Success from the Start
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Kirkland provides our attorneys with an unparalleled legal education. At the root of every program is the goal of fostering excellence, empowering teams and cultivating smart collaboration. In-house courses are developed by partners, associates, and industry experts in alignment with practice group benchmarks. Kirkland’s innovative and holistic approach to learning includes a Firmwide commitment to mentoring, career advice, and on-the-job teaching. Our award-winning Learning Education & Development team deliver more than 1300 internal training programs annually, in a variety of formats, from hands-on workshops to digital modules, to prepare attorneys at every level. We have an exceptional commitment to training our lawyers. But don’t just take our word for it — for more than 10 years, Vault has ranked Kirkland among the top five firms in the country for training and associates frequently cite training opportunities as one of their top reasons for choosing Kirkland. |
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Commitment to Your Career
We believe mentorship is integral to any associate’s integration and continued development. At Kirkland, our mentorship program is driven at the office level to allow for both formal and informal access to mentorship across a variety of associate growth needs. Kirkland’s approach consists of pairing a junior associate with a tenured attorney, either one-on-one or in a pod construct, to meet regularly. Associates also meet with a share partner in their practice group during the year, and feedback from these meetings helps to fuel future legal education and development learning opportunities.
Kirkland University (KU) offers extensive learning opportunities to equip attorneys with the skills they need to grow professionally and exceed client expectations.
Learn more about Legal Education & Development at Kirkland.
Empowerment Philosophy
Integral to our culture is the belief that lawyers are most successful when they do the work they want to do. The Firm's unique open assignment system enables attorneys to take ownership of their careers, choosing the matters they work on while providing them with an integrated support network to help ensure robust development opportunities.
The open assignment system empowers junior associates and incentivizes partners to create a positive, collaborative work environment. Whether you're an introvert or an extrovert, no one gets lost in the system.
Learn how Kirkland empowers associates through our unique open assignment system.
Charting Your Course
Kirkland’s award-winning CareerLink program is designed to maximize your success while at Kirkland and support your post-Kirkland career trajectory.
Our coaches offer confidential, comprehensive professional development coaching support and career planning assistance, developing effective strategies for achieving success.
Colleagues for Life
At Kirkland & Ellis, we owe our success to our people — past and present. The Kirkland & Ellis Alumni Engagement Program connects our attorneys to the most esteemed lawyers in the world. Through our exclusive website, one-of-a-kind events and lifelong career support — there are endless opportunities to build relationships and remain Colleagues for Life.
With nearly 7,000 alumni around the world, in every practice area of the law, including Judges, C-suite executives, General Counsels and government positions, there are endless opportunities to form relationships, build your network and connect with mentors. Get to know some of our talented alumni .
Benefits
Kirkland is a true meritocracy that rewards excellence. The quality of an attorney’s work, rather than their class year, determines the responsibilities they receive, and the Firm awards merit-based associate bonuses for individual performance.
Our progressive benefits, services and programs help our attorneys balance the way they manage their careers and personal lives to achieve success.
- Kirkland’s 401(k) savings plan
- Flexible Work Schedules
- Domestic Partner Coverage
- Parental and Adoption Leave
- Student Loan Refinancing Program
- Kirkland Concierge
Learn more about attorney benefits at Kirkland.