Description:
Class of 2029 (or December 2028) graduates are eligible to apply.The Kirkland & Ellis 2028 2L Summer Associate Program is designed with your future in mind. Secure your 2L summer with us in one of our U.S. locations (Austin, Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York, Orange County, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City and Washington, D.C.) and enjoy the flexibility to shape your 1L summer. Whether you join us for Kirkland's 1L Summer Experience or pursue another opportunity, every path leads to your 2L summer — the cornerstone of launching your career as a Kirkland associate.
We are looking for highly motivated, talented, and well-rounded individuals. Strong academic credentials or other indicators of intellectual curiosity and drive are looked upon favorably.
To apply, candidates must submit a resume and all available law school grades or transcripts. Candidates have the option of submitting additional information for consideration, such as verified LSAT score, undergraduate/graduate transcripts, or any other supplementary materials relevant to their candidacy. Candidates who apply prior to receiving first-semester law school grades will receive additional instructions via email on how to upload their transcript once available. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and interview timing may vary by office. Offers will be extended following the release of first-semester grades.
Selected candidates will receive an offer to join Kirkland's 10-week 2028 2L Summer Associate Program. If you accept your offer to join the Firm as a 2L summer associate in 2028, you will be eligible to receive a one-time summer associate bonus of $50,000. In addition, you may elect to participate in our paid 2027 1L Summer Experience and/or pursue other opportunities outside the Firm during your 1L summer.
- Kirkland's 1L Summer Experience: Four-week experience (six weeks in our Texas offices) designed to develop meaningful professional connections while gaining exposure to the breadth and diversity of our practice groups.
- Flexible Experience: Spend your 2027 1L summer gaining experience outside the Firm, whether through public service, a judicial internship or another opportunity that supports your goals.
To learn more about your Kirkland experience and our practice groups ahead of submitting your application, we encourage you to visit our website and join the Kirkland network.
When you apply to our Summer Associate Program, you can also express interest in the additional opportunities below.
Bay Area Private Equity Fellowship: Our private equity fellowship offers law students who want to start their career in the Bay Area substantive experience and specialized training, including a client-facing component. We seek candidates with an interest in private equity, a business or finance background, strong academic credentials, relevant work experience, and demonstrated leadership. Applicants must submit a resume, transcript(s), and a personal statement (up to 1,000 words) explaining their private equity interests, relevant work experience and expected value from the fellowship.
Path to Tokyo: Our Path to Tokyo program offers a specialized track for law students interested in corporate law and practicing in Japan, with the opportunity to build experience across the New York and Tokyo markets. Throughout the program, participants will experience two of the world's most dynamic legal markets through sophisticated work, targeted training, networking and client-facing opportunities. We seek candidates with English fluency, advanced Japanese language skills, strong academic credentials, relevant work experience and demonstrated leadership, as well as the ability to work effectively in both English- and Japanese-language professional environments. Candidates should demonstrate a meaningful interest in and commitment to building a long-term career in Japan. Applicants must submit a resume, transcripts and a cover letter explaining their interest in practicing in Japan.
This position is not available to any candidates who now or in the future will require U.S. visa sponsorship from the Firm, including H-1B, TN-1, TN-2, or E-3 visas. Candidates who are not eligible to apply for the U.S. Summer Associate Path to Tokyo program due to U.S. work authorization requirements, please contact Colette Chan and Karen Yan (colette.chan@kirkland.hk; karen.yan@kirkland.cn) to apply directly to our Tokyo office.
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Kirkland 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 itself. The hiring salary for this position currently is $225,000/year, prorated for the 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 now or in the future will require U.S. visa sponsorship from the Firm, including H-1B, TN-1, TN-2, or E-3 visas.
Kirkland is subject to certain governmental record-keeping and reporting requirements for administration of civil rights laws and regulations. In order to comply with these requirements and maintain internal statistics, the Firm invites all candidates for positions in our U.S. locations to voluntarily self-identify their race, ethnicity, and other personal characteristics. The information obtained will be kept confidential and will be used and retained in accordance with the provisions of applicable laws. Submission of the requested information is entirely voluntary and refusal to provide it will not subject you to any adverse treatment.
You confirm that all the information you provide on your resume and application is true, accurate, and complete. You also understand that any false, incomplete, or misleading information—no matter when it's discovered—may disqualify you from consideration or lead to termination, if employed.
By submitting your application, you're giving the Firm permission to use all information you provide (this includes your application, attachments, and any drafts) for recruitment purposes only. We do not share this information with third parties outside of our recruitment process. You acknowledge that we retain and may process your personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy (https://www.kirkland.com/privacy-and-disclaimers). This means your data will be stored for a defined period by the Firm and our trusted third-party administrator.
