Cleary Gottlieb

Clear(y) the way! This global heavyweight is coming through with its investment in junior talent and signature academic edge.

About the Firm

Imagine the moment you receive that call - a job offer from your dream firm. Suddenly, the world really does feel like your oyster. With strength in cross-border work and a knack for building connections across the globe, Cleary might just be the firm you want to hear at the other end of the line. Four offices make up the US network with ten more internationally, and with additional strength in Latin America, the firm’s reach is hard to miss. That reach is backed by serious credentials. Chambers USA confirms Cleary’s standings with best-in-class recognition nationwide across antitrust, investment grade debt capital markets, derivatives, international trade, mining & metals, private equity fund formation, and tax. The firm also scoops up acclaim for its artificial intelligence, financial servicesregulation, general commercial litigation, securities litigation, corporate crime & investigations, as well as its equity, securitization and structured products capital markets expertise.

“We want people who love the idea of the academics of law and taking theory as an overlay for practice..."

If somehow there isn't a practice listed there to draw you in, then perhaps the culture will. For newbies joining the ranks, there was a certain quality that unified them: “We want people who love the idea of the academics of law and taking theory as an overlay for practice. The phrase used was a ‘bunch of law nerds’, and that appealed to me!” Given the shared interest in learning, interviewees also expressed how the investment in their development was significant as well: “The amount of training you have as you grow with the firm has always been impressive. Most lawyers will take time out of their day to talk through things.” The vast majority of junior associates on our list could be found in the New York office, followed by Washington DC.

Cleary is recognized as an Excellent Performer for Junior Satisfaction and The Elite for Mid to Senior Satisfaction in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Summer Program

Summer associates are free to explore the firm’s various practices. Although work is assigned on initial practice area preferences, participants have the flexibility to go beyond. “It’s a hands-on experience, you’re incorporated into the team, you’re attending the same meetings and doing the same tasks that first years will do,” insiders shared. Within it, there is an overseas rotation program which allows summers to spend four weeks abroad in another office. “I give this advice regardless, try out different practices and assignments, try to get a sense of the culture and what kind of people succeed in that group,” an associate advised. There are plenty of opportunities to socialize, which “in my experience created a social bond amongst my class across practice groups,” a rookie enthused.

Strategy & Future

Associates were quick to highlight the firm’s developing work with cryptocurrency clients and its growth in the AI space, something that partner Kyle Harris seconded: “We’ve also continued to invest in legal innovation and AI. We launched ClearyX back in 2022, then acquired Springbok AI, whose team became the base of our AI Acceleration team.” The firm acquired Springbok in March 2025, and we heard that the Springbok team will be working on custom AI builds across the different practice areas.

On that point, Harris adds: "We work with a variety of technology companies and public institutions to develop smart, safe legal AI innovations, and most recently we became a Founding Advisor for Stanford Law School's Frontier Technology Lab — also known as liftlab — to advance the use of AI and other technologies in the delivery of legal services."

Elsewhere, “one trend has been a very complex regulatory environment in the US, as well as around the world,” Harris explains, “That’s led to heightened antitrust scrutiny of transactions and general business conduct, and increasing attention to foreign direct investment laws and restrictions.” The result? “It makes for a pretty complex web of regulations that businesses need to navigate, and enforcement that businesses need to navigate” Harris adds, “but that plays to our strong suit, as we’re very strong in those practice areas.”

Growth-wise, the emphasis is very much on the States: “We want to maintain strength elsewhere as well, it’s just that the US is a particular growth focus for us. We want to grow particularly our corporate practices including M&A, capital markets and restructuring, as well as our regulatory practices, particularly antitrust and competition, and dispute resolution too.”

Read more from our conversation with Kyle Harris under the ‘Get Hired’ tab.

Cleary is recognized as an Excellent Performer for AI Integration in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

The Work

The practices at Cleary operate with centralized staffing for work assignment, which is run by attorney development managers. The ADMs were praised for being intentional about workload whilst keeping associate development in mind. Associates themselves are able to reach out and request specific types of work and experiences to build skills.

Cleary is recognized as a Strong Performer for Work Allocation & Autonomy in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Career Development

Our interviewees certainly felt that the firm had their backs when it came to their professional development: “Without a doubt! We do a lot of training and development across practice groups; the firm stands out for how much it invests in junior development.” Starting out, newbies spend some time covering the basics of business with a mini-MBA program. Thereafter the abundance of training continues with tailored practice sessions delivered by colleagues which “is super comprehensive.”

