How to land a summer time associate position at Kirkland & Ellis

• Kirkland & Ellis is just one of the most prestigious regulation firms globally, nabbing the top place in the Am Law rankings three many years in a row.
• The organization reported that it will be employing around 250 law students for its 2021 summertime associate method, which is generally the main pipeline for expertise at law firms.
• Whilst numerous other firms have rotational summertime applications, summer time associates at Kirkland ordinarily select a exercise space to specialize in.
• Insider spoke with two co-chairs of the firm’s recruiting committee and a top industry recruiter on what candidates need to know about Kirkland to ace an job interview with the agency.
• Visit Enterprise Insider’s homepage for additional tales.

A summer season affiliate purpose at Kirkland & Ellis, widely regarded a single of the most prestigious regulation corporations in the world, is highly sought just after by quite a few law pupils.

Kirkland has raked in the leading spot in the Am Law rankings a few a long time in a row, and is the highest grossing law company in the globe at a lot more than $4 billion in gross profits in fiscal yr 2019, in accordance to the American Law firm.

Established in 1909 in Chicago, Kirkland has founded by itself as a lawful powerhouse, with 2,700 legal professionals throughout 15 workplaces globally. It has 4 core areas — transactional, litigation, mental assets, and restructuring — in which the firm has represented outstanding clientele these types of as Toys R Us, Facebook, and Typical Motors.

As component of their attempts to incorporate to their pipeline of potential associates, Kirkland generally participates in about 50 law schools’ on-campus recruiting situations and regional position fairs every single 12 months, and collects resumes from extra educational institutions. The business explained they will be employing all-around 250 second-12 months regulation students for its 2021 summer season affiliate system.

Insider spoke with two of Kirkland’s using the services of decision makers and an market recruiter on what you want to know to land a work at the elite regulation business.

Get gain of this year’s digital format for recruiting situations

Though there are disadvantages to meeting anyone through a computer monitor in its place of in-particular person, there are unique strengths to a virtual OCI.

“There is a great deal of upside when it comes to digital touchpoints, given that you can join with an skilled in a practice region you might be specially intrigued in, even if they’re not in city,” stated Lauren Casazza, a recruiting committee co-chair and litigation associate at Kirkland.

Whilst the real structure of “on-campus” functions is however evolving, Casazza mentioned that recruiting is still “very significantly heading to be all fingers on deck.” The agency has already had a handful of digital receptions at regulation educational facilities, where by pupils were randomly assigned breakout rooms with different lawyers to consider to mimic the stream of a cocktail reception.

At these occasions, it is vital to meet a great deal of people and pick their brains. “We comprehend that all the firms can commence to appear the similar, so conference the folks who get the job done there is essential to noticing the differences,” Casazza reported.

Pick your exercise area with intention

During the preliminary screening job interview with Kirkland, summertime associate candidates normally select 1 of its 4 main apply locations to specialize in that summer time: transactional, litigation, mental residence, and restructuring. If they’re available a full-time placement at the organization on graduation — which happens practically 100% of the time, in accordance to Casazza — it’s going to likewise be for a particular follow area.

Even though this might seem complicated to some students who may not however know what style of law they want to focus in, summer months associates will never be “pigeonholed” and will have the prospect to dabble in various spots.

Davis pointed out that a bigger spot like transactional regulation encompasses a vary of methods, these types of as M&A, cash marketplaces, and debt finance. He extra that in some workplaces all the summer months associates sit with each other on one floor, and so can not only get to know their fellow summers, but also get exposure to the different techniques.

Michael Parrillo, founder of the authorized recruiting corporation Parrillo Lookup Team, who’s labored with Kirkland for nearly 10 a long time, has some practical suggestions for regulation university learners thinking about profession selections.

Initially things initial, “for a particular person coming out of legislation school, go to the finest law firm you can that feels suitable at the time. That is what’s heading to give you the maximum level of marketability in the long term,” he explained.

