Goodwin

For industry-focused work across the most innovative sectors, check out a firm so Good that it’s literally in the name…

About the Firm

If there is one thing that has completely taken over the news in recent years, it’s tech. From startups to artificial intelligence and biotech, hardly a week goes by without some innovation hitting the headlines. It should be no surprise then that aspiring attorneys are itching to get involved. As a result, some of our associate interviewees told us they chose to start their career at Goodwin because “I knew I wanted to do tech of life sciences work, and I wanted to go to a firm that was strong in those practices.”

Goodwin can back up its reputation, too. Just take a look at Chambers USA, where the firm is bestowed, frankly, too many gold medals in its Massachusetts homeland for us to list them all, so here are the highlights: corporate/M&A, intellectual property, life sciences, general commercial litigation, and securities and technology litigation. Nationally, it takes home trophies for life sciences, highly regarded privacy and data security, REITs, and startups and emerging companies – among many others.

“Everyone I spoke to seemed comfortable being authentic.”

But it’s not just high-caliber work drawing in new recruits. “Associates here are encouraged to have time and interests outside of work, and that was a big selling factor for me,” one junior told us. Luckily, “that continues to remain true.” Another described how during interviews, “everyone I spoke to seemed comfortable being authentic. Authenticity was something I was really worried about when stepping into the BigLaw world. It made me feel comfortable being quirky!” Goodwin’s got its juniors spread across the country in Boston, New York, San Francisco, Santa Monica, Silicon Valley, Washington DC, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia.

Summer Program

Summers are split into a business law pool or a litigation pool, and then respective offers will be in one of those two directions. On the social side, one said: “By the time I got to the end of it, I felt like I knew everyone. That lays the foundation for the rest of your time at the firm. It’s good to know your colleagues and the folks who are your peers so you can turn to them for clients.” Another laughed, “Who doesn’t like the summer program?!” There are, after all, opportunities for nice dinners. That said, it’s not all dinners and parties, this source caveated that “I did a bunch of work too!”

Strategy & Future

“We are excellent in everything that we do,” states managing partner Mark Bettencourt, "That is not because we are excellent in everything, it is because we have decided to be focused and only do things in which we can be truly excellent and truly world-class." This feeds into the firm’s industry-focused organizational structure.

“This past year, we have decided that we are going to focus in an even more intense way on certain industries that we've historically focused on: real estate, private equity, tech and life sciences" says Bettencourt. He continues: “We have redoubled our efforts to grow our healthcare presence and to really burnish our leading reputation as an investment funds platform.” In October 2025, Goodwin announced its annual turnover was $2.7 billion, an increase from $2.45 billion the previous year, showing that its strategy seems to be paying off.

There are townhalls every quarter and regular practice area meetings to keep associates in the loop. Associates also receive regular presentations and emails with updates on firm strategy, while the firm is adopting AI tools to assist with the day-to-day work of being an attorney.

Read more from Mark Bettencourt under the 'Get Hired' tab.

Goodwin Procter is recognized as a Strong Performer for AI Integration in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

The Work

During an associate’s first two years at the firm, all staffing must be approved by the department’s attorney development manager, who tries to ensure all juniors get varied opportunities and plenty of work. Our sources were pleased to tell us almost all staffing requests from partners are approved, and juniors can also ask the attorney development manager directly for assignments. They generally liked having this system in place, as one put it: “Knowing that someone is actively working in the background to keep you staffed and keep your plate full takes off a little bit of the mental load.”

For the first two years, associates are part of either the business law junior pool or the litigation junior pool, although the length of the assignment depends on the firm’s needs, and being sorted into a specific practice group can happen after a year.

Career Development

“Mentorship is one of my favorite things about the firm” was a sentiment we heard more than once. Juniors are assigned three mentors when they join: a mid-level associate, a senior associate, and a partner. Many also form informal mentor-mentee relationships with partners and colleagues they meet at firm events. Formal training at Goodwin looks like both firm-wide and department-specific sessions, generally both virtually and in person: “It’s nice to have that flexibility.”

