Overview
Introduction
Locke Lord offers top-tier legal work in a laid-back, cordial environment. Lean staffing means early responsibility and experience for associates. With a number of women in leadership roles, the firm’s commitment to diversity shows in practice. Communication is key at this collaborative firm and the social culture transcends beyond the walls of the office. Those seeking to gain quality experience, project leadership, and the ability to move up the ranks should look no further than Locke Lord.
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2021)
500 - 750
No. of Partners Named (2021)
5
Featured Rankings
Vault Law 100
No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2021)
19
No. of Summer Associates (2022)
38 total (24 2Ls; 14 1Ls)
Base Salary
Base Salary (2022)
Vault Verdict
Locke Lord prioritizes prior work experience and looks to hire well-rounded individuals. Leanly-staffed teams create a close-knit and collaborative atmosphere. The attorneys often interact in the office and after hours, and the associates are happy with the firm’s efforts to promote this social culture. Associate/partner relationships are nothing short of respectful and mutually supportive—the associates feel like a valued member of the team and are regularly updated on the firm’s finances and performance. Work hours are reasonable considering the amount of flexibility the firm offers associates. Base salary is below market, so compensation is more heavily dependent on bonuses. Some associates wish the firm would be more of a leader in compensation, while others find this to be a ...
About the Firm
Locke Lord is a full-service, international law firm of 20 offices and about 650 attorneys in locations across the U.S., as well as in Brussels and London. Locke Lord has received numerous industry recognitions as a global leader in the middle-market sector.
A History of Mergers
Locke Lord can trace its roots to the founding of three firms in a seven-year period in the late 1800s in Boston, Dallas, and Providence. A couple of decades later, John Lord would open a firm in Chicago in 1914 and another predecessor firm would open in Houston in 1916. Nearly a century later, these predecessor firms began combining, beginning with the Dallas and Houston firms merging in 1999 to form Locke Liddell & Sapp, in what was the largest law firm merger in U.S. history to that point. ...
2023 Vault Rankings
Associate Reviews
- “The firm has a very friendly culture. There is a lot of cross-selling and collaboration. People genuinely like one another and get along well.”
- “The firm promotes social interaction between all law firm employees, which includes mentorship, career growth, and firm-sponsored events during and after hours such as lunches and dinners. Lawyers and staff interact on a daily basis.”
- “Welcoming teams that allow you to gain experience in multiple areas and have a high level of camaraderie.”
- “Close-knit and collegial culture; attorneys are laid back and don't take themselves too seriously.”
Diversity at Locke Lord LLP
"At Locke Lord, diversity and inclusion is one of the five core values articulated in the firm's Mission Statement and is integral to the firm's success. In order to have a healthy, successful workplace and provide clients with the highest-quality representation, our lawyers and staff must know that they are in a welcoming and inclusive environment where all perspectives are considered and everyone is given an opportunity to succeed. At Locke Lord, we know more than freeing ourselves from all forms of discrimination is not enough. We are..."
Getting Hired Here
- “I don't think Locke Lord is attracting true top talent. We seem to be able to attract the very top students from lower-tier, local law schools. But top students from top schools seem to be heading to other firms. At the end of the day, we seem to seek out smart, practical associates, especially if they have local ties to an office that make them more likely to stay long term.”
- “The firm has recently begun to prioritize prior work experience, and generally likes to know about prior jobs and the skills learned from those prior jobs.”
- “In litigation, they ask about experience running cases and responsibilities at previous firms (‘Have you run a case? Have you gone to trial? What were your trial responsibilities? Have you taken and defended depositions?’).”
- “I think Locke looks for people who are well rounded. From my perspective, we don't really have anybody here that is awkward or needs to hide in the back of the office at recruiting events.”
