Overview
Introduction
As the oldest BigLaw firm in Texas, Baker Botts gives attorneys exposure to a variety of high-caliber legal work—the icing on the cake is that it all happens in a collegial environment that fosters genuine friendships and organic mentorship.
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2021)
No. of Partners Named (2022)
Featured Rankings
No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2022)
No. of Summer Associates (2022)
Base Salary
Vault Verdict
Baker Botts is older than Texas itself, but don’t for a second think that means they’re behind the times—from tech to energy, the firm is doing cutting edge work across the board and is looking for bright, personable associates who are ready to keep up. According to associates, if you don’t take yourself too seriously, Baker Botts could be a great fit. The atmosphere is one in which people genuinely like each other, and associates appreciate that they can enjoy each other’s company without pressure to socialize extensively outside the office. Associates report that the work is substantive and exciting, and the 2,000-hour billable requirement is perceived as standard for the industry, tempered by the firm’s flexibility in when and where associates work. Associates are pleased with ...
About the Firm
With deep roots in the Lone Star State, Baker Botts has grown to become an international firm with 11 offices across the globe and more than 700 lawyers among its ranks. The firm fields sturdy teams in energy, environmental law, IP, litigation, and project finance.
All in the Family
Baker Botts was Texan before Texas was a state. The firm’s origins date back to 1840, when Peter Gray founded a firm in the land known then as the Republic of Texas. Gray’s first clients were agricultural interests—sugar, cotton, and timber—and the Southern Pacific and Union Railroads. About three decades after starting the firm, Gray handed the reigns over to Colonel W.B. Botts and James A. Baker (aka Judge Baker), who nudged Gray’s name off the firm stationery and began working as Baker & Botts. J...
Associate Reviews
- “The day-to-day atmosphere is professional, friendly, and collegial. Attorneys socialize together in firm sponsored events or after hours from time to time, but there is no facetime expectation for events outside of work. Breakfasts, lunches, coffee runs, and happy hours are more typical than dinners or late night events.”
- “With COVID still being an issue currently, the socialization is a bit less. But there are weekly lunch opportunities for attorneys to bond together over lunch. And there was a fantastic holiday party at the zoo which many people attended. In my practice group, we do not hang out after hours together. But there are other first-years whom I hang out with occasionally after hours. The day-to-day atmosphere is an environment of mutual respect among the attorneys and the staff. Everyone is nice and values everyone else's experiences and personal input.”
- “The firm has a good social dynamic, with attorneys enjoying each other's company outside the office, without feeling pressure to attend (e.g., associates with larger families tend to participate less in social events). Lawyers treat staff well and work closely with staff, from top to bottom.”
- “People genuinely like one another, and most are nerdy in a good/interesting way. There is definitely an air of collegiality, and there are people who make doing legal work fun.”
Diversity at Baker Botts L.L.P.
Getting Hired Here
- “Our firm is looking for bright, confident, self-starter types of attorneys who strive to create good work product and demand excellence of themselves and those around them….We do have interview training for our interviewing attorneys to try to eliminate bias of any kind.”
- “I think we are looking for smart people who don't take themselves too seriously. Associates here generally seem to be more relaxed than at other ‘higher ranked’ firms.”
- “....Diversity is valued, as is prior work experience and clerkships.”
