Overview
Introduction
Locke Lord offers top-tier legal work in a laid-back, cordial environment. Lean staffing means early responsibility and experience for associates. With a number of women in leadership roles, the firm’s commitment to diversity shows in practice. Communication is key at this collaborative firm, and the social culture transcends beyond the walls of the office. Those seeking to gain quality experience, project leadership, and the ability to move up the ranks should look no further than Locke Lord.
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
Core values of collegiality, collaboration, and corporate responsibility attract associates to Locke Lord. While the firm may not attract top talent, it still recruits based on law school prestige, grades, work experience, and diversity. Candidates’ personalities must match the pleasant, professional, and relaxed office environment, and they should plan on good relationships with partners, who value associates’ time and work product. Partners are approachable and take a lot of time teaching and providing feedback to associates, which is a nice complement to formal training that takes place during new associate orientation and in regular CLE sessions. Lateral hires appreciate efforts to onboard them and help them find work. Work assignments are challenging and often push associates...
About the Firm
Locke Lord is a full-service, international law firm of 20 offices and about 600 attorneys in locations across the U.S., as well as in Brussels and London. Locke Lord has received numerous industry recognitions as a global leader in the middle-market sector.
A History of Mergers
Locke Lord can trace its roots to the founding of three firms in a seven-year period in the late 1800s in Boston, Dallas, and Providence. A couple of decades later, John Lord opened a firm in Chicago in 1914, and another predecessor firm would open in Houston in 1916. Nearly a century later, these predecessor firms began combining, beginning with the Dallas and Houston firms merging in 1999 to form Locke Liddell & Sapp, in what was the largest law firm merger in U.S. history to that point. Sixteen years...
Associate Reviews
- “The office culture is extremely pleasant. Lawyers regularly interact, and there are many well-attended firm events (but not too many, such that it is difficult to get work done).”
- “Our firm has a great culture. Our firm hosts lunches for attorneys in the practice area and all attorneys monthly. The firm often has social events that are well attended. The day-to-day atmosphere is very positive. Attorneys often check in with me to see how I am doing, and ask how my workload is. Lawyers and staff interact in a casual but professional manner.”
- “The firm culture is very relaxed and collegial. After-work events are kept to a minimum, and most interactions occur during scheduled monthly lunches.”
Diversity at Locke Lord LLP
Getting Hired Here
- “The firm considers a wide range of factors when considering its hiring decisions. The firm looks at the law school attended, grades, personality, diversity, prior work experience, and work ethic. There are not, to my knowledge, ‘feeder schools.’”
- “I've seen some great candidates not offered. They are looking for top law schools, great grades, personality fit, diversity fit, and prior work experience, that matches up with the practice group applied to.”
- “Because the firm's compensation is below market, and the number of hours required to be eligible for bonus is one the highest of the industry (2,050), the firm is having trouble attracting and retaining top talent. ...”
Perks & Benefits
