Overview
Introduction
A litigation powerhouse, appellate all-star, and corporate law force, Gibson Dunn is a V10 firm with impressive practice and client lists across its 20 worldwide offices. Gibson attracts go-getters who will succeed in the firm’s free-market system and mesh with the professional, amiable culture. Attorneys who want to engage in pro bono work, with hours satisfying billable requirements, will find robust, dynamic opportunities with Gibson Dunn. The firm’s flex-time program, with prorated hours and compensation, is attractive to many.<...
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2023)
No. of Partners Named (2023)
Featured Rankings
No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2023)
No. of Summer Associates (2023)
Base Salary
Vault Verdict
To hear many Gibson associates talk, you might think they won the job lottery—and in their minds, they did. That’s how much Gibson associates report loving their firm and their coworkers. Many associates say there’s no better place to work in BigLaw, thanks in large part to a culture of friendliness, respect, professionalism, and access to socializing without pressure to do so. Across the board, associates praise the firm’s dedication to a hybrid/flexible work environment, which eases the pain of the inevitable long hours of BigLaw. It is this flexibility, they say, that preserves work-life balance even with heavy workloads, which associates acknowledge comes with the territory. Gibson operates on a free market assignment system, which brings with it multiple benefits. For one, as...
About the Firm
With more than 1,800 attorneys across 10 countries, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher is a force. Among the top firms in the country, Gibson Dunn is well known for its litigation and trial work—especially its bustling Appellate Litigation and Securities Litigation practices—as well as its top-notch antitrust, M&A, white collar, transnational, private equity, and real estate work, among others.
Tinseltown and Beyond
Gibson Dunn began through a partnership between John Bicknell and Walter Trask in 1890. A mere seven years later, Judge James Gibson joined the firm. The trio joined forces with William Dunn, a former Los Angeles City Attorney, and Albert Crutcher, a former Assistant City attorney, to create the largest law firm in Los Angeles at the time. During the 20th century, the f...
Associate Reviews
- “The culture is warm but professional. I wouldn't say the work scene is super social, but people are friendly with each other and care about each other as humans. Lawyers and staff have mutual respect for each other. The copy center and other support staff are highly revered and valued!”
- “The firm provides a healthy amount of social opportunities through firm retreats, happy hours, and events. There is no pressure to attend these and people attend at widely varying levels, but the events draw enough people to feel like you can get to know everyone at the firm if you make an effort.”
- “GDC falls firmly in the middle—everyone is friendly, but there is no party pressure that I've heard from other firms. …”
- “...Gibson is a somewhat odd utopia. You can find some of the most conservative litigators working alongside trailblazing progressives. But somehow, it all works out in an incredibly collegial atmosphere. …”
Why Work Here
A Leader in Every Sense
Gibson Dunn is a full-service global law firm advising on some of today’s most complex and significant matters. We are known for excellence in the practice of law and are committed to providing the very highest level of legal services. We offer unparalleled, innovative thinking for clients with the most challenging needs and aspire to handle all matters as partners with, and not merely as service providers to, our clients.
Gibson Dunn has ten offices in the United States and ten international offices. Despite that geographic spread, we operate as a single, unified law firm. Our attorneys work together in seamless teamwork across borders, jurisdictions and legal disciplines, finding the right combination of talent and resources for each unique matter entrusted to us by our diverse, multinational client base.
Diversity at Gibson Dunn
Getting Hired Here
- “The firm tends to look for the best and brightest, and is willing to dig into lower-ranked/regional schools to do so. Congeniality and good working personality top credentials in many cases.”
- “The firm is competitive and prizes diversity of all kinds. It tends to consider the traditional indicia of success (grades, law school, clerkships, etc.) while also evaluating candidates as a whole, and its lengthy callback interview process is geared toward ensuring that each candidate would be a good fit for the culture and system of the firm.”
- “Our recruiting efforts extend year round. I am regularly talking with law school students interested in the firm and participate in formal mock interview programs. The firm is looking for high-achieving law students who will be good firm citizens.”
- “The firm is competitive and takes ‘fit’ into account, in addition to qualifications like law school, grades, clerkship, and so on. I did on-campus interviews for Columbia this past year and found that we rejected lots of highly-qualified candidates because we did not feel that they were a good personality fit for Gibson or because they did not seem to know much about the firm.”
Perks & Benefits
