Kirkland Megathread Forum

[Anonymous User]

Recent lateral. When the market paid spring/summer bonuses, did KE make separate payments throughout the year like everyone else? Or were they all folded into the end of year (with a disappointing multiplier)?

[Ultramar vistas]

Recent lateral. When the market paid spring/summer bonuses, did KE make separate payments throughout the year like everyone else? Or were they all folded into the end of year (with a disappointing multiplier)?

Same as everyone else.

[Anonymous User]

On the lighter side of things, now that people are going back into the office, how are the office amenities/perks (cafeteria, gym, etc)?

Concierge "plan your child's birthday" service aside...

[Anonymous User]

On the lighter side of things, now that people are going back into the office, how are the office amenities/perks (cafeteria, gym, etc)?

Concierge "plan your child's birthday" service aside...

In DC, the food is free. Pre Covid, there were free light breakfast items and subsidized cafe for lunch ($8 for a decent meal). So that’s a plus.

I believe CH is building a brand new office that will be gorgeous once completed. DC was a new build in 2019.

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard if firm committee is considering pushing the RTO date again given the latest covid surge?

[Anonymous User]

How railroaded are you in terms of practice area as a summer/1st year? I've let them know I'm interested in both restructuring and core corporate practices (debt finance, cap markets, private M&A), but it seems like they really want to feed me into restructuring even before I start my summer. Not surprised, tbh - it would just be nice to know whether I'm going to have a choice after I know more than what little one can scrap from a 2L bankruptcy class.

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard if firm committee is considering pushing the RTO date again given the latest covid surge?

I doubt it. My office just received an invite to the first full in-person gathering (a speaker during a free lunch) since March 2020, scheduled for our second day back in office.

[Anonymous User]

How railroaded are you in terms of practice area as a summer/1st year? I've let them know I'm interested in both restructuring and core corporate practices (debt finance, cap markets, private M&A), but it seems like they really want to feed me into restructuring even before I start my summer. Not surprised, tbh - it would just be nice to know whether I'm going to have a choice after I know more than what little one can scrap from a 2L bankruptcy class.

Kirkland is a place that works for people who advocate for themselves. If you go with the flow, you'll be pushed to where they need bodies. If you are willing to go talk to partners one on one and raise your hand for opportunities, you'll get a shot at it.

There are enough 2Ls who don't really know what they want and who also don't really ask too many questions that the firm nudges them in whatever direction it wants, and the associates end up there.

[Anonymous User]

How railroaded are you in terms of practice area as a summer/1st year? I've let them know I'm interested in both restructuring and core corporate practices (debt finance, cap markets, private M&A), but it seems like they really want to feed me into restructuring even before I start my summer. Not surprised, tbh - it would just be nice to know whether I'm going to have a choice after I know more than what little one can scrap from a 2L bankruptcy class.

What makes you think they want to feed you into Rx? Chicago or NY?

I'm splitting my summer between Rx and Corporate. My offer letter didn't specify a group. Just wondering what makes you think as you do. .

[Anonymous User]

How railroaded are you in terms of practice area as a summer/1st year? I've let them know I'm interested in both restructuring and core corporate practices (debt finance, cap markets, private M&A), but it seems like they really want to feed me into restructuring even before I start my summer. Not surprised, tbh - it would just be nice to know whether I'm going to have a choice after I know more than what little one can scrap from a 2L bankruptcy class.

What makes you think they want to feed you into Rx? Chicago or NY?

I'm splitting my summer between Rx and Corporate. My offer letter didn't specify a group. Just wondering what makes you think as you do. .

NY. As to why I think that, I'm an F-1 student and needed an employer letter generated so I could do summer work. In the letter, they described what my responsibilities would be during the summer and it is all focused around restructuring. I could be reading far too much into it, but there were also some prior indicators (mostly pairing me with restructuring associates when I wanted to talk to someone, for example.)
Granted, I did express a strong interest in the group, so they could just be trying to reflect that, but who knows.

[Anonymous User]

How railroaded are you in terms of practice area as a summer/1st year? I've let them know I'm interested in both restructuring and core corporate practices (debt finance, cap markets, private M&A), but it seems like they really want to feed me into restructuring even before I start my summer. Not surprised, tbh - it would just be nice to know whether I'm going to have a choice after I know more than what little one can scrap from a 2L bankruptcy class.

What makes you think they want to feed you into Rx? Chicago or NY?

I'm splitting my summer between Rx and Corporate. My offer letter didn't specify a group. Just wondering what makes you think as you do. .