“If there is somewhere I would practice long-term, it’s Goodwin.”

Associates told us it was clear what their necessary steps were to climb the career ladder. Every few months, there are townhalls on what associates need to do to make partner. More informally, seniors are happy to answer questions. “Everyone is supportive; they want you to stay at Goodwin and build a practice here,” so even though “there is attrition – it’s BigLaw! – if there is somewhere I would practice long-term, it’s Goodwin.”

Hours & Compensation

“You have to be intentional about meeting your billable requirement, but it’s manageable,” sums up the general feeling among our interviewees. The target “is treated as more of an expectation than an aspiration, but the firm is also sensitive to different macroeconomic and industry conditions” that might cause a group to have a slow year. “The important thing for Goodwin is you’re trying to meet your hours,” an insider concluded.

Juniors can count 25 hours of shadowing time towards the target. This can be used for training activities like shadowing a deposition, hearing, or client meeting, which helps rookies “get some experience on the client service aspect of our job” or “watch more experienced attorneys do what they do.” Up to 100 hours of culture and innovation time can contribute, but only if a threshold of 25 hours is passed. C&I time is a “very broad bucket,” encompassing recruiting, testing generative AI pilot programs and software, volunteering, helping with publications like the firm’s blogs, or conference preparation.

While associates felt there was a general respect for their time, there was also the expectation of always being readily available, with our sources frequently working into the evenings and on the weekend. That said, “coverage for vacation is typically easy to find.” Speaking of vacation, the firm’s Recharge on Goodwin scheme offers associates a holiday paid for by the firm (yes, you read that correctly!) if they meet their target hours.

Compensation meets market and is lockstep until promotion to of counsel. To get the bonus, associates must hit their hours target and “be in good standing” with the firm. There’s a “framework of things you’re supposed to do to be in good standing: how to act depending on your year and what is expected of you.” Additional bonuses can be given to high-flyers based on performance.

Culture

“I love the people at Goodwin; it’s nice to feel cared about as a person at the firm rather than a fungible billing unit,” enthused one junior, “People more senior treat you as a valuable member of the team.” Each office has regular social gatherings, but more informally, our interviewees told us they enjoy grabbing coffee or lunch with their colleagues.

“I love the people at Goodwin; it’s nice to feel cared about as a person…”

A “fun fund” is available for associates to spend on social activities with coworkers outside of work. “The beauty is you get to decide what you want to do,” previous examples including pottery classes, game nights, paint and sip evenings, dinners, yoga, and Pilates. So, “as long as it’s activity-oriented and community-oriented, it’s usually okay.”

Pro Bono

Trial associates highlighted that “pro bono work is highly prioritized, and it’s used as a way for junior and mid-level associates to get deposition and trial experience.” And it’s not only the trial offerings that are interesting, “the startup practice lends itself to corporate opportunities in the pro bono space,” one insider informed us.

Goodwin encourages attorneys to do at least 50 hours of pro bono per year by giving them a sticker: “People who have them are proud of them, because they stack up each year,” a source described, “they’re also very brightly colored, so they’re very easy to see!” There is no cap on pro bono, and some described it as a great avenue to pick up work when the market is slow.

Opportunities include asylum and immigration clinics, naturalization cases, criminal defense, civil rights in prisons, expunging criminal records, and corporate work with the Neighborhood Business Initiative. Some programs are specific to their local area, such as housing initiatives in New York City, and associates can also pitch their own projects to the pro bono team: “You have the option for the firm to sponsor your project and to work with other attorneys on that matter.”

Inclusion

“We still have inclusion networks, and they have always been open to everyone,” one insider told us. We heard the firm is trying to create “a place where employees still feel included, like their needs and being met and resources are available.” If they’re feeling overwhelmed, associates can reach out to the firm’s coaching team, who will “help you work through a plan that gets you to a point where you feel like the job is manageable.” Goodwin also brings in speakers to give talks on topics like how to manage your stress and mental health, and how to improve your sleep.