Overview
Introduction
Formed in 1993 in Washington, DC, Kellogg, Hansen, Todd, Figel & Frederick offers opportunities to those with clerkship experience to sharpen their litigation skills quickly. It is a relatively small firm, with approximately 90 attorneys. Associates work on small teams, which means direct interaction with partners and the opportunity to dive into challenging work from day one.
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2024)
No. of Partners Named (2023)
Featured Rankings
No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2023)
No. of Summer Associates (2024)
Base Salary
Vault Verdict
“If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.” Frank Sinatra may have been singing about New York, but the lyrics apply to Kellogg Hansen. This small but powerful litigation boutique doesn’t pretend to be an easy place to work, but for litigators who want to practice at the top of their field and gain incredible experience very quickly, there is no better firm. However, candidates without federal clerkships need not apply; all Kellogg Hansen associates are hired after one or multiple federal clerkships. Clerkship is the key criterion, not grades or school for hiring, and interviews are truly personality assessments. The firm’s culture reflects the very hard work of the attorneys, who nonetheless praise the collegial environment and their colleagues, while also appreciating ...
About the Firm
Based in Washington, DC,-based Kellogg Hansen thrives on litigating complex cases at trial, including arguments before the Supreme Court and appellate courts.
A Trial & Appellate Litigation Firm is Born
A relatively young firm, Kellogg Hansen was formed in 1993 when three BigLaw partners jumped ship to form their own small firm focused on trial and appellate litigation. Since then, the firm has grown to include more than 90 attorneys, all of whom are trial and appellate specialists. Nearly every partner and associate served as a law clerk for a federal judge, and more than a dozen clerked for Supreme Court justices.
Litigation Powerhouse
In addition to strong practices in commercial, Supreme Court, and appellate l...
Associate Reviews
- “While the firm is not a particularly social place—and you would raise no eyebrows by shutting your office door to work quietly all day—the atmosphere is collegial, and I have found all my case teams pleasant to work with. Firm-sponsored social opportunities happen regularly but infrequently.”
- “The firm's culture is pretty laid-back. There is no face time requirement, and there's no requirement that people come into the office a certain number of days per week. People generally work in their offices with the doors closed, although there is plenty of mingling in the kitchens/break rooms, and people are always open to chat if you drop by their office. The firm occasionally organizes social events, but most socializing occurs organically in smaller groups.”
- “One of the great things about the firm is that you can socialize as much or as little with associates as you want—there are associate events organized by the firm, and most associates do attend those. But other than that, it's really ‘choose your own adventure.’ Some people's BFFs are at the firm, and other people chose to have all their BFFs outside the firm, and others have a mix.”
- “Low-pressure social scene—people hang out beyond work, but none of it feels forced. Firm is very collegial but is good for introverts too.”
Getting Hired Here
- “Extremely competitive. The firm historically has only hired federal clerks, and almost always circuit clerks. That really shapes the types of candidates the firm frequently hires. Recently, the firm has started to give full-time offers to a few summer associates who have clerkships lined up.”
- “Hires (almost) exclusively folks with appellate (or at least district court) clerkship and primarily from T14 schools.”
- “It doesn't get more selective than Kellogg Hansen. Almost everyone has done at least a court of appeals clerkship, and there are a fair number of SCOTUS clerks scattered in. Top grades are a must. Otherwise, the process is comprehensive.”
- “Kellogg generally only hires former law clerks who excelled in law school and are willing to work in an intense environment with other smart lawyers. It is one of the more competitive firms.”
Perks & Benefits