Description:
At Kirkland, we are united in our ambition and drive to move the Firm forward by recruiting the best legal talent. If you are interested in starting your legal career at a firm where you will be involved in substantive, meaningful work while having the autonomy to shape your career, we encourage you to apply for our 1L Summer Associate Program in one of our U.S. offices (Austin, Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Salt Lake City and Washington D.C.).We are looking for highly motivated, talented and well-rounded individuals. Law Review, moot court, strong academic credentials or other indicators of intellectual curiosity and drive are looked upon favorably.
To apply, candidates should submit a resume and all available law school grades or transcripts. Candidates who apply prior to receiving first-semester grades will receive an email in January with instructions to upload transcripts. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Kirkland & Ellis LLP offers a competitive salary structure to all of its employees and attorneys. Compensation is based upon the roles and responsibilities of the position, the experience and education of the applicant and/or employee and is aligned with internal pay equity within Kirkland & Ellis LLP itself. The hiring salary for this position is $225,000/year, pro-rated for time spent at the Firm.
Our ability to perform at the very highest level of our profession is significantly enhanced by building and promoting diverse and inclusive teams in the broadest sense. All employment decisions, including but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, compensation, and evaluation are made without regard to race, ethnicity, citizenship, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, religion, national origin, medical condition, veteran status, disability status and any other characteristic protected under federal, state, or local law.
This position is not available to any candidates who will now or in the future require U.S. visa sponsorship from the Firm, such as H-1B, TN, or E-3 visa sponsorship.
To learn more about Kirkland and our practice groups ahead of submitting your application, we encourage you to check out our website and sign up for Connecting with Kirkland.
When
you apply to our summer program, you may also apply for the additional
Kirkland 1L opportunities outlined below. All students are encouraged to
apply, and any student that otherwise meets the Firm's hiring criteria
and is offered a 1L summer position in the identified locations is
eligible for consideration in these opportunities.
- Tell the selection committee about yourself.
- Tell us what diversity, equity, and inclusion means to you, and how your background, lived experience, or perspective will allow you to contribute to a diverse, equitable and inclusive Kirkland community.
- Tell us how your background, lived experience, or perspective has shaped your character and your professional aims.
- Tell us about an experience in which you demonstrated a commitment to promoting diversity, equity and/or inclusion within your community or otherwise.
Kirkland accepts the NALP Common Application diversity fellowship statement for our satisfaction of the personal statement requirement of our application. Students may submit the NALP Common Application statement in lieu of the prompts above.
1L Diversity Scholars Conference: Available in all of our U.S. offices (Austin, Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Salt Lake City and Washington D.C. ). Kirkland's 1L Diversity Scholars Conference brings together the brightest law students from across the United States for two days of training and networking with attorneys, clients and alumni of one of the world's most prominent law firms. At Kirkland, we value diversity in all of its breadth, and we are looking for talented, promising students from a variety of lived experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives to participate in this conference. All students who are in good standing in their first year at an ABA-accredited law school are eligible to apply. Kirkland welcomes all eligible applicants regardless of race, ethnicity, citizenship, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, religion, national origin, medical condition, veteran status, disability status and any other characteristic protected under federal, state, or local law. The next 1L Diversity Scholars Conference will take place in April 2025 in Chicago, IL, with travel expenses covered by Kirkland.
1L Meta Fellow Available in our Bay Area office. This program provides an opportunity for 1L law students to gain experience at two industry-leading, innovative organizations. Selected Fellows will participate in Kirkland's 2025 Summer Associate Program and, if also selected by Meta, will spend a portion of the summer with Meta's in-house legal department. This program allows 1L Meta Fellows to explore different practice areas, to receive mentoring and career coaching, to build important relationships through trainings and social events, and to experience life in Big Law and In-House.
Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) 1L Scholars Program: Available in our Austin, Bay Area, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, New York, and Washington D.C. offices. Founded in 2009, LCLD is made up of more than 400+ general counsel and managing partners from the nation's leading corporations and law firms. The LCLD 1L Scholars Program is designed to strengthen the legal pipeline by expanding opportunities for first-year law students from diverse backgrounds. Kirkland welcomes all eligible applicants regardless of race, ethnicity, citizenship, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, religion, national origin, medical condition, veteran status, disability status and any other characteristic protected under federal, state, or local law. Program participants are offered the chance to work side by side with attorneys from Kirkland for part of the summer and spend another portion of their summer at a client working with in-house counsel. The Kirkland LCLD 1L Scholars will also participate in the broader LCLD 1L Scholars Program, including the LCLD 1L Scholars Summit. To participate in the LCLD 1L Scholars Program, students must first obtain and accept an offer to work at one of our U.S. offices as a 1L Summer Associate. Participation in this program is independent of hiring process. Any candidate that has indicated interest in the LCLD 1L Scholars Program on their 1L Summer Associate application will be considered for participation; however, selection is dependent upon the number of clients that partner with the Firm on this initiative each year and the candidate's 1L Summer Associate application materials and personal statement.
Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship: Available in all of our U.S. offices Austin, Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Salt Lake City and Washington D.C. ). Our ability to perform at the very highest level of our profession is significantly enhanced by building and promoting diverse and inclusive teams in the broadest sense. Our Diversity & Inclusion Fellowship provides law students with an opportunity to work alongside some of the top lawyers in the world during our Summer Associate Program and gain hands-on experience, develop leadership skills, interact with Kirkland clients and make enduring connections with peers. In addition to participating in the Kirkland Summer Associate Program, recipients receive professional development support and a $50,000 stipend, less all required income and payroll taxes. This Fellowship is open to all first and second-year law students that apply and will be awarded on a competitive basis, regardless of race, ethnicity, citizenship, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, religion, national origin, medical condition, veteran status, disability status and any other characteristic protected under federal, state, or local law. To be considered, the candidate must: (1) be enrolled and in good standing as a student (Juris Doctor) at an ABA accredited law school and/or be a joint-degree student at an ABA-accredited law school that will graduate from both programs in 2027; (2) have a demonstrated record of academic achievement; (3) submit a personal statement (as further described in the application); (4) receive an offer to join the Kirkland Summer Associate Program in one of our U.S. offices; (5) have a sincere interest and commitment to private practice; and (6) be likely to practice after graduation at one of Kirkland's offices. As with all summer associates, there is no guarantee of full-time employment after graduation, but it is our sincere hope that all our Fellows will ultimately practice at Kirkland & Ellis.
Additional 1L Opportunities:
Bay
Area Private Equity Fellowship: Available in our Bay Area office.
Kirkland & Ellis's Private Equity Fellowship provides a rare
opportunity for law students to gain substantive experience and
specialized training working with leading private equity clients at
