Overview
Introduction
After almost 140 years in Atlanta, King & Spalding is now a global firm with 23 offices in 10 countries and more than 1,300 attorneys. The firm counsels clients in many industries, including transportation, energy, financial services, food and beverage, higher education, technology, and life sciences and healthcare. Focusing on trial, regulatory, and transactional work, King & Spalding balances BigLaw with a social, congenial, and family-friendly culture.
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2024)
No. of Partners Named (2024)
Featured Rankings
No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2024)
No. of Summer Associates (2024)
Base Salary
Vault Verdict
Expanding from Atlanta to 22 other cities, King & Spalding is noteworthy because of its top compensation, meaningful work, and exceptional tutelage from partners. Recruiting focuses on students from T20 schools with good grades and work or clerkship experience, and offices hire from area law schools as well. Coworkers are pleasant and collaborative. Social events are regularly held, but attendance is not mandatory. Partners embrace open-door policies and welcome opportunities to coach, mentor, answer questions, and help associates build their careers. Formal training is limited, but associates are given a $3,000 budget for professional development to pursue their own training. Lateral hires are transitioned effectively and staffed on cases quickly. Work assignments are bas...
About the Firm
Throughout its 140-year history, King & Spalding has expanded far from its Southern roots to open offices across the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, approaching the number of offices established by West Coast and Northeastern firms. With stellar litigation and regulatory practices, the firm’s long-time clients include public and private companies across many industries.
A King Rises
In 1885, Alex C. King and Jack J. Spalding founded what would eventually become Atlanta’s largest law firm. In the early years, the firm offered extensive services to the railroad industry. Like true royalty, King & Spalding was rich in connections. In 1918, King was appointed U.S. Solicitor General, and in the 1940s, Spalding’s son Hughes forged many of the firm’s ke...
Associate Reviews
- “The work environment is very focused, with friendly colleagues who are willing to assist at any time if asked. There is a respectful atmosphere here, and people are happy to socialize when time permits.”
- “It varies by practice group, but my group is generally quite friendly. A lot of folks socialize outside of the office, but there's no expectation or requirement to do so. Everyone is friendly and cordial—that mutual respect and friendliness among colleagues are major parts of what drive the firm and what help the firm succeed.”
- “The people make the place. Teams here are composed of some of the sharpest minds in the practice, but more importantly, they are respectful and kind. It makes every day at work (whether at home or in the office) so much more enjoyable. They see everyone on the team as an important member of the case and are quick to recognize and utilize potential. Even as a second year, I have received opportunities to do work far beyond my seniority whenever I expressed interest.”
- “People at King & Spalding are kind and have high social acuity—it's easy to get along, and the partners and senior associates make associates feel valued.”
Diversity at King & Spalding LLP
Getting Hired Here
- “As a whole, the firm has a preference for students from T14 law schools. However, each office typically has more local schools in the area that they recruit heavily from, even though the school is not ranked within the T14. Students from those schools generally need to be on law review and be near the top of their class or have heavily networked with the firm prior to OCI.”
- “The firm has guidelines to follow when interviewing candidates. Our hiring process focuses a lot on whether there is a personality fit, although things like grades, journal experience, clerkships, and prior work experience are all very important. The firm does not have a set of feeder schools; rather, each office tends to mostly hire from schools in the area. For example, there are a lot of UVA graduates in our DC office, but it is not necessarily a feeder school.”
- “The firm looks for high-performing candidates from targeted, top law schools and highly values clerking and other writing-intensive experience. The firm places particular emphasis on team dynamics and the ability to interface with clients, and interviewers receive guidance ahead of all on-campus or lateral interviewing.”
- “Our firm is looking for the best fit and, generally, does a good job of evaluating the quality of a candidate without placing improper weight on the rank of law schools attended. Good grades are a must, and journal experience is very helpful. The summer program is usually a good mix of students who have prior work experience and those who do not, so there is usually age diversity among the summer associate class. Generally, the firm looks to hire students who are collegial and friendly and have interests outside of the classroom.”
Perks & Benefits