Our Survey Says
VAULT'S VERDICT:
Covington recruits academically accomplished students from T14 law schools and exceptional students from other regional schools. Colleagues are approachable, supportive, and respectful, understanding that associates have personal lives outside the office. Partners are accessible and dedicated to associates’ growth and development. Formal training varies by practice group. Some associates say that they are expected to learn on the job and to seek training on their own. Work assignments are mostly complex and substantive, although depending on the situation, associates may also take less engaging work, such as document review. Associates on small case teams are more likely to have client contact. To receive a bonus, Covington’s billable requirement is 1,950 hours, which include unlimited pro bono hours. Compensation matches the prevailing BigLaw rate, and special bonuses can be earned for exceeding set billing thresholds. The firm imposes a four-day in-office requirement with the understanding that leniency is needed on occasion. Recent improvements in technology include new laptops and better access to documents, with gradual adoption of AI tools. Wellness initiatives include seminars, discounted gym memberships, and virtual counselors. Pro bono work is heavily promoted and is a major draw for attorneys. For career opportunities, counsel positions are viable long-term, making equity partner is difficult but realistic, and exit options include going in-house or to the government.
One CityCenter
850 Tenth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: (202) 662-6000
Chair, Management, and Executive Committees: Doug Gibson
Hiring Partners: Ben Block, Ranga Sudarshan (DC); Wade Ackerman, Helen Hwang (LA); Matthew Gehl, Clea Liquard, Evan Parness, Jenna Wallace (NY); Rani Gupta, Megan Rodgers, (Palo Alto); Cortlin Lannin, Ingrid Rechtin, Doug Sprague (SF); Mona Patel (Boston); Ruixue Ran (Beijing); Daniel Cooper (Brussels); Rupert Harper (Dubai); Jorn Hirshmann (Frankfurt); Ben Donovan (Johannesburg); Craig Pollack, Daniel Pavin (London); William Park (Seoul); Yanping Cao (Shanghai)
Total No. Attorneys (2026):
1.5K - 2K
No. of Partners Named 2025:
14
Base Salary (2024)
1st year: $225,000
2nd year: $235,000
3rd year: $260,000
4th year: $310,000
5th year: $365,000
6th year: $390,000
7th year: $420,000
8th year: $435,000
Summer Associate: $4,326/week
California
Kelsey Donovan
Senior Manager of Legal Recruiting and Professional Development
(424) 303-4800
legalrecruitingca@cov.com
New York
Ilyssa Pastolove
Legal Recruitment Manager
(212) 841-1000
legal.recruitingny@cov.com
Washington, DC
Grace Seery
Senior Manager of Legal Recruiting
(202) 662-6200
legal.recruiting@cov.com
Boston
Grace Seery
Senior Manager of Legal Recruiting
(202) 662-6200
legal.recruitingbo@cov.com
Recruiting contacts for all offices may be found www.cov.com/en/careers/lawyers/
No. of U.S. Offices: 6
No. of International Offices: 8
Washington, DC
Boston, MA
Los Angeles, CA
New York, NY
Palo Alto, CA
San Francisco, CA
Beijing
Brussels
Dubai
Frankfurt
Johannesburg
London
Seoul
Shanghai
Advertising and Consumer Law
Anticorruption/FCPA
Antitrust & Competition Law
Appellate and Supreme Court
CFIUS/National Security
Communications & Media
Corporate/M&A & Capital Markets
Energy
Financial Institutions
Government Contracts
Insurance Coverage
Intellectual Property
International Trade/Export Controls
Life Sciences
Litigation and International Arbitration
Privacy & Cybersecurity
Public Policy
Sports
Tax
White Collar Defense & Investigations
*See firm website for complete list of practice areas and industries.