DC-based Steptoe & Johnson is drawn to candidates with clerkship or government experience, and the right personality is a must. The firm is dedicated to associate development, with early opportunities for challenges and genuinely invested partners. The associates at Steptoe & Johnson perform cutting-edge work on key legal issues while maintaining a good work-life balance and a reputation for keeping kindness at the forefront.
Total No. Attorneys (2021)
No. of Partners Named (2021)
Featured Rankings
No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2020)
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Base Salary
Kindness is key for those looking to join Steptoe’s team, but the firm also values diverse candidates with relevant work experience. Steptoe is a friendly place, and the firm supports this culture by funding social events, although many associates also regularly interact outside the office. Associates are kept up to date on firm health and finances, although transparency into promotion can be somewhat murky. Partners are respectful and treat associates as colleagues and associates appreciate this collaborative relationship. The firm imposes a 2,000 billable-hour requirement that associates find reasonable and a workflow coordinator ensures a fair distribution of work. Compensation is in line with the market, and associates find this to be generous, however there is some gripe abou...
Steptoe & Johnson LLP got its start representing the airline industry, as well as pipelines, railroads, and foreign companies whose assets had been seized during World War II. Today, the firm serves as counsel to a number of blue-chip clients and is routinely ranked among the top firms for international trade, insurance, tax, intellectual property, energy, white-collar criminal defense, and the ever-evolving arena of internet law.
Cavaliers Unite
In 1913, Philip Steptoe and Colonel Louis Johnson, both graduates of the University of Virginia School of Law, combined forces to form Steptoe & Johnson in Clarksburg, West Virginia. The match verged on cliché: a pairing of the introverted Steptoe with the extroverted Johnson, adept at politics and people. Johnson ag...