Beveridge & Diamond, P.C.

Our Survey Says

VAULT'S VERDICT:

Beveridge & Diamond should be the first stop for associates wanting to practice environmental law. The firm focuses on candidates from top law schools or strong environmental law programs, and grades, clerkships, experience, and a desire to work in environmental law are considered critical for hires. Coworkers are friendly, and social interactions are common, with personal lives remaining respected, as well. Partners make associates feel like meaningful contributors to cases, teams, and the firm as a whole. They invest in associate professional growth by giving them substantive work early. Partner mentorship and tutelage, along with subscription-based CLE programs, provide a strong foundation for associate development. Lateral hires are onboarded effectively, and similar to all associates, they engage in work from document review to drafting briefs to conducting interviews. The Workflow Committee allocates work evenly, though partner input and associate initiative can drive assignments. The requirements of 1,800 billable and 2,000 total hours are reasonable and allow good work-life balance. Compensation is, however, below the market standard. Firm technology is outdated and can impair efficiency, and wellness efforts include a stipend and a range of apps and programs. Pro bono work is encouraged, with 100 hours counting toward the billable expectation, and more can be applied with permission. DEI efforts are offset by low retention of diverse attorneys. Making partner/shareholder is possible but difficult, and counsel is a viable long-term position. Many of those who depart land jobs with state or federal agencies or go in-house as counsel on environmental matters.

FIRM PERSPECTIVE

Since our founding, B&D strives for leadership in environmental law and litigation, and to build our practice in these areas at a level with – or exceeding – those of other firms, including large global firms whom clients sometimes also entrust with their most sophisticated environmental and litigation matters.  

At the same time, we strive to set ourselves apart from these firms with respect to our culture and approach to practice.  Specifically, we seek to ensure we never lose sight of the value we place on our individual lawyers and staff, and their lives outside the workplace.  We reward collegiality, collaboration, commitment to the firm and its clients, entrepreneurship and mastery of evolving issues in environmental practice, training and mentoring, diversity of perspective, and the pursuit of justice. 

Our work is not complete in these areas. We constantly seek to refine our approach and respond to client needs and evolutions in environmental practice, and work with clients on cutting-edge ways to improve business in an environmentally-conscious manner. However, we affirm our continued commitment to investing in our people and to setting ourselves apart from other firms as we navigate the tidal wave of change in the global economy and legal profession.