Firm Name: Paul Hastings LLP
Total number of attorneys: 1,000
Number of summer associates (2022): 82
Minimum billable hour requirement: No Requirement
How is the firm management organized?
Chair of the firm - Frank Lopez
Managing Partner - Sherrese M. Smith & Arun K. Bria
To learn more about our firm and the way we work, visit the About Us page on our website.
What are some of the most interesting new developments at the firm?
For the latest news regarding Paul Hastings, visit the News page on our website.
Please briefly discuss your firm's pro bono initiatives:
From the beginning, Paul Hastings has contributed to the communities in which we live and work through pro bono service, volunteerism, and charitable giving.
All Paul Hastings attorneys are encouraged to handle pro bono cases and matters and receive billable hours credit for doing so. In 2021, 97% percent of the firm’s U.S. lawyers performed 20 or more hours of pro bono work, and the firm provided more than 77,000 hours globally of free legal service to those in need. Paul Hastings collaborates with Bet Tzedek Legal Services and the Holocaust Survivors Justice Network, Kids In Need of Defense (KIND), Public Counsel, the ACLU of Southern California, Sanctuary for Families, and many other pro bono organizations around the world. Through these partnerships, our attorneys successfully represented children and families, veterans, immigrants and others and, as a result, made a positive difference in their lives.
The firm's charitable contributions reflect our culture of giving back to our communities by funding programs affecting a wide range of social causes including education, healthcare, children and family services, the environment, arts and culture, and pro bono services.
To learn more about our pro bono policies, initiatives and the organizations we support, visit the Pro Bono Matters page on our website.
Do pro bono hours count toward billing requirement or associate bonuses?
Yes.
ON THE JOB
Please describe training for new associates:
Our commitment to developing the expertise of our talent begins the day you join the firm and continues throughout your career. First-year associates are welcomed into the firm by participating in PH DNA (Paul Hastings Developing New Associates). PH DNA is the firm’s comprehensive learning and development experience for first-year associates. It combines all of a first-year associate’s core and legal training opportunities with a process to apply the learning in a meaningful way to one’ practice.
Global year-long Practice Academies offer in-depth learning on core legal concepts in various practice specialties. Each year the firm’s practice group leaders select over 200 Continuing Legal Education (CLE) and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) accredited training programs on a wide variety of basic and complex legal topics.
On-demand eLearning opportunities are available to all associates through our Attorney Development Website. The firm’s privileged membership with Practicing Law Institute (PLI) offers free, live and on-demand learning opportunities to all lawyers. Pro bono and secondment assignments are strongly encouraged for the development of associate knowledge and skills.
The firm supplements ongoing learning opportunities with targeted workshops and programs, addressing topics of interest including business development, practice skills, and career development planning. Among these programs is the annual Mid-level Associate Symposiumfor all fourth year associates. The Symposium communicates firm and department business strategies and links those strategies to associate development and advancement, increases the understanding of the partnership and alternative career options, and provides career development strategies to meet individual career goals.
Serving as the foundation for all professional and career development offerings is the firm’s Superior Performance & Coaching program, which informs all aspects of professional development at Paul Hastings by defining the behaviors critical to success. The program offers associates guidance and tools to help plan a personal career roadmap, demonstrate superior performance, and deliver excellent client service. Coaching is a vital component of this program and is available to the associates through local and global initiatives.
To learn more about our Attorney Development program, visit the professional development page of our website.
How are associates assigned to departments?
Associates are assigned to departments based on their expressed interest and the business needs of each department.
Please describe the firm's compensation package by year, including bonus:
The salary and benefits structure reflects the firm's long-standing commitment to providing a highly competitive and comprehensive package for its associates. Entry-level attorneys are compensated at a level commensurate with the local market.
In addition to salary, each entry-level associate receives a benefits package including a bar study benefit as well as moving and relocation expenses. Associates who are in good standing and meet their hours threshold are eligible for an annual merit-based bonus. Bonus awards are always at the top of the market, consistent with our competitive set, and are determined annually.
In recognition of a judicial clerk's experience, Paul Hastings provides a competitive bonus for a judicial clerkship and offers one year of compensation and class year credit to judicial clerks in the federal courts and the highest court of each state who join Paul Hastings immediately upon completion of their clerkship.
What perks and benefits do attorneys at your firm receive?
Associates are compensated at a level commensurate with their experience and on a scale with other major law firms within their geographic regions.
