Cooley
3175 Hanover Street
Palo Alto, CA 94304
Palo Alto, CA 94304
(650) 843-5000
Overview
Introduction
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2022)
1.5K - 2K
No. of Partners Named (2022)
28
Featured Rankings
Vault Law 100
No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2021)
103
No. of Summer Associates (2022)
176 total (149 2Ls; 23 1Ls; 4 SEOs)
Base Salary
1st year: $215,000
Vault Verdict
About the Firm
2023 Vault Rankings
Associate Reviews
- “Attorneys at Cooley (partners and associates alike) take their work seriously, but do not take themselves too seriously. Folks here are smart, but not pretentious; driven, but not cutthroat; and sociable, but not fratty.”
- “Cooley has an extremely collegial and friendly work atmosphere. The workplace is very diverse and people from very different backgrounds seem to get along splendidly. There are various levels of social involvement without any social pressure to conform or participate in any activities. The firm is very egalitarian; staff and lawyers are treated equally respectfully, and respectful behavior is expected from all.”
- “After having worked at other top BigLaw firms, I can say Cooley is genuinely different when it comes to how they treat their employees. Collegiality and kindness isn't just encouraged, it is a baseline expectation when conducting yourself at the firm.”
Diversity at Cooley
"Cooley champions a diversity and inclusion strategy that is designed and implemented by a growing diversity & inclusion team and firm management, alongside key firm committees. Our three-pronged approach focuses on recruiting, retaining and promoting diverse talent across our firm. We engage and sustain these efforts through several innovative initiatives that drive career development, strengthen recruiting initiatives and promote acceptance and integration of diversity and inclusion as key priorities firmwide. From innovative..."
Getting Hired Here
- “The firm is very competitive with most graduates coming from top tier law schools, graduating top of their class. The firm also values clerkship experience, as well as prior work experience for those who come in laterally. Diversity is very important to the firm.”
- “We look for strong candidates with exceptional academic performance in law school, but the key for us is personality—does the candidate have that special something that makes them excellent team members and contributors to our firm culture.”
- “Academic performance, fit (talk about something interesting outside work), communication skills, work ethic, professionalism, leadership, initiative.”
Practice Area Q&A’s
Dena Chen & Cameron Vanderwall
Partner & Associate
Cooley
Laurie Bauer & Jacob Hanna
Partner & Associate
Cooley
Koji Fukumura & Jessica Valenzuela Santamaria
Partner & Partner
Cooley
Rachel Proffitt & Danielle Gershowitz
Partner & Associate
Cooley
