Ropes & Gray

Prudential Tower
800 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02199-3600

Phone number: (617) 951-7000

Visit Website: www.ropesgray.com

Summer Program: Learn More

Overview

Introduction

A V20 law firm, Ropes & Gray has a seat at the table of the most elite law firms. The firm is known for its private equity chops, as well as its overall strength across legal practice areas. Training and mentoring are key to the firm’s collaborative culture, which has no room for egos. With 11 offices across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, Ropes & Gray is an international firm that prides itself in handling cutting-edge work. A regular atop legal industry rankings, the firm is adept at assisting clients in complex, hig...

Firm Stats

Total No. Attorneys (2021)

1K - 1.5K

No. of Partners Named (2020)

Featured Rankings

Vault Law 100

No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2020)

150

No. of Summer Associates (2021)

97 (77 2Ls; 15 1Ls; 5 SEOs)

Base Salary

Base Salary (2021)

Vault Verdict

Enthusiasm and a collaborative mindset will go a long way in interviews with Ropes & Gray, but—of course—a firm of its caliber also focuses on grades, prior work experience, and activities like journal. Diversity is a priority in hiring, and in addition to providing interviewers with anti-bias training, the firm has also adopted behavioral interview questions and the use of consistent questions across candidates. Associates describe the firm’s atmosphere as professional and pleasant—associates and partners get along, and partners are both approachable and interested in getting to know associates. These positive relationships lay the foundation for the firm’s culture of teaching—training is robust and useful, and partners are eager to provide feedback and mentorship. Ropes ...

Firm's Response

Ropes & Gray has built a reputation for outstanding work, a pragmatic approach, and impeccable service and ethics. Approximately 1,400 attorneys in the United States, Europe, and Asia collaborate seamlessly to provide the high-quality representation and uncompromising service that have made us a premier global law firm.

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About the Firm

With 11 offices across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, Ropes & Gray is an international firm that prides itself in handling cutting-edge work. A regular atop legal industry rankings, the firm is adept at assisting clients in complex, highly regulated industries like asset management, health care, life sciences, private equity, and technology.

From Boston to Worldwide

John Codman Ropes and John Chipman Gray, Harvard Law grads, founded the firm in Boston in 1865. The Great Depression saw the firm develop its bankruptcy practice, the New Deal sparked the firm’s labor practice, and the creation of the SEC added financial reports to its services. By the 1960s, the firm had grown to nearly 75 attorneys. Today, the firm is home to more than 1,400 lawyers in office...

2022 Vault Rankings

#18

Vault Law 100

#1

Best Law Firms in Boston

#2

Best Law Firms for Formal Training

Associate Reviews

“Ropes has a collegial culture with no sharp elbows. Partners and associates are collaborative and always willing to help across matters. Associates get along well and often socialize outside the office.”
“Professional, courteous, collaborative, and pleasant. My practice group has (under normal circumstances) a weekly tequila happy hour where we gather, play put-put outside the partners' offices, and mingle at the end of the week. Very relaxed and casual, and folks from other groups drop by from time to time.”
“We have a great teaching culture, where even in the work-from-home environment, senior associates and partners truly care about helping [you] understand transactions and new topics.”
“Most people at the firm are incredibly kind and thoughtful. They try to organize social activities and other ways for us to interact as a firm on different levels. Lawyers and staff interact very well together. The day-to-day atmosphere is very pleasant.”
“Smart lawyers who you don't mind being trapped in an elevator with.”

Why Work Here

Practicing law at Ropes & Gray puts you at the forefront of the legal and business developments shaping the industries that are transforming our world and creating new opportunities daily. Whether you’re starting or furthering your career, you’ll handle exciting, innovative work for an impressive roster of leading global clients. You’ll also hone your professional skills with a training program regularly recognized as the finest in the industry. Just as important, you’ll enjoy the benefits of our renowned collegial and collaborative culture.

Diversity at Ropes & Gray

"At Ropes & Gray, diversity and inclusion is an essential part of the firm's identity, and its commitment extends over several decades. To advance those efforts in the new decade, in early 2019, the firm hired an experienced Director of Diversity & Inclusion, Kia Scipio, from Fish and Richardson. Kia works collaboratively with the firm's diversity committee and its senior leadership, which includes the policy committee, practice group leaders, leaders of the affinity forums, and the directors of legal recruiting, professional development..."

Read the Diversity Report

Getting Hired Here

“The firm has made efforts to standardize questions asked by the same attorneys—so if you ask to one interviewee you ask to all others—to eliminate potential bias.”
“I think the firm looks for people can bring in a multitude of skills, but prior work experience can help, as well as clerkships. The top law schools are definitely feeder schools as well as local brand name programs, i.e., Fordham in NYC. There is a general program about the types of question to ask and what the most helpful writeups look like. For those going into litigation or restructuring, journal and clerkships are helpful. High grades are definitely important, but the firm values people who are collaborative in nature.”
“The firm does have training for interviewers, particularly anti-bias training. Historically, the firm has recruited from elite law schools (or accepted top students from Tier 2 schools), but I have noticed an increasing emphasis on building out the associate ranks with laterals willing to commit to a high-demand practice area. Enthusiasm and professionalism are emphasized over concrete substantive knowledge for more junior hires, both those coming directly from law schools and laterals.”
“The firm is looking for candidates with strong academic credentials that are also kind and thoughtful people to work with. The firm places an emphasis on diversity throughout the hiring process. Within the Boston office, Boston-area law schools tend to make up a large number of the summer associates (e.g., Harvard, BU, BC, Northeastern), but the firm hires from top schools nationally for all offices.”