Overview
Introduction
Schulte Roth & Zabel attracts associates who are social and hardworking, and it is a great fit for attorneys interested in the financial services industry. The firm has a history of taking on high-profile pro bono matters and hasn’t wavered in its pro bono commitment.
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2023)
No. of Partners Named (2023)
Featured Rankings
No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2024)
No. of Summer Associates (2024)
Base Salary
Vault Verdict
For top-of-the-line hedge fund work, pro bono opportunities, and compensation, Schulte Roth & Zabel is the place to be. Associates come from T14 and other law schools and must have strong academic credentials and amiable personalities. Office settings are relaxed but professional, down-to-earth, and nonhierarchical. Coworkers are friends and actually care about each other. Partners are accessible; they emphasize and enjoy teaching, and they care about associate development. Along with senior associates and robust training programs, partners help associates lay a healthy foundation for their respective professional careers. These basics need to be established because Schulte Roth & Zabel associates take on high-level projects, some of which exceed an early-career as...
About the Firm
Among the New York elite, Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP has defined itself as the go-to firm for hedge fund and similar clients. This practice focus translates into double-digit profits and aggressive increases during boom years, and the firm has grown organically over the years.
Hedging Their Niche
Schulte was founded in 1969 by a group of young BigLaw associates—most from Cleary and Fried Frank—who wanted to escape the traditional BigLaw model. The firm found its place by working in areas, such as trusts and estates and the burgeoning field of hedge fund law, that were mostly ignored by large firms. Soon, the firm was attracting clients like the Rockefeller and Lehman families. Bill Zabel—who had written the winning brief in the landmark Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia on be...
2025 Vault Rankings
Associate Reviews
- “Very relaxed but hardworking culture. Dress code is more casual, remote flexibility, and open-door policy for most lawyers. There are many firm-sponsored opportunities to socialize. Everyone is very respectful—lawyers and staff alike. Little micromanaging: You are given a lot of independence for so long as you can manage yourself effectively.”
- “SRZ has a great culture. The line is truly blurred between lawyers and staff, meaning everyone interacts the same and forms similar relationships regardless of job title. The same is true within (at least my) practice group with respect to levels of seniority. Everyone genuinely enjoys being around one another.”
- “Lawyers here are warm, supportive, and down-to-earth. We genuinely enjoy each other’s company, and we have a great sense of community between the lawyers and staff here at Schulte.”
- “People treat each other like people; we all have lives, and we respect that—there is also an understanding that we've signed up for a line of work that can be intense, involve long hours, and force us to sacrifice certain personal aspects of our lives at times.”
Diversity at Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP
Getting Hired Here
Hiring Process and Interview Questions
- “Generally T14 students and top law students from New York. Personality is a big factor. Big schools are Georgetown, Columbia, and NYU.”
- “I don't think the firm is looking for anything unique in terms of a BigLaw firm. We look for people with good academics, who have an interest in the firm, and who can get along well with colleagues. There are trainings and guidelines for interviewers.”
- “Hiring process is very strongly based on personality and compatibility. Interviews are not a test but a conversation. All applicants who get an interview already possess the intelligence to work at the firm, so it is more a matter of finding the right person for the firm's culture.”
- “No particular ‘feeder schools,’ as the firm interviews at tons of law schools. Looking for people we would enjoy working with on a daily basis (down-to-earth, easygoing).”
Perks & Benefits