The following benefits are available to each Associate:
- 401(k) Retirement Plan
- 529 College Savings Plan
- Back-up Adult, Child, and Elder Care Subsidy
- Bar Association Fees
- Business Casual Dress Code
- CLE
- Credit Union Membership
- Dental Insurance
- Dependent Care Assistance Program
- Domestic Partner and Same Sex Spouse Benefits
- Employee Assistance Program
- Family/Dependent Care Leave
- Flexible Spending Account
- Health Advocate Support
- Health Club Membership
- Life/AD&D Insurance
- Long-term Care Insurance
- Long-term Disability Insurance
- Medical Insurance
- Milk Stork
- Mortgage Assistance, Financial Education, and Personal Banking Benefits
- Parental Leave
- Parking/Transportation
- Pet, Home, Auto, Legal Coverages
- Relocation Expenses
- Retail Stores and Regional Entertainment Discounts
- Short-term Disability Insurance
- Sick Leave
- Technology (laptop, PDA, etc.)
- Generous Paid Time Off
- Vision Insurance
The benefits described apply to U.S. offices. Please contact the Talent Acquisition and Development staff in one of our offices for more detailed information.
Does the firm offer maternity/paternity leave?
The Firm boasts one of the most progressive and generous parental leave policies in the market. Parental leave provides true parity for men and women, professional staff, and attorneys. With this benefit, all personnel, attorneys, and professional staff are afforded 14 weeks of fully paid leave to new parents. Birth-giving mothers receive additional time for childbirth recovery time for up to 22 weeks in the U.S. and 30 weeks in London. During this leave, we offer budget relief to timekeepers with no bonus impact. These policies are open to all parents including foster and adoption.
For returning mothers, we have wellness rooms in most of our U.S. offices, which have refrigerators, telephones, and computer stations. For returning mothers with offices, curtains and locks are available for installation to the extent that they are needed.
Our PH Balanced initiative often offers local ‘welcome back’ packages to new parents upon their return from parental leave; these welcome packages include best practices, local resources, key Firm contacts, and FAQs. PH Balanced also hosts local quarterly new parent lunches for support and candid discussion.
DIVERSITY RECRUITMENT
Please describe your firm's diversity recruitment and retention programs.
We partner regularly with law schools, colleges and universities, student organizations, job fairs, minority bar associations, and diversity organizations to achieve our diversity recruiting goals. In the past year, the firm participated in and/or sponsored the following diversity programs and organizations to recruit, retain, and support diverse attorneys:
- Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area Annual Dinner
- Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund Lunar Gala
- Asian Law Caucus Anniversary Dinner
- Asian Pacific American Bar Association DC Awards and Installation Dinner
- Asian Pacific American Law Students Association Mid-Atlantic Conference
- Berkeley – Diversity Placement Night and Reception
- Berkeley – Women in Business Law Panel
- Berkeley La Raza Law Students Annual Dinner
- California Minority Counsel Program Annual Conference
- Corporate Counsel Women of Color Career Strategies Conference
- George Washington University Alumni-Affinity Network Mixer
- George Washington Lambda Law Networking Reception
- Harvard Women's Law Association
- Human Rights Campaign: Atlanta Dinner, Chicago Dinner, Los Angeles Dinner, New York Dinner, San Francisco Gala, National Dinner (presenting sponsor)
- Iranian American Bar Association - LA
- Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies Gender Parity Conference
- LAALRA (Los Angeles Area Legal Recruitment Association) Annual Diversity Networking Event
- Lambda Legal: Liberty Awards Dinners, Spring Celebration
- Leadership Institute for Women of Color Attorney Conference
- Lesbian & Gay Lawyers Association Annual Awards Dinner
- LGBT Bar Association Lavender Law Career Fair
- Minority Corporate Counsel Association Diversity Honors Gala
- National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Annual Convention
- North American South Asian Bar Association Annual Convention
- Northwestern Women’s Leadership Coalition
- Out & Equal Workplace Advocates: Annual Dinner, Mix, Mingle & Give, Workplace Summit
- Ron Brown Scholar Program
- Thriving in the Legal Market: Diversity Reception and Panel for GWU, Georgetown, and Howard University
- UCLA Annual Law Firm Diversity Reception
- UCLA OUTLaw
- University of Chicago Law Women’s Caucus
- University of Georgia – Diversity Happy Hour
- University of Pennsylvania - Penn Law Women’s Association
- University of Pennsylvania Law Preview Scholars Program
- University of Virginia APALSA Career Night
- USC OUTLaw
- Women Corporate Directors: Global Institute, panels
- Women's Forum for the Economy & Society Global Meeting
- Williams Institute
To learn more about our diversity programs and initiatives, visit the Diversity page on our website.