2024 DIVERSITY DATABASE UNDERWRITER DLA Piper

Our Survey Says

VAULT'S VERDICT:

With offices in almost every country in the world because of a series of strategic mergers, DLA Piper puts the “big” in BigLaw. Managing a firm of 4,300+ attorneys might seem unwieldy, but DLA Piper effectively organizes attorneys in its many practice areas. Hiring is competitive, with individual offices focusing on top candidates in local markets, as well as T14 law schools. Credentials certainly matter, but the firm is also looking for candidates who possess strong communication, interpersonal, and analytical skills. Because of DLA Piper’s size, associates say that the culture is inevitably office- and practice group-specific, but the firm makes an effort to operate a “one firm” model, and attorneys regularly work with colleagues in other offices. As a result, DLA Piper has been uniquely accommodating of flexible and remote work arrangements, even before the pandemic, and associates praise this flexibility as key to a profound sense of work-life balance. Hours are standard for BigLaw with a 2,000 hour billable requirement, and associates wish the firm would loosen its strict adherence to that requirement in determining bonus eligibility. Transparency from firm management could improve, but associates feel valued and respected by partners and empowered to take control of their own careers. DLA Piper has a one-tier equity partnership structure, which means that making partner is difficult but not impossible. The introduction of a pre-partnership training program to which associates must be invited and accepted has made the partnership process significantly more transparent. Pro bono is a huge part of DLA Piper’s culture, with 60 pro bono hours part of the requirement for bonus eligibility, two associate fellowship positions per year dedicated to pro bono practice, and a separate international pro bono group.