Bracewell
711 Louisiana Street
Suite 2300
Houston, TX 77002
Suite 2300
Houston, TX 77002
(713) 223-2300
Overview
Introduction
With approximately 350 lawyers across 10 offices—including two international posts—Bracewell LLP is a global firm with a range of practices. But the firm’s Texas roots are still as strong as ever, demonstrated by its strength in energy and four offices within the state. And if there was any doubt about its Southern roots, just ask the associates who rave about the firm’s friendly, hospitable culture.
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2022)
250 - 500
No. of Partners Named (2022)
4
Featured Rankings
Best Law Firms for Energy, Oil, & Gas Law
No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2022)
13
No. of Summer Associates (2022)
34 total (17 2Ls; 17 1Ls)
Base Salary
Base Salary (2022)1st year: $ 202,500
Vault Verdict
Demonstrating the hospitality and friendliness that Texas is known for, associates at Bracewell LLP consistently emphasize the firm’s commitment to facetime, to its people, and to work-life balance. They describe Bracewell as the sort of place where attorneys know each other’s families, and it is common to spend time together outside of the office. Associates boast of wellness initiatives that the firm invests real time, efforts, and resources into, and they report that these are relatively successful in alleviating some of the common stressors in BigLaw. Relationships between associates and partners are strong, and the firm has an open-door policy that promotes approachability. Associates enjoy the high-level, substantive assignments that are on their plates, which they can suppl...
About the Firm
With approximately 350 lawyers across 10 offices—including two international posts—Bracewell LLP is a global firm with a range of practices. But the firm’s roots in the Lone Star state are still strong as is demonstrated by its four Texas locations and its strength in oil and gas.
Hailing from Houston
Bracewell started as a glimmer in the eyes of four Houston attorneys (three of whom bore the surname Bracewell) in 1945. J.S. Bracewell, his sons Searcy and Fentress, and Bert H. Tunks established a practice that was quickly associated with Texas movers and shakers—Searcy Bracewell himself was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1947 and Senate in 1949. Harry Patterson joined in 1951 and ascended to name partner in 1966.
From the beginning, the fi...
Associate Reviews
- “The firm's culture is very collegial and friendly amongst both attorneys and staff. Management is very transparent with associates.”
- "Bracewell has a great culture. Lawyers interact both in and outside of the office, and often support each other’s hobbies, passions, and charities. The atmosphere within the firm is collegial, with lawyers and staff interacting daily."
- “Hard to say now because of COVID, but normally we are a relatively close office (socializing a few times a month as larger groups and also a few people getting together after hours). Definitely not every week, and not a ton of stuff scheduled. A lot of the attorneys have children and don't go out a lot, and the young associates are pretty small in number.”
- “The smaller offices are very close to each other. We all know each other’s families and spend time together at non-work events. You can definitely hole yourself off in an office if you want to, but the firm prioritizes a social culture and wants attorneys to be part of the ‘One Bracewell’ effort.”
Why Work Here
Bracewell is the ideal place to launch your legal career. Our open and collaborative culture ensures that you have opportunities to work on significant matters and have meaningful interactions with partners and associates from the moment you join.
We look for candidates who have distinguished themselves academically and actively participate in law school. Successful candidates possess a strong work ethic and are self-motivated. Given the firm’s collaborative culture, we value individuals who are team players and want to work together to provide innovative and sophisticated solutions to challenging legal issues.
Diversity at Bracewell
"Bracewell continuously champions diversity and inclusion, both within the firm and the legal community. Our shared diversity makes us stronger as a firm, giving us different perspectives that allow us to see the world more completely and better serve the needs of our clients. INTERNSHIPS: We participate in summer internship programs committed to increasing diversity. In 2019, our New York office sponsored an intern through the NYC Bar Office for Diversity & Inclusion's Summer Law Internship Program. In Houston, we sponsored two..."
Getting Hired Here
- “All of the traditional metrics (law school, GPA, etc.) are important. Unlike many other top firms, Bracewell also seems to emphasize personality and your ability to work with a team and get along well with others. As a result, most, if not all, of my colleagues are people I would enjoy getting a drink with almost any day of the week.”
- “Bracewell strongly prioritizes top-tier law students and top schools—it is a pretty high threshold to get through the first round of resume cuts unless you have something particularly spectacular on your resume. T14 or law review is almost a requirement. Then all that matters is the social aspect—i.e., whether they want to actually spend time with you and [think] you would be fun during the summer program and in the office. A great attitude goes a long way here.”
- “Recruitment strategies differ from office to office. In my office, the firm recruits almost exclusively at a small number of law schools in our region in which we have a strong reputation. We consistently recruit good candidates from these schools. Grades are important, but so is a demonstrated interest in the specialties practiced in our office. The firm has a short video about interviewing that generally covers how to structure the time and lead the meeting to make the most of it."
Practice Area Q&A’s
Andrew C.J. Bueso
Associate—Business & Regulatory Section/Finance Department
Bracewell
