Sidley Austin

The auspicious Sidley Austin blends domestic and international outreach to deliver top-tier training across a spectrum of practices.

About the Firm

*The below is Sidley Austin's 2025 Inside View.

When it comes to BigLaw, it doesn’t get much more BigLaw than this: international outreach, top ranked practices, headline making matters – Sidley has it all. Of course, while positions at the top firms in the world are seen as a hot commodity, often attached is the stigma of the perceived cutthroat nature of the beast. It’s something that our interviewees took heavily into consideration when picking a firm. “The work is pretty similar across BigLaw,” one associate chuckled, “so I really thought about choosing somewhere I could go to work and be happy.” Insiders were pleased to report that at Sidley, this has rung true: “They have that positive culture, not being cutthroat” without compromising on prestige.

“It’s a place that’s doing really well – and that’s something that lets you do a lot with your career because of the opportunities it opens up…”

It's no hyperbole to say that “they’re strong in every practice,” so with many a law student unsure of which practice to specialize in, “it’s the perfect firm to go to and explore without missing out on certain groups.” Sidley Austin’s 133 (!) ranked departments in Chambers USA are a testament to its wide-ranging excellence, something that is foremost demonstrated in their top practices. The firm leads nationwide for its work in capital markets securitization (ABS & RMBS), energy transition, False Claims Act, financial services regulation, hedge funds, international trade, life sciences, private equity buyouts, as well as rail and aviation transportation. Sidley’s international side, with “offices all over,” also holds high positions in Chambers Global; the firm is market out as a global market leader in agribusiness and international trade, receiving high praise for its multi-jurisdictional work in investment funds (hedge funds). For many of the juniors we interviewed, “I don’t think I fully appreciated the metrics when applying, but it’s a place that’s doing really well – and that’s something that lets you do a lot with your career because of the opportunities it opens up…”

The firm’s nationwide reach extends beyond its accolades, with associates based all over the country. Most juniors on our list were based between New York and Chicago, with a substantial number in offices like Washington DC and Dallas.

Summer Program

Something that is actively encouraged, and something that was a draw for many of our interviewees, begins from the summer program at Sidley Austin. “Summer was great,” in part due to the general portal summers can choose their work from which means rookies aren’t forced to pick a specific group. “They make it clear that you can do work for any practice during the summer,” and though it’s a slightly different process than for associates, interviewees gushed that “Sidley still has a great free market system – you’re not just one associate in one particular practice.”

For insiders, this has helped to ensure that “the workload is pretty consistent,” because “you can get work from everybody. Being a full service firm, there isn’t a long coordinated procedure to reach out to specialists, even if you’re not on the same team,” an associate explained, “you even find yourself on calls with colleagues in places as far as Sydney! So, it’s great to work with people all over the world.”

Strategy & Future

Those we spoke with at Sidley felt the firm are “very transparent with our metrics,” and the firm’s strategy going forward. “The corporate group has meetings every month, and we have a quarterly associate meeting where one of the heads of the firm comes through,” one junior outlined, “where they run through what the different years are doing, different offices’ revenues and things like that, so that alleviates a lot of concerns.” Over the firm’s almost 160-year history, they have developed a strategy balanced between litigation, transactional, and regulatory practices, ensuring Sidley has all avenues to growth.

The Work

We heard that recently, the firm has also invested in tech to improve workload, introducing “a software where you put in your workload and how many hours you’re expecting to work, which is then send to the partners.” Interviewees highlighted that there is still direct allocation from partners to associates, but the new tools alongside group managers in some practices help to make allocation “more equitable, which can be essential for getting onto your first assignments.”

Career Development

Associates we spoke with were overwhelmingly positive about the firm’s approach to junior development, as “you know that almost everything you touch is going to be looked at before going out.” Beyond that, Sidley also places importance on formal training, including weekly training sessions run by attorneys, seminars, and mentorship for juniors. “The training shows you how each piece fits together,” one insider outlined, “but a lot of places will invest in you as an attorney; at Sidley, they recognize that there are different stages in our careers, so knowing and seeing that long-term path is very rewarding.” Associates are trained throughout their careers, and once they reach fourth year, they can take part in Built to Lead, a program that allows associates to take part in executive education programs at business schools, leadership academies, and executive coaching. “It encourages you to think about business development and engage with clients,” an interviewee commented, “and at the end, you get a mini-MBA!”

