Overview
Introduction
Founded in Baltimore in 1900, Venable has expanded geographically to 10 domestic offices and professionally to 850 attorneys. The firm provides a full range of legal services, including regulatory, legislative, and government affairs through its Beltway and Baltimore offices. Many notable past and current elected officials have worked at Venable. Attorneys enjoy the work-life balance promoted by the firm culture and office social life.
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2024)
Featured Rankings
No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2023)
No. of Summer Associates (2024)
Base Salary
No. of U.S. Offices
Vault Verdict
Among the many adjectives used to describe BigLaw, “laid back” isn’t often included in the mix—unless you’re at Venable. The creme de la creme of the Baltimore legal scene, Venable has expanded from its Mid-Atlantic roots to encompass 13 offices with over 850 professionals nationwide, yet still manages to be a firm at which associates report real work-life balance, genuinely friendly coworkers, and a defined culture of respect and supportiveness. And this culture isn’t limited to associates—partners treat associates as colleagues, creating a notably “nonhierarchical” vibe. Don’t be fooled by all the warm feelings, however, because Venable’s work is sharp and sophisticated. Thanks to its proximity to DC, Venable excels in its government practices—many Venable professionals are form...
About the Firm
The venerable, mono-monikered Venable is a titan of the mid-Atlantic I-95 corridor (where seven of its nine offices are located) and is home to nearly 800 lawyers. Venable complements a conventional BigLaw practice with Beltway-specific work.
A Morphing Midsized Regional
Call it a victory for career services: Venable, Baetjer & Howard was formed in 1900 when Richard Venable, a law professor in Baltimore, partnered with two of his former students. The firm has grown substantially since the millennium, thanks largely to a series of mergers to bolster its Beltway contingent, tech offerings, and litigation department. These changes landed the firm two locations in California and one in New York. In 2018, the firm bolstered its IP practice by merging with Fitzpatrick, Cella, H...
2025 Vault Rankings
Associate Reviews
- “Almost everyone is very laid back, and easy to get along with. The firm has a very defined culture, and does well at hiring to keep that culture. Lawyers frequently socialize together during firm-sponsored events, and informal get-togethers after work. We have firm events about once every one to two months. Some lawyers get together every week, or every other week after work.”
- “The day-to-day atmosphere at the firm is cordial, supportive, caring, and understanding. As a young parent, I feel very supported in balancing caring for my child and family with the demands of working as a lawyer.”
- “My firm has a very friendly, comfortable culture, in which everyone genuinely seems to like one another, everyone gets along well, there's an interest in getting to know one another's personality and personal lives, and lawyers do socialize together at firm-sponsored events. But, there's definitely a professional boundary where colleagues are generally just colleagues, and people want to leave work to go home to their families rather than spending their free time around coworkers, when there's not an official firm event.”
- “This is my third law firm, and Venable has BY FAR the best culture I've experienced. I can only speak to the Corporate group, but from top to bottom, the culture is excellent—collegial, social, supportive. In fact, I'm heading to a happy hour after work today with several of my colleagues.”
Diversity at Venable LLP
Getting Hired Here
- “It seems like the firm looks for above-average candidates that will fit into the culture of the firm. Prior work experience in certain areas, clerkships, journal experience, good grades, and a top-ranked law school help, but they aren't the only thing that the firm considers. The firm looks for candidates that it believes will be at the firm long term.”
- “I get the sense that Venable tends to pull more from mid-level, local law schools, as opposed to focusing on T14 schools or similar. There are a number of associates and partners in the NY office from schools like Brooklyn Law, Cardozo, Fordham, etc., with less of an emphasis on the NYUs and Columbias.”
- “Venable is looking to hire a whole person. We care about identifying candidates who will be pleasant to work with, be willing to do the work, and get involved in the firm community. While grades do matter (to an extent), we care a lot about work experience and soft factors.”
Perks & Benefits