Beveridge & Diamond, PC
1900 N Street NW
Suite 100
Washington, DC 20036
Suite 100
Washington, DC 20036
Phone number: (202) 789-6000
Visit Website: www.bdlaw.com
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Overview
Introduction
Nature lovers, look no further: Beveridge & Diamond is consistently rated the top firm for environmental law, which is not surprising given that the first administrator of the EPA was a founder. The firm has literally helped shaped the law, and its expertise includes environmental law, natural resource law, land use, and litigation. Government and corporate clients alike reap the benefits of the firm's specialties in ADR, high-stakes environmental and commercial litigation, toxic torts, and white colla...
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2021)
No. of Partners Named (2021)
Featured Rankings
Top 150 Under 150...
No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2020)
No. of Summer Associates (2021)
Base Salary
All offices...
Vault Verdict
Beveridge & Diamond seeks well-rounded, highly credentialed candidates with a demonstrated interest in environmental law. The firm has an inclusive, collegial culture, but the level of social interaction outside of work hours varies significantly by office. Partners treat associates as equals and teammates and are willing to provide feedback and mentorship when associates seek it out. Associates also get feedback through semi-annual performance reviews. The billable-hours requirement is manageable at 1,800 hours/year, and associates are pleased with the firm’s efforts to manage workflow via a committee. Some wish compensation was higher, but associates also acknowledge the trade-off of working at a firm that embraces flexibility and a better lifestyle. Bonuses at the firm ...
About the Firm
Borne of the EPA, Beveridge & Diamond has developed in symbiosis with significant environmental legislation throughout the last quarter of the 20th century and early 21st, giving its clients insider access to the complexities of environmental law, natural resource law, land use, and litigation. Government and corporate clients alike reap the benefits of Beveridge & Diamond's specialties in alternative dispute resolution, high-stakes environmental and commercial litigation, toxic torts, and white collar defense.
EPA Roots
In 1974 a group of lawyers that included Bill Ruckelshaus, the first Administrator of the EPA; Henry Diamond (1932-2016), the first Commissioner of NYS Department of Environmental Conservation; and name partner Albert J. Beveridge III formed a firm ...
Associate Reviews
- “The firm is social and accommodating of diverse viewpoints and social preferences. I find the culture to be very welcoming, inclusive, and engaging. There are monthly birthday gatherings, monthly attorney brown bag lunches, monthly associates' meetings, regular practice group meetings open to everyone, women's initiative meetings, diversity and inclusion committee meetings, fundraising events, moot court coaching events, staff appreciation outings, regular associate activities, mentoring families, inter-office travel budgets, monthly firmwide newsletters and life event announcements, and regular retreats. I believe there is also a book club.”
- “I socialize with the other associates in the office, but our office is a regional office, and we do not socialize much besides firm-sponsored activities (holiday parties, summer parties, retreat). But we all catch up in the office.”
- “The firm generally has a friendly and casual atmosphere, which is eased by our relatively small size. Partners and associates interact often without a sense of strict hierarchy or formality, even while pushing through serious projects. Associates seem to socialize regularly, but it's not a hard-partying type of place—most people seem to have a healthy life outside of work. Politically, most people tend to be liberal while taking a pragmatic approach to working with industry on environmental issues.”
- “Collegial, professional environment. Not a lot of socializing outside of work.”
- “I feel very well respected and [well] treated by individual partners, who do not generally expect late night or last-minute weekend work, give helpful and constructive feedback, and have all so far been easily approachable with any questions I've had. Semi-annual performance reviews are well run and present a good opportunity for feedback and discussion of any hopes or concerns on the associate's part.”
- “There is a high level of respect between partners and associates. Transparency in firm decision-making is pretty black box.”
- “Associate/partner relations are good. Transparency is there—[you] just need to ask. Reviews are biannual.”
- “Billable-hour requirements [are] somewhat lower than BigLaw, and the difference it makes is huge. Everyone I've worked with, from first-year associates to shareholders, seems to have a healthy life outside of work, while also working really hard. There is certainly no lack of work to be done! Most people seem to put a couple hours in in the evenings or on weekends from home, but it's rare to see someone staying late at the office.”
