Susman Godfrey
Visit Website: www.susmangodfrey.com
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Overview
Introduction
It doesn’t get better for litigators than Susman Godfrey. Junior associates are given immediate responsibility and are treated like future partners. And despite long hours, the firm is very social, and firm-hosted retreats are a notable favorite. Since its founding in 1980, Susman Godfrey has established itself as the nation’s premiere litigation firm. Susman Godfrey has more than 130 partners and associates across four offices—its original Houston location as well as offices in Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle. The firm handles...
Firm Stats
Total No. Attorneys (2021)
150 - 250
No. of Partners Named (2021)
6
Featured Rankings
Vault Law 100
No. of 1st Year Associates Hired (2020)
14
No. of Summer Associates (2021)
32 total (20 2Ls; 10 1Ls)
Base Salary
Base Salary (2021)
Vault Verdict
As a top litigation boutique, Susman Godfrey requires a federal clerkship (or two) in addition to a stellar academic record. The firm’s culture is very much work hard, play hard: It’s no secret that associates pull long hours, but they’re also a social bunch, and the firm’s regular retreats are a favorite perk. There’s not much ramp up time when it comes to the type of work associates do—from day one, they are expected to dive into all substantive aspects of a case, and many feel the work they do is on par with partners at other law firms. Formal training is minimal, because associates are expected to learn by doing, but partners and more-senior associates serve as willing mentors. Associates are thrilled with compensation, which includes an above-market salary and huge bonuses—pl...
About the Firm
Since its founding in 1980, Susman Godfrey has established itself as the nation’s premiere litigation firm. Susman Godfrey has more than 130 partners and associates across four offices—its original Houston location as well as offices in Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle. The firm handles huge cases across the country for both plaintiffs and defendants.
Susman Godfrey boasts blue-chip clients, such as Walmart, Chevron, KKR, NBC Universal, and General Electric, and has also won historic plaintiffs’ verdicts in class actions and for smaller entities, such as the $706 million verdict for HouseCanary in 2018.
Contingency Pioneers
In 1980, Steve Susman formed a Houston firm following his success in the Corrugated Containers case, w...
2022 Vault Rankings
Associate Reviews
- “Everyone is very friendly, and there is a sense that the firm is one big family. There's not as much social interaction during work hours., i.e., no one is going off for hour-long coffee breaks together. But the work atmosphere is very friendly, and the firm retreats provide great bonding experiences.”
- “Lawyers frequently socialize with each other outside the office. The firm also has attorney retreats and mini retreats, the latter of which include significant others. Both help develop a strong camaraderie.”
- “We operate through small trial teams. You get to know the lawyers on your team very well on both a personal and professional level. It makes for a fantastic work environment. Some of my close friends are partners at SG.”
- “I've been working remotely since day one, so it's hard to say what life is like when you're actually in the office. On the whole, though, I'd say that people at the firm are wonderful. Beyond being brilliant at their jobs, people are funny, friendly, and down to earth. There's a lot of socialization, even if it's over Zoom, and I imagine things will only get better once we're past this pandemic.”
Getting Hired Here
- “Clerking is a requirement for everyone. So the candidates that come in are already super strong on paper. The rest of the process largely turns on fit. There are certain feeder schools, but the firm looks closely at all applicants, and we have lots of people at the firm who came from non-feeder schools.”
- “SG is extremely competitive: We only hire applicants who clerked for at least one U.S. Circuit or U.S. District Judge with stellar academic records (and most SG associates have clerked at both the circuit and district level).”
- “Only hard requirement is that the candidate have completed a federal clerkship. Aside from that, the firm looks for strong credentials, positive recommendations, and a good interview. Diversity is a plus. No training is provided for interviewers.”
- “… Candidates usually come from top law schools, have law review experience, and have great grades. We're in the process of putting together more useful guidance for those who interview candidates and for ensuring that a sufficient number of partners are involved in the interviews.”
Perks & Benefits
