Mintz Levin

With standout practices across its three key areas of corporate, litigation, and IP, this Boston veteran proves it’s still in mintz condition…

About the Firm

“I was really interested in joining a firm that was based in Boston and had a huge history in Boston,” one associate began when asked the all-important question of ‘why Mintz?’ They added: “I was really attracted to the idea of a firm that had strong roots in the city and connections and lots of action here.”

“I was really attracted to the idea of a firm that had strong roots in the city and connections and lots of action here.”

With the firm fast approaching its 100th anniversary, it’s certainly no exaggeration to say it’s a stalwart member of the Boston legal scene. Indeed, for Mintz, Boston is more than just an office location; the firm is actively involved in the local community, whether that’s through its pro bono initiatives or supporting schemes like the Boston Lawyers Group, an organization that creates opportunities for lawyers of color.

But don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s all about Boston! “We continue to invest in having as many talented resources as we can spread across our footprint,” says Michael T. Renaud, Chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Division, when we sit down for a chat about the firm’s strategy. “The focus isn't to avoid Boston, but to be more active in the other locations,” he says, those other locations being Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Washington, D.C, and Toronto. This approach seems to have paid off, if associates’ enthusiasm is anything to go by; for example, we heard from keen recruits that the firm’s San Diego outpost is not just “a satellite office,” but a hub in its own right for attracting new talent.

Mintz’s approach is also paying off through a suite of high rankings in our sister guide Chambers USA, both on its home turf and further afield. To limit ourselves to a few highlights, the firm achieves the top band in Massachusetts in construction, immigration, insurance, and public finance. Nationwide, it’s also ranked in areas including intellectual property (Section 337), life sciences and startups & emerging companies, reflecting how many of the firm’s clients are in the tech and life sciences space.

Mintz is recognized as The Elite for Junior Satisfaction in Boston in our 2026 associate satisfaction survey.

Strategy & Future

At a time when many competitors are pulling out of the patent prosecution and patent litigation space, Mintz is investing in this area. “One of our trends is to invest heavily in growing IP,” says Renaud. “But, notwithstanding our real significant growth in IP, we're still a litigation powerhouse. By way of example, about 40% of our revenue comes from litigation. We're continuing to grow the big three areas: corporate, litigation, and IP.”

“The firm expects that its associates stay and develop there, so they’re very willing to keep an open dialogue about the strategy and future of the firm.”

As it grows, the firm is mindful of the need to keep associates updated and on board with its plans.Each quarter, the managing partner holds a meeting with associate representatives where these reps get to ask questions and raise any concerns from the wider associate community, while there’s also a biannual meeting where all associates can join and submit anonymous questions. Similarly, the firm does a ‘state of the firm’ review a couple of times a year, when firm management visits each office and talks about the firm’s goals and how it’s doing. “The firm expects that its associates stay and develop there, so they’re very willing to keep an open dialogue about the strategy and future of the firm,” reckoned one associate.

Read more from Michael T. Renaud under the 'Get Hired' tab.

Summer Program

Mintz developed its nine-week, Boston-based program to fit this emphasis on keeping hold of and developing talent. “It doesn’t have a huge summer class it hires, because it expects people to stay,” one associate told us. Camaraderie among this select cohort is helped along by how the summers typically sit together in a large conference room while they do their assignments, as “you can build those relationships a little better than if you were walled off in an office.” That said, the program is expanding its horizons, because – in an exciting development – this year will see the Mintz summers starting in New York for the first time.

As for the content of the work, this is taken from either the corporate, the intellectual property, or the litigation practice throughout the whole program. For example, summers in the corporate team do a simulation exercise where they roleplay a full M&A transaction from start to finish. “I really learned a lot,” said one previous participant. “You really get down into the weeds of things, things that you may not know about until you’re halfway through your first year or second year.”

The Work

Mintz operates a hybrid staffing system. In most departments, associates are assigned their first projects. From there, they’re expected to build relationships with seniors and tend to get most of their work that way. A centralized system is in place in the background for when associates have spare capacity to fill. Several sources did feel that their workload nonetheless remained erratic and unpredictable, which was stressful at times; “What I wasn’t expecting was the ebb and flow of it,” one reported, while another regretted that juniors “don’t have much control” over how busy they are. Nonetheless, others judged that the firm’s approach suited them overall. “It’s a natural flow of how you get work, which is nice because you develop relationships and can work on things with people you really enjoy,” said one corporate attorney. “To me, it’s the best of both worlds; it’s not always perfect but it works well 90% of the time.”

