Overview
Introduction
With 400 lawyers, Kramer Levin embraces a diversified practice model, with particular strength in bankruptcy, immigration, litigation, M&A, real estate, and white collar. Matters are staffed leanly, giving lawyers early and frequent opportunities for partner contact and sophisticated work.
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
Incredible summer experiences, strong work-life balance, and a first-rate pro bono program attract associates to Kramer Levin. Drawing from a broad range of law schools, the firm considers top grades, diversity, and work experience in hiring. Attorneys and staff are treated as equals in the positive, collaborative, and friendly work environment, and moderate socializing means that people can enjoy their personal lives. Partners care about associates personally and professionally and are quick to affirm their appreciation of work done well. Where there are gaps in formal training, senior attorneys welcome questions and go the extra mile to support associates. Lateral hires feel acclimated exceptionally well. Projects are high level and challenging, and assistance is available for m...
About the Firm
Rooted in New York, with offices in Silicon Valley, Washington, DC, and Paris, Kramer Levin is a full-service shop with 400 lawyers. The firm practices across dozens of areas with particular strength in bankruptcy, immigration, litigation, M&A, real estate, and white collar.
Many Eggs, Many Baskets
Fourteen New York attorneys teamed up to start Kramer Levin in 1968. From the start, Kramer Levin was positioned as a full-service firm that didn’t rely on a single hallmark practice or long-standing relationship with one major client. This approach, combined with the firm’s small size, meant that some practice areas were run by just one or two lawyers, but it also meant that Kramer Levin was able to accept litigation, real estate, transactional, tax, and trusts and estates assignmen...
Associate Reviews
- “The firm's culture is very collaborative, social, and family oriented. People are always chatting with one another in the hallway, and people genuinely care about one another. There is always a strong mentorship culture—partners and more senior associates seem to genuinely care about younger lawyers' careers, and provide personal and professional guidance.”
- “Day-to-day interactions are wonderful. The lawyers here are extremely team oriented, positive, and generous. The partners communicate clearly, affirm a job well done, and are understanding of your growth as a young lawyer.”
- “The day-to-day atmosphere is quite friendly. Lawyers and staff interact frequently, and treat each other as equals. Lawyers don't socialize much out of the office—the firm has a healthy respect for your personal time. But the firm does have firm-sponsored social events from time to time, which are well attended. In general, it's a very nice place to work.”
Why Work Here
Working at Kramer Levin
• You’ll get real work, not make work. We’re not a mega-firm, and we don’t staff like one. You’ll be an important and valued member of our team.
• As a Kramer Levin Summer Associate, you have a say in what type of work you do. There are no department assignments. No rotations. We want to know what interests you and how we can help you play to your strengths.
• If pro bono interests you, then we have a lot in common. Our commitment to pro bono is well-known. What is less well-known is that there are no limits on the number of pro bono hours you can count as “billable” toward bonus requirements. In pro bono as in life, we encourage you to follow your interests.
• Training is second-to-none, due in large part to our robust “shadowing” program, which provides junior attorneys with hands-on learning opportunities by encouraging them to accompany more experienced lawyers to depositions, negotiations, strategy sessions, corporate board meetings, conference calls and the like. As with pro bono, hours spent shadowing count as “billable” toward bonus requirements.
Diversity at Kramer Levin
Getting Hired Here
- “The firm regularly hires from top law schools; however, it is more than willing to give opportunities to those at lower-tier law schools. The firm appreciates applicants from lower-tier schools who have top grades, are social, and match the firm's culture.”
- “The firm tries to recruit diverse candidates (regional, law school, ethnic/racial/LGBT, etc.) who will contribute to the firm's collaborative culture. I'm not aware of specific training for interviewers, but there are interview guidelines, and sample questions that are shared.”
- “The firm, of course, considers things such as law school, grades, and work experience, but it also values personality and fit, and ensuring that someone is looking for the unique culture that the firm provides. The firm takes interviews and recruitment very seriously, which is reflected in the inclusion of hours spent on recruitment for bonus hours purposes.”
Perks & Benefits