- “Workflow has been very busy recently, but I was able to successfully request additional associate staffing to better meet demanding deadlines. I have a lot of flexibility in where and when I work and feel work is evenly distributed. There is a committee to facilitate and manage associate staffing, and they have been a great resource for funneling interesting work or helping identify more resources if things become too demanding to juggle.”
- “Associates are expected to bill 1,800 hours per year, with up to 100 hours of pro bono work counting toward that. Additionally, associates are expected to do 200 hours of marketing work, such as writing client alerts for the website, attending conferences, or helping to run client events. The consequence for not meeting the billable hours requirement is not getting an hours-based bonus.”
- “This job pays well and there are good opportunities for bonuses, but it is not quite as high as some other top-tier firms. I am unsure how much compensation changes with partnership, but to me, the non-monetary qualities of this firm matter a lot, and I wouldn't trade those out for more money (lifestyle, collegiality, career development).”
- “We are paid less per hour than BigLaw associates, but the lower hours expectation and work-life balance makes up for that. The firm pays an hours-based bonus for hours worked beyond the annual requirement, as well as less transparent ‘merit’ bonuses. The health insurance plan options are very good.”
- “Billable hours bonuses are incremental and achievable if desired.”
- “The assignments vary quite a bit, but, in general, there is always a strategic element to the work we do. There are good research and writing assignments and plenty of different cases to work on, whether in the regulatory field or litigation.”
- “I spend a large majority of my time on substantive legal work appropriate for my level.”
- “Most of my time is spent researching and drafting highly substantive arguments for litigation, as well as helping craft legal strategy. I also work in governance, and have had many opportunities to directly counsel clients on regulatory compliance issues. I feel the nature of my assignments is commensurate with my experience and abilities.”
- “We have some fitness competitions but I am unaware of other wellness initiatives. Overall, the firm is supportive of the personal needs of the people that work there including offering part time options for any reason.”
- “The firm covers a portion of any fitness-related monthly expenses to encourage wellness, offers employee counseling benefits, and has a wellness event a few times a year. The firm encourages group efforts (i.e., a running event during the retreat) and recognizes wellness achievements in the monthly firm newsletter. I believe there is a Jenny Craig (or something similar) program, and there was previously a step tracking program.”
- “Training generally happens on the job.”
- “The firm provides formal mentoring through ‘families’ in which associates and partners are grouped to support each other. We also have a partner who oversees a formal professional development track for associates that involves regular mentoring and training. There is an Associate's Workflow and Development Committee that provides additional mentoring and resources on a more ad hoc basis. Many partners are available for informal mentoring, sponsorship, and providing shadowing opportunities. The firm develops and routinely offers internal courses for staff, paralegals, and associates on a variety of procedural and substantive topics that come up often in our practice (we call it the firm's ‘University’). The firm has a generous budget for additional external CLEs and other legal training, as well.”
- “Mentoring can be amazing if you seek it out.”
- “There is [a lot] of sponsorship and mentoring and lots of training opportunities that you can take advantage of but I don't believe are mandatory. We have a firm ‘university’ and individuals provide feedback. We have a checklist of skills to acquire and career development plans to create and implement. We can attend training sessions, CLEs, and conferences as well.”
- “Most associates who would like to become a shareholder (make partner) realistically seem able to do so. Associates not looking to become shareholders may also opt to become counsel. Associates who leave the firm seem to frequently find opportunities in-house, with government agencies, or even in academia.”
- “I see promotion to partnership a realistic goal for those that desire it and are willing to put in the work. Other associates have left for other law firm positions or excellent in-house positions at some of the best and biggest companies in the world.”
- “Absolutely possible for those who want to become a partner to do so. I think exit opportunities are the usual for folks coming from firms if that is no longer a good fit for them.”