Our sources also highlighted that “there’s a lot of focus on alternative paths, not just on developing to be partner,” though we did hear that partnership feels achievable at the firm. Associates are invited to alumni events where “you can get to look up to extraordinary women in government positions, so I would laud the Sidley mentorship too.” The firm encourages active mentorship, “working with partners to write blog posts on client updates and things like that. They also fund coffee with partners, as well as lunches and dinners during the summer.”

Hours & Compensation

Of the 2,000-hour billable requirement for bonus eligibility, 200 of these hours can be dedicated to pro bono and time spent on firm contributions. “Obviously meeting 2,000 hours is always going to be demanding,” one insider warned, “having fluctuating hours – one week 30 hours, the next 100 hours – is a tricky situation, but I found it sustainable.”

Though the achievability of hours varied depending on the practice, one consistent pattern we found was that first and second years struggled more to get enough work, particularly in corporate due to the slower market last year. “The longer you stay, the more people know you, the more you get work – third, fourth, and fifth year averages are a lot higher,” another junior admitted. Billing above the requirement comes with compensation though – “they top you up for every 100 hours you go over” – so that, along with the base rate, interviewees were generally pleased with their compensation. There was some grumbling that “it doesn’t take into account where you live – Dallas is the same as New York for example,” but they did concede that “it’s equal compensation for equal work.”

“I like that you can have dinner with your family and not with your teammates!”

When it comes to working from home, “it’s not a requirement, but there’s an expectation to be in. People tend to come in three to five days a week anyway, which says a lot because I don’t think it’s highly policed.”

Associates also praised the general working culture where “you work in the office until like five or six, then work after dinner at home if you need to – I like that you can have dinner with your family and not with your teammates!” Of course, “you do get asked to stay up all might sometimes, but that’s fine because with all-nighters, partners will let other partners know you worked with them all night, so you can be decommissioned for the first few hours of the following day.” In addition, “there are no artificial deadlines, so it’s nice to know I can move things around with clear communication.”

Culture

Something that was reflected in all the associates we interviewed, across offices and practices, was their positive experience of the firm’s culture. “There’s this idea of how scary and demanding BigLaw is, working opposite other BigLaw firms,” one lateral outlined, but “while they might be tough in negotiating, the people here are really friendly.”

Of course, “the nature of legal work is often confrontational, but when I think of walking into the firm on my first day, they chose to treat me with kindness and invest in my growth and development,” another reminisced, “so I don’t think there’s a lot of patience for people who are unfriendly or unkind to others.” Sidley’s culture of “extending a level of grace” to juniors doesn’t stop seniors from “being honest when they need to be,” but the warm culture starts from the top. “It flows down to the associates, the staff,” one nodded, “I can go to any partner here and they’ll give me their time, even if it’s a partner from outside my practice.”

“It doesn’t feel competitive or cutthroat.”

Insiders told us they “felt at ease” as part of the team, and “I feel like there are increasingly positive relationships building with seniors and partners.” We heard that this was helped by the firm “incentivizing people really coming together,” with some offices hosting all-attorney lunches every Thursday. The cafeterias in the various offices allow for “a lot of cross pollination” between different practices. Across the board, associates echoed the sentiment: “I’ve had a fantastic experience – it doesn’t feel competitive or cutthroat.”

Pro Bono

Sidley’s allocation of 200 billable hours for pro bono work reflects the fact that “a lot of people do pro bono.” From the outset, “you talk with the pro bono counsel about what you’re interested in,” which helps newbies get set up with opportunities they’re more inclined to sign up to. The pro bono coordinator then sends out emails to associates showing what’s available, “and there are always a decent number of opportunities.” We heard that there is a particular focus on veterans’ rights – “that’s really encouraged” – as well as asylum cases, landlord-tenant disputes, and clinics like “the ARC clinic where you’re expunging criminal records, interviewing people in prison.” For those looking for more corporate leaning pro bono opportunities, the firm’s Emerging Enterprises program allows associates to help develop companies in different countries, offering legal services to set up LLCs alongside a partner.

Inclusion

The social side is also helped by the firm’s approach to inclusion, where associates felt that “there is an investment into it – both time and monetary investments; there’s a real sense that they’re making sure everyone is getting support.” Juniors felt the firm’s efforts stand out partly because “the partnership is pretty diverse, so there are different levels of people in the groups too – it’s not just one partner taking juniors out to lunch!” For insiders, “there’s an emphasis on inclusivity of people, practices, backgrounds, and experiences, so there’s a lot of thoughtful engagement."