Career Development

Newbies receive both a junior mentor and a senior one. The senior mentor is also known as the “writing mentor” because they’re the go-to person for helping with drafting. There’s also a more informal mentoring program where once a month the mentor and mentee can go for a chat over lunch – paid for by the firm!

“I feel like it was quite unique in how much we were encouraged to learn some of the fundamental things as first years and had time set aside for us to do that.”

“I was really impressed by the training set up for us. It almost felt like a continuation of law school in some ways,” said one insider. For example, some departments run training programs where juniors follow a set program of study, complete with a textbook and homework. “I feel like it was quite unique in how much we were encouraged to learn some of the fundamental things as first years and had time set aside for us to do that,” the same source added.

If you’re worried that this sounds a bit too much like handholding, then rest assured that Mintz also encourages associates to tackle real responsibility early on. As Renaud puts it, “if you're ready to do the job, we would like you to step up and become part of the high-functioning members of the team right away.” For those who really thrive, the path to partnership beckons. Mintz operates a tiered partnership model: to become an equity partner, attorneys must first become a non-equity partner. Some associates did feel that the full route to achieving this – or alternative lateraling options – hadn’t really been made clear to them. Nonetheless, support is available: the firm has a third-party coach who works with associates on weighing up their options.

Hours & Compensation

The firm has an annual target of 2,000 billable hours, although this is effectively 1,900 hours, as associates can include up to 100 hours of pro bono, training, diversity, and recruiting activities towards their target. The firm pays market rate and matches the Cravath scale for bonuses. “Every Boston firm might not be on the New York scale; I think it’s really good that Mintz does that,” observed one junior. This year, the firm didn’t match the scale’s special bonus, but there are additional bonuses for those who hit 2,200 and 2,400 hours.

As mentioned previously, the fluctuation in associates’ workloads can be challenging at times. However, when asked about how they managed hectic schedules, an associate reassured us that “The firm has lots of different layers of protection to make sure I’m not overwhelmed.” For example, the people who run the central staffing system keep an eye out for who’s very busy at any given time, and we heard that seniors are also willing to give juniors a lighter workload following a particularly busy period to help them recover. Associates should be in the office three days per week.

Inclusion

“Diversity, equity and inclusion are core to our firm and we haven't stepped back from that commitment,” says Renaud. This approach was popular with juniors. For instance, one told us: “When the political culture was shunning it a bit, Mintz didn’t change its tone and I appreciate that.” The Women’s Initiative is particularly active. As one example, it hosts a monthly lunch where attendees can get to know colleagues from other practice groups who they might not otherwise meet.

“You’re allowed to sign up for whatever affinity group speaks to you, whether you identify as part of a group or an ally,” one associate reassured us. Besides the Women’s Initiative, there is also the Mintz Pride group focused on LGBTQ+ lawyers, and additional groups for parents and various ethnic communities. Every year there’s a retreat for the MIATTY group, which is focused on ethnic diversity, where everyone involved travels to attend a large conference.

“It’s not like people are at each other’s throats trying to get work.”

Culture

“It’s not like people are at each other’s throats trying to get work,” one associate in the Big Apple told us. “It’s definitely more laid back. Especially for New York, that’s surprising.” While every law firm will market itself as friendly and welcoming, potential recruits are often unsure if these claims really hold up. Well, we’re pleased to be able to report that associates across the firm’s offices (not just New York!) found Mintz to be an authentically pleasant place to work. “Other associates will stop by to ask what you’re working on. They genuinely want to know how you’re doing,” shared one junior.

More generally, associates told us: “There is a sense of ‘we all are working towards the same goal, so let’s not make each other’s lives hard’. There’s less of this tough love that’s maybe part of the stereotypical BigLaw culture.”

Pro Bono

Attorneys can attend clinics where they give members of the public legal advice, including clinics for victims of domestic abuse, for veterans, and for women-owned and black-owned startups. Some attorneys work with a women’s reproductive health center and others do criminal record sealing. There are also various opportunities related to immigration. “Because pro bono hours count towards your target, up to a certain amount, it makes it easier to prioritize that even as billable things are happening,” said one insider.

Our sources were big fans of the firm’s head of pro bono, Sue Finnegan, telling us that “she’s an amazing attorney and person, so it’s cool working for her.” Sometimes seniors ask juniors if they would like to help out on matters, and juniors get staffed on pro bono that way.