- “Promotion to partnership is realistic (the firm is not up and out). The firm is flexible on the time to partnership in individual circumstances and wants to transition senior associates when they are most prepared for success. … Associates are given [secondment] opportunities with clients and are recruited to in-house positions as a result, or are recruited into a government role. Some associates have lateraled for a variety of reasons. It seems most associates stay and become partner.”
- “The firm does a lot to foster and encourage pro bono opportunities. We can count 100 hours of pro bono service towards our billable-hours requirement, and more in certain circumstances. The firm recognizes pro bono successes on equal footing as our billable successes. I have a few pro bono matters involving immigration (the firm provides a lot of pro bono immigration work) and providing corporate compliance counseling to a food waste reduction nonprofit.”
- “The firm is clearly committed to pro bono work, with several shareholders and associates serving on boards or management teams as local non-profits and many attorneys—shareholders and associates both—working on pro bono matters. The pro bono opportunities are largely immigration and employee and LGBT rights cases, though other opportunities also exist. I currently represent a transgender man seeking asylum.”
- “[The] firm does a lot of immigration pro bono work [and] will usually credit pro bono time above the 100-hour cap upon request. [We are] able to use assistants and paralegals for pro bono work.”
- “The firm is very committed, as a whole, to pro bono but it's harder for those in regional offices, at least in my office, to break into the culture.”
- “The firm spends a lot of time and resources fostering diversity with respect to hiring, promoting, mentoring, and retention of diverse individuals. We achieved Mansfield Plus Certification and are committed firmwide to continually improving.”
- “Very proud to have an awesome chair of the firm who is also African American. B&D puts a lot of effort into supporting diverse affinity groups. Diversity is weighed heavily during recruiting.”
- “The firm is making real efforts to improve diversity among associates, shareholders, and leadership. I believe that the past few associate classes have been majority female and/or people of color, and firm leadership is primarily women and people of color. The parental leave policy is good, though it does not match the burgeoning trend seen at larger firms.”
Diversity at Beveridge & Diamond, PC
"Our firm's founders envisioned a law practice that not only accommodates but also values and celebrates differences of personal background, intellectual perspective, and opinion. In the 46 years since our founding, we have attracted and retained a diverse group of talented lawyers and staff who affirm these values on a daily basis. These differences make us a stronger group and provide better results for our clients. Today, more than half (53%). of our lawyers are women or minorities, and 30% of our principals are women. From..."
Getting Hired Here
- “Like any law firm, we try to get the best of the best, tailored to our niche environmental practice area.”
- “We definitely care about law school attended and grades, but we also highly value experience. Work for EPA, DOJ, state environmental agencies, in-house, etc., is heavily favored. We also weigh diversity heavily.”
- “The firm is very competitive in hiring and wants the best. Law school attended, grades, journal experience, clerkships, [and] prior work experience are regarded cumulatively (one element does not make or break an applicant). Diversity is very important, as is personality. And it is important to demonstrate a commitment to environmental law.”
- “There are no ‘feeder schools.’ A demonstrated interest and prior experience in environmental law is arguably the number one criteria for hiring. Graduating at the top of the candidate's respective law school class is also important, particularly for junior hires.”
- “I don't know of anyone that asks questions that should come as a surprise: Why B&D? Tell me about X on your resume? Why mid-law? How did you develop an interest in environmental law? What type of environmental law do you want to practice? Strengths? Weaknesses? An obstacle you've overcome?”
- “How do you respond to pressure? How comfortable are you presenting or speaking before a judge? Describe a time when you had to overcome adversity.”
- “Questions try to gauge life experience, environmental law interest and understanding, commitment to values of the firm, and work ethic. Often we ask applicants what they like about environmental law. … [W]e want to see how well the applicant understands the nature of our work and the variety of ways in which we serve to protect the environment. In my experience both as an interviewee and now an interviewer, we do not hide the ball and interviews tend to have fascinating discussions.”
Practice Area Q&A’s
Nessa Horewitch Coppinger & Anthony Papetti
Principal & Associate
Beveridge & Diamond, PC
Madeleine Boyer & Dacie Meng
Principal & Associate
Beveridge & Diamond, PC
Perks & Benefits