“Then decide on which observe space: If you haven’t determined any unique places of curiosity, select the team you come to feel the most comfy with in phrases of the folks, or the team the organization is the finest recognised for,” Parrillo recommended.

Get to know Kirkland’s emphasis on empowering young lawyers

Yet another significant element of Kirkland’s culture that candidates really should know is its emphasis on offering junior associates ownership above their occupation. The company has what Parrillo calls a “exceptional” open up assignment technique, in which partners and associates get to out to each other directly with new matters. The associates can opt for what work to choose on and have the capability to discover the operate that is most attention-grabbing to them. 

“You have a say on what you happen to be working on and how you are developing your vocation,” additional Casazza.

Every single business at Kirkland also has an associates committee, which discusses concerns and matters, these types of as the associate critique course of action, skilled enhancement and management opportunities, and mentorship and social routines, and arrives up with tips that are relayed to the firm’s partnership. For occasion, the associates committee in the New York business applied associates-only networking occasions with mates and colleagues in providers that are existing or probable purchasers — no associates authorized, providing young attorneys a opportunity to be a aspect of business enterprise advancement.

In addition, Kirkland has set up a strong mentoring software for associates, connecting them with mentors both equally inside of the company and externally with purchasers, reported Jonathan Davis, an M&A associate who also co-chairs the recruiting committee.

“We’re really major into allowing you expand interactions with mentoring, providing men and women at an early phase in their careers the opportunity to build customer relationships, which is a greatly crucial skill to have as a attorney,” Davis said.

Be honest with your pursuits and values in the course of the interview

The job interview is arguably a single of the most vital — and nerve-wracking — pieces of the software system.

“We’re hunting at all distinctive kinds of conditions: no matter whether an individual can speak substantively about authorized troubles, shows enthusiasm and enjoyment for the agency, has powerful conversation abilities, and seems like a staff player,” explained Casazza.

The interview questions are developed to gauge these properties. Some examples, according to Casazza and Davis, include:

• Can you title a thing that was complicated about a task you have had?
• What was a thing you’ve discovered from a previous working experience?
• What was the most intriguing venture you’ve got labored on?
• What are you wanting for in a law organization?

It goes devoid of indicating that undertaking a minor bit of homework on the agency and interviewers will established candidates up for achievement in an interview.

“The extra data you stroll in with, the much better,” explained Parrillo, who implies looking into the firm’s clientele and latest transactions and matters.

On leading of looking through through the specifically curated substance for regulation college students on the firm’s professions web page, Davis suggests that candidates browse up on traits in the apply area they are fascinated in.

During the genuine interview, Parrillo said that prior lawful encounter, no matter whether it really is a stint as a paralegal, volunteer work, or legal experiments for the duration of spare time, are unquestionably worthy of highlighting. Finally, while, it is significant to be open and honest with what you happen to be wanting for in your legal career.

“It’s a seriously crucial time for your occupation, and the firm you pick sets you on an significant path,” stated Parrillo. “It truly is in your finest fascination to be yourself: Discuss about your values to make certain you’re picking a business that best aligns with who you are and the kind of lawyer you would like to become.”

Excel at Kirkland by engaging in finding out and collaborating with your colleagues

So you’ve got made it by way of the doors of one particular of the most prestigious regulation corporations. Davis cautioned that it will never be straightforward, but that summer season associates will come absent with substantive expertise, from gaining the capability to take care of teams of people to interacting with customers.

“It is really amazingly critical to have a authentic curiosity in understanding, because there’s a steep finding out curve when somebody very first comes in,” he stated. “It’s not like you might be taught in law college the day-to-day at a law organization.”

The attorneys at Kirkland are more than pleased to mentor people today, significantly when a junior legal professional shows an curiosity in their own improvement, so it’s also valuable to just take gain of the local community close to you, Davis extra. “By undertaking that, and coming in with the suitable mentality, you are extremely nicely-positioned,” he said.