Duane Morris

With a sturdy national network and a supportive culture, this Philly export proves there is Mor to BigLaw than meets the eye.

About the Firm

Many law students worry that if they don’t fancy starting out their career in the concrete jungle, they’ll be doomed to a life of playing second fiddle to their classmates who do. Fortunately, this doesn’t have to be the case. With its origins firmly rooted in Philadelphia and an impressive smattering of offices nationwide, Duane Morris is proof that BigLaw and the Big Apple aren’t mutually exclusive.

“It was attractive for me that Duane Morris is in some smaller markets.”

“It was attractive for me that Duane Morris is in some smaller markets,” one associate explained of their draw to the firm. Aside from being present in the markets, the firm also receives accolades from Chambers USA for a range of practices across multiple states, including California, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Most notably, the firm receives top marks for its work in labor & employment in California, healthcare in Pennsylvania, and cannabis law nationwide.

Another particularly pertinent drawing point for many associates is the firm’s trial strength. “We have a really strong trial presence, so for students interested in going into trial work, we’re a really good opportunity,” said one insider. Indeed, nearly 50% of associates on our list are trial associates, with the rest spread across the labor & employment, corporate, real estate, intellectual property, private client, and health law groups.

Approximately half of associates on our list were based in Philadelphia, while the rest were split between the firm’s Chicago, San Diego, Fort Worth, Washington DC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Miami offices.

Summer Program

During the summer program, summers are assigned work through a centralized system where partners and senior associates can upload assignments. “This helped me narrow down what I wanted to do and work with a wide variety of people,” one participant told us, reassuring that “we got substantive work; it wasn’t all just doc review!”

Insiders also noted that mentor relationships developed during the summer program created “a really good support system for me even after I left the summer program. They really wanted to help us work out what we wanted to do and what we were interested in” ahead of joining the firm full-time.

Strategy & Future

“About 85% of our revenues are in five industry sectors,” firm chairman and CEO Matthew Taylor informs us, “In no particular order, that's financial services, technology, infrastructure, consumer products and services, and health sciences.” As such, the firm has “Big I” (I for industry) groups which bring together attorneys from different practice areas to serve various industries.

From the perspective of junior associates, the “Big I” groups “are really helpful in sharing expertise” between practice areas: “I’ve found so far the biggest connections between practice areas are between corporate, litigation, and IP.”

Every March, Taylor gives a presentation to associates on the firm’s recent performance and future goals. Associates also receive regular emails from management with updates on recent hires, firm strategy, and interviews with new clients. “With all that, I feel like I have a pretty good knowledge of what’s going on,” confirmed one associate.

Read more from Matthew Taylor under the 'Get Hired' tab.

The Work

In their first few weeks as associates, juniors are paired with a partner who assigns them work to get started. Associates can also find work through a centralized assignment system. Each practice has a global assigning partner and a regional one, and associates are encouraged to first reach out to the local one to source work.

Simultaneously, associates also receive ‘repeat’ work from partners they’ve previously worked with (assigned through the centralized system). “I like that kind of system,” an insider praised, highlighting that “especially as you get more senior, you have a little bit more control over the work you get.” Additionally, sources noted that “the centralized element means if you’re low on hours, there’s always someone you can go to” to source more work.

Career Development

Upon joining the firm, associates are paired up with a partner mentor and an associate mentor who is usually a mid-level. “The idea is that they were just in your shoes, so they’re able to provide advice close to what you’re doing,” an associate explained. Outside of the formal mentorship process, associates are also able to find informal mentors at the firm.

Mentorship is “a big selling point,” one associate mused, “The firm really emphasizes associates taking ownership of cases but at the same time they don’t just hang associates out to dry… they always have a partner or senior associate overlooking the work.” This includes receiving detailed feedback, “rather than just giving you a red line,” said an insider, “That’s something I really appreciate and has helped me grow a lot this year.”

“It’s a really good gig.”

More broadly, “the training I’m getting from partners is exceptional,” one trial associate told us, “They truly care and they’re investing a lot of time in me and it’s a really good gig.” Every year, the trial group has a training retreat for associates (one on the East Coast and one on the West Coast) which features presentations from experts, partners, and associates.

As for partnership prospects at the firm, according to insiders, “it is super clear from day one exactly what you need to do to pursue partnership; partners are very transparent about that.” Serious conversations about the steps needed to get there begin in year six.

Hours & Compensation

The consensus among interviewees was that the billable target was certainly achievable. “They definitely have the work for you to hit those hours,” said one, though they were quick to add that “they’re pretty good at making sure they don’t overload you,” too. “We’re BigLaw, but we’re not all gas no breaks,” shared one associate.

Ultimately, this pace is also reflected in compensation structures. “We’re not quite market,” said one interviewee. While some were content with their pay, others dotted around the regions would have liked their compensation to match that of the Philadelphia office. “I think it’s a tradeoff,” one insider concluded, explaining, “I think the firm is less strict as far as the billable requirement goes. For instance, if you don’t hit your hours, the consequences aren’t as harsh, but the tradeoff is we get paid a little less.” Upon hitting their hours target, associates receive a bonus. There are also additional bonuses for every 50 hours billed beyond the target.

Work/life balance received rave reviews from associates. “Across the firm, everyone respects our vacation time,” echoed multiple sources. Partners are also understanding and accommodating when it comes to personal commitments like childcare responsibilities: “I still work a lot of hours, but I feel a lot more in control of my time.”

Culture

As one interviewee was quick to point out, “when working long hours on difficult assignments having people that are good to work with is really important.” It’s a relief then that, according to insiders, “the people I’m working with day in day out are really fun people!”

The cohesive culture is perhaps a result of the firm’s social efforts. “The firm does a really good job at putting on social events,” reckoned one associate. In Philadelphia, these include a 'social hour' every other week and an associate breakfast and lunch once a month. Firmwide, there’s also an annual retreat – most recently hosted in Boca Raton. “It was a really good opportunity to meet people you might not have met in person before,” insiders reflected.

Pro Bono

Associates can count up to 100 hours of pro bono work towards their 1,950 billable target. “Immigration is a really big pro bono area for us,” highlighted one associate of the opportunities available. Our sources had worked on a whole range of other matters as well, including LGBTQ rights, domestic violence, guardianship applications, prisoner rights, criminal defense and veterans’ appeals.

Every week or two, associates receive an email from the firm’s pro bono team detailing the matters they can get involved in. For further opportunities, associates can also reach out to the firm’s dedicated pro bono chair. “The firm is very welcoming of you finding you own opportunities too,” a source noted. To help them get started, all first years are given a pro bono case to work on when they join the firm.

Inclusion

Our sources agreed the firm has a culture where associates feel comfortable raising any reasonable adjustments they may need with seniors and HR. When asked about inclusion, one associate said, “throughout the year there’s a push and discussions about those topics.” To give some examples, Duane Morris has disability resource groups and a mental health team which runs committees, provides mental health resources and counseling, and helps associates implement any adjustments they need.

The firm has an annual D&I retreat which anyone can sign up for and features guest speakers and dinners. With all this in place, it’s not surprising that sources agreed they “feel pretty well supported.”