Litigators have a dedicated academy which tackles skills such as cross examination over two or three days, “it's real classroom style hands-on training.” There is also training covering soft skills such as how to give feedback and manage juniors as they progress. Associates also valued the support to attend conferences to build their knowledge externally.

“…there are a number of senior associates I’ve worked with repeatedly who have become mentors to me. They’re always keen to give feedback candidly and thoughtfully.”

Fresh-faced junior associates are paired with an associate mentor for day-to-day questions as well as a more senior attorney for career development advice. With an open-door culture, associates found that informal mentorship is commonplace too: “Working with people on teams, there are a number of senior associates I’ve worked with repeatedly who have become mentors to me. They’re always keen to give feedback candidly and thoughtfully,” a junior shared.

As for the path to partnership, sources agreed that if it’s a goal, “the timeline is clear around eight years. People are made aware in sixth year what they need to do if they want to be partner – it’s not a secret.” The firm has recently introduced a non-equity tier, which “makes it a little easier to make partner, it seems more attainable to me!”

Cleary also has an active internal alumni relations and career services team. “They want to make themselves known as a resource,” sources told us. Internally, the firm has career coaches that associates are able to talk about their options confidentially.

Cleary is recognized as an Excellent Performer for Career Development in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Hours & Compensation

A recent change has seen an all-in target of 1,950 – 2,150 hours, which is devoted to an associate’s development as a lawyer. This includes 1,800 minimum client billable hours, with the rest made up of pro bono, business development and firm citizenship efforts. Centralized staffing relieves some pressure “as it makes sure everyone hits around the same target. If you are slow, chances are the practice group is slow.”

Our sources indicated billing on average 40 – 50 hours a week but caveated that this is subject to ebbs and flows, as is typical across BigLaw. Of course, busy periods can see associates working late into the night. The market bonus isn’t tied to the billable target, although associates are expected to be in good standing and enter their hours in a timely manner to be eligible: “If you do that, you get your bonus!”

There are also additional bonus thresholds for those that go the extra mile. Associates are expected in the office Monday through Thursday and have the option to work from home on Friday.

Cleary is recognized as an Excellent Performer for Benefits & Quality of Life in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Culture

“It’s a really thoughtful place, it’s an intellectual culture – it attracts people who are smart, and maybe nerdy too,” insiders were quick to highlight, as well as those who are “globally minded.” According to our sources, the lockstep compensation model encourages a collaborative environment: “This culture comes from partners and seniors, it has been ingrained over time, and it permeates through the firm.”

“It’s a really thoughtful place, it’s an intellectual culture – it attracts people who are smart, and maybe nerdy too…”

Socially, associates are more than happy to get together and enjoy the low-stakes monthly wine and cheese social, open to all professionals at the firm. We heard that there is a ‘small dinner concept’ where a group of partners and associates go to a restaurant in the city which “is a good opportunity to interact more informally.” Other events include practice get-togethers and occasional retreats, as well as the typical seasonal events for the summers and, of course, the holiday party. There are also free Spanish and Portuguese classes for those who want to build up their skills, and sports leagues.

Cleary is recognized as The Elite for Culture in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Pro Bono

Associates are encouraged to complete at least 20 hours of pro bono a year, but with no limit on how much is counted towards their all-in target; many do more. In fact, if you do more than 100 hours of pro bono in a year, then you make the pro bono honor roll! With dedicated pro bono attorneys, weekly emails are circulated highlighting opportunities to get involved in, categorized as limited or long-term representation, and geared corporate or litigation experiences, making it easy to get involved.

“…it’s rewarding knowing that I can help, it’s great.”

Bitesize opportunities include helping out at legal clinics such as assisting non-profits and low-income small businesses; humanitarian immigration and asylum cases; civil rights and criminal justice reform; human rights protection; and amicus briefs. One litigator recalled stepping up on a pro bono project, “I’ve been interested in developing my drafting skills. That was an experience I wouldn’t have been able to get as a second year; I put a lot of myself into that brief.”

Inclusion

As one junior put it: “The culture is inclusive and considerate, so you can thrive regardless of background. It’s one of the reasons I choose the firm with its international nature; it gives the firm that cosmopolitan feel.” We were told that the firm’s affinity groups are robust and reflect different backgrounds, identities and common interests, providing the space to build meaningful relationships. Although another mentioned, “I think it’s a problem with BigLaw itself with issues around inclusion in the industry, but the firm is aware and is making efforts.” Sources felt positive about the gender representation and highlighted how “the associate pool is confident that growth will continue” with diverse representation across the board.