firm leadership could be better with communication and responding to associate feedback. Extensive training programs are available, and associates learn by doing and from helpful senior attorneys. Laterals blend in well due to firm efforts in introducing them to others and getting them work assignments. Assignments are ...
About the Firm
Arnold & Porter is home to more than 1,000 lawyers across 13 offices around the globe (plus an operations center in Tallahassee). The firm practices in more than 40 areas and is particularly well known for its antitrust, appellate litigation, environmental, and securities litigation practices, as well as its cross-border work.
Let’s Get Together
Washington, DC, giant Arnold & Porter combined with New York’s Kaye Scholer in 2017, creating Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP. The merger combined the best of both worlds—a DC firm known for its top-ranked practices, including antitrust, regulatory, and litigation, and a New York firm recognized by Vault and others for its stellar associate quality of life.
Top Notch
Associate Reviews
- “Arnold & Porter has great culture! Everyone is incredibly collegial, kind, and willing to help in any way shape and form. My practice group is incredibly chill—we engage in a lot of traditions! People are respectful when you request time off or tend to personal matters.”
- “[Arnold & Porter] stands out among peer firms for the warmth and compassion of its attorneys, which are seen in all aspects of firm life. Generous vacation and family leave policies that associates are encouraged to and actually do take advantage of, a commitment to pro bono and D&I (both of which count towards bonus-eligible hours), and a culture that treats associates like human beings.”
- “This is a demanding job, but a wonderful place to work. The people are pleasant and kind, people are willing to help colleagues in need, it is collaborative, there isn't the stereotypical harsh hierarchy, etc.”
Why Work Here
Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP has nearly 1,000 lawyers across nine domestic and four international offices. Client-driven and industry-focused, our lawyers practice across 30+ practice areas, including antitrust, bankruptcy, corporate and finance, environmental, intellectual property, litigation, real estate, and tax, to help clients with complex needs stay ahead of the global market, anticipate opportunities, and address issues that impact their businesses. Our global reach, experience, and deep knowledge allow us to work across geographic, cultural, technological, and ideological borders to offer clients forward-looking, results-oriented solutions that resolve their US, international, and cross-border legal needs.
Diversity at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP
Getting Hired Here
- “The firm seems to hire broadly. There are students from many different law schools represented. I think the firm puts an emphasis on what kind of person you are to work with. Of course grades are important, but the firm seems to view them more as a threshold that candidates should meet rather than as the end-all-be-all.”
- “Firm looks at law school attended, grades, journal experience, work experience, personality, and overall fit with the firm culture. I am not aware of any feeder schools. [Arnold & Porter] hosts mock interviews for diverse 1L students to help prepare them for the OCI process.”
- “Grades are, of course, quite important and so is the law school attended, but the firm hires from a variety of law schools (not just T14). I don't think journal experience matters at all. [Arnold & Porter] makes a strong effort to hire people who are kind, humble, and authentic. There's a saying around here that ‘we take our work seriously, but not ourselves.’ The reason I chose [Arnold & Porter] and not other firms from which I had outstanding offers was that I had a gut feeling that, at [Arnold & Porter], I could be myself. And that has been absolutely true in the months I've worked here.”
Perks & Benefits
