Foley & Lardner LLP

Our Survey Says

Vault Verdict 

Foley & Lardner can claim both Barack Obama and Antonin Scalia as alumni but doesn’t brag about it. Consistently, despite exponentially expanding throughout its long history, Foley & Lardner has worked hard to remain true to its modest Midwestern roots. Although the firm has offices in major U.S. cities, its largest office remains in Milwaukee, and several other major offices are in the region. The firm looks for excellence in candidates but isn’t snobby about pedigree, regularly hiring top students from regional law schools in addition to T14 graduates. Although “lifestyle” and “BigLaw” don’t typically go hand in hand, Foley & Lardner is different; associates praise the firm's friendly, family-oriented culture in which work-life balance is achievable and applaud the firm’s top-of-the-market salaries, which are given to all attorneys, even those in smaller markets. Associates have a 1,950 billable hour requirement to be bonus eligible, and advancement is tied to hitting billable hour requirements of 1,900 for first- through third-year associates and 1,950 for fourth-year attorneys and above. Partners are collegial and respectful, but management could be more transparent in some aspects of firm business. The firm offers wellness benefits, including monthly monetary credits paid out over the year. Pro bono work is promoted by the firm with a policy that is fairly standard for BigLaw: 100 pro bono hours are eligible for billable credit with more creditable upon approval. Associates would like more pro bono hours to count as billables and credit for hours dedicated to diversity initiatives, which are currently non-billable. Partnership is a realistic prospect, and the firm offers career coaching for associates to facilitate their transition to external positions.