Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Our Survey Says

VAULT'S VERDICT:

Top grades are critical to be considered for a spot at Dorsey & Whitney LLP, although GPA isn’t all that matters. The firm seeks team players with tremendous work ethic who also value giving back. The firm has a professional, welcoming environment. While some social events are available, Dorsey isn’t a work hard/play hard type of place. Associates feel supported in their development, with clear expectations for each class level. They also feel respected by the partnership and appreciate the mentoring available. The firm regularly shares information on firm performance and financials with associates, which they appreciate. Work can ebb and flow, as is par for the course in most legal practices. When it comes to compensation, some are pleased with the firm’s recent salary raises and greater transparency with the bonus system; others wish the salary didn’t lag behind more national law firms. Overall, associates feel challenged in their day-to-day work. And they are enthusiastic about the possibility of making partner.

ASSOCIATE REVIEWS:

GETTING HIRED

Hiring Process

• “Grades and work experience are highest priority, but many other factors (including fit and culture) are considered.”
• “The firm prioritizes grades, has close relationships with major Midwest schools, and draws from more prestigious coastal schools as well.”
• “Our firm looks for not only excellent candidates but people who genuinely believe in pro bono work and are team players. Hard work, kindness, and generosity are very important factors in hiring.”

Lateral & Clerk Integration

• “I joined the firm as a lateral a little over a year ago and could not be happier with the transition. It is very easy for new hires to integrate into the team, and there is a very collegial atmosphere.”
• “The firm provided a lot of training and gradually integrated me well with appropriate work.”
• “They included me in the associate training even though I am not new to legal practice. This helped me because I spent time getting to know the other associates outside of the billable hour.”

ASSOCIATE LIFE

Firm Culture

• “Polite and professional.”
• “The culture of the firm is very professional, and people are generally very welcoming in the office. The social scene outside of work hours is limited.”
• “My department offers regular lunches, and there are firmwide holiday events sporadically throughout the year.  There are also opportunities for rec sports that are firm sponsored.”

Associate/Partner Relations

• “The partners are very focused on associate development and training and are very respectful of our personal lives. The firm recently switched to a non-discretionary bonus structure based on billable hours, which is very transparent. Performance reviews are coordinated by a single partner on behalf of several others and are generally very helpful.”
• “The partners are great. They are always telling me that I need to take more time for myself. They are also very aware of my workload. The firm has made great strides [to] improve transparency”
• “So far, I have always been treated respectfully by partners I have worked with. The firm sends us monthly financial updates and has quarterly meetings to discuss firm performance. The expectations for each level of associate is also spelled out. Performance reviews are once a year. You are rated by all the partners you work with and then a member of the review committee discusses the overall report with you.”

Hours

• “I have been consistently busy, but I have not felt overwhelmed. I always meet my billable hours, and it is only in limited instances when I have to put in an excessive amount of time outside of usual work hours.”
• “Work is somewhat evenly distributed, but overall there are periods with tons of work, and then it swings back to very little work. Not a lot of flexibility.”
• “The firm has a target of 1,850 hours, with 100 hours of pro bono work counting for that target. As far as I know, there are no formal consequences for failing to meet the requirement.”

Compensation

• “Salary is competitive with my local market but not with the national firms (including the national firms in my market).”
• “Recent across-the-board salary increases have been market leading in the Twin Cities and have greatly increased associate satisfaction. Associate salaries are still individually determined for each year after the 2nd year but are typically within a range. In years that have performed well, I have been very happy with my salary increases and bonuses. Recently, the bonus program has become far more transparent in providing each associate with a predictable ‘productivity’ bonus based on qualifying hours as well as discretionary bonuses based on non-hours accomplishments.”
• “Hitting bonuses of tens of thousands of dollars is attainable, but it is based almost entirely on billable hours.”

Quality of Work & Technology

• “My work assignments have appropriately progressed in complexity and difficulty. I have been stretched but never felt completely helpless.”
• “I spend most of my time on substantive legal work that is appropriate for my level, and partners provide me with opportunities to collaborate on more challenging projects, which allows me to develop new skills and understanding.”
• “Almost all my work is spent on highly complex projects—at this point always supervising junior associates and often running an entire case team with substantial client contact. I am regularly asked to serve as the primary or only client contact for particular matters.”

Training & Mentoring

• “There are both formal and informal mentorship and training programs. We have almost weekly CLEs on topics of interest within the firm, which are helpful to younger associates seeking to develop their practice. Mentors help to teach the associate how to navigate the firm and are available if the associate has questions.”
• “My practice group makes an effort to sponsor monthly formal training programs with practical guidance on our practice. In addition, my office has a formal marketing mentorship program which connects associates with a partner in a different practice group that has been very useful.”
• “Formal training tapers off as associates become more senior. [The] firm does a great job of matching associates up with formal mentors and sponsors though.”

Career Outlook

• “The firm provides a fair amount of guidance for associates who want to make partner. There are also a number of attorneys in of counsel positions as an alternative to partnership. Attorneys who choose the counsel route appear to be integrated into the teams and are well respected by their peers. Associates who leave the firm often transition into in-house roles at other companies.”
• “I think making partner is realistic for those that want to. There are some non-partner roles such as senior attorney and of counsel for associates that are not interested in the partner track. I think the typical exit opportunity for associates is going in-house. I have seen several associates go in-house for current clients.”
• “Promotion to partnership seems realistic but largely depends on internal marketing and building a business case by making billable hours and showing value in maintaining a book of business.”

PRO BONO & DIVERSITY

Pro Bono Commitment

• “Dorsey offers innumerable pro bono opportunities and always offers a more senior attorney to oversee the junior associate if needed. I've been able to work with some of the best lawyers in the firm on pro bono housing matters.”
• “The firm takes on a wide range of pro bono projects and has pro bono coordinators to help facilitate these initiatives. Any attorney who is interested in taking on pro bono work will have ample opportunity to do so in a wide variety of practice areas.”
• “We push to make at least 5% of all billable hours relate to pro bono.”