NY. As to why I think that, I'm an F-1 student and needed an employer letter generated so I could do summer work. In the letter, they described what my responsibilities would be during the summer and it is all focused around restructuring. I could be reading far too much into it, but there were also some prior indicators (mostly pairing me with restructuring associates when I wanted to talk to someone, for example.)
Granted, I did express a strong interest in the group, so they could just be trying to reflect that, but who knows.

Did you talk to anyone in recruiting at the firm about splitting your summer? I'm sorry if that's a question with a very obvious answer but just wanted to check.

It does sound like they've hired you thinking you wanted Rx, but there are always bodies needed in corporate too. Can't imagine you wouldn't be able to choose which group you want at the end of the summer. I was told by previous summers that split between two groups that you get to manage how much of your time you spend doing work for each.

[Anonymous User]

How railroaded are you in terms of practice area as a summer/1st year? I've let them know I'm interested in both restructuring and core corporate practices (debt finance, cap markets, private M&A), but it seems like they really want to feed me into restructuring even before I start my summer. Not surprised, tbh - it would just be nice to know whether I'm going to have a choice after I know more than what little one can scrap from a 2L bankruptcy class.

What makes you think they want to feed you into Rx? Chicago or NY?

I'm splitting my summer between Rx and Corporate. My offer letter didn't specify a group. Just wondering what makes you think as you do. .

NY. As to why I think that, I'm an F-1 student and needed an employer letter generated so I could do summer work. In the letter, they described what my responsibilities would be during the summer and it is all focused around restructuring. I could be reading far too much into it, but there were also some prior indicators (mostly pairing me with restructuring associates when I wanted to talk to someone, for example.)
Granted, I did express a strong interest in the group, so they could just be trying to reflect that, but who knows.

Did you talk to anyone in recruiting at the firm about splitting your summer? I'm sorry if that's a question with a very obvious answer but just wanted to check.

It does sound like they've hired you thinking you wanted Rx, but there are always bodies needed in corporate too. Can't imagine you wouldn't be able to choose which group you want at the end of the summer. I was told by previous summers that split between two groups that you get to manage how much of your time you spend doing work for each.

Well, I indicated I wanted to split. I was sort of under the impression that K&E didn't really have a clear-cut delineation in terms of practices as far as summers were concerned and that you could sort of try out several groups. Should I ask HR about this or is it a bridge I can cross when I get to it (i.e., can I say during the summer that I want to try out some corporate work too)?

[Anonymous User]

How railroaded are you in terms of practice area as a summer/1st year? I've let them know I'm interested in both restructuring and core corporate practices (debt finance, cap markets, private M&A), but it seems like they really want to feed me into restructuring even before I start my summer. Not surprised, tbh - it would just be nice to know whether I'm going to have a choice after I know more than what little one can scrap from a 2L bankruptcy class.

What makes you think they want to feed you into Rx? Chicago or NY?

I'm splitting my summer between Rx and Corporate. My offer letter didn't specify a group. Just wondering what makes you think as you do. .

NY. As to why I think that, I'm an F-1 student and needed an employer letter generated so I could do summer work. In the letter, they described what my responsibilities would be during the summer and it is all focused around restructuring. I could be reading far too much into it, but there were also some prior indicators (mostly pairing me with restructuring associates when I wanted to talk to someone, for example.)
Granted, I did express a strong interest in the group, so they could just be trying to reflect that, but who knows.

Did you talk to anyone in recruiting at the firm about splitting your summer? I'm sorry if that's a question with a very obvious answer but just wanted to check.

It does sound like they've hired you thinking you wanted Rx, but there are always bodies needed in corporate too. Can't imagine you wouldn't be able to choose which group you want at the end of the summer. I was told by previous summers that split between two groups that you get to manage how much of your time you spend doing work for each.

Well, I indicated I wanted to split. I was sort of under the impression that K&E didn't really have a clear-cut delineation in terms of practices as far as summers were concerned and that you could sort of try out several groups. Should I ask HR about this or is it a bridge I can cross when I get to it (i.e., can I say during the summer that I want to try out some corporate work too)?

How did you indicate that you wanted a split? Sorry for the follow up questions but I'm unclear by what you mean. You indicated this during your callback? At some point after?

Reach out to the legal recruiting manager in the NY office. Or the person in legal recruiting that coordinated your interviewing and offer. Tell them you're interested in splitting your summer between both Rx and transactional work. I would not wait until the summer to ask because summer planning is under way. I do know that the recruiting team internally marks individuals that are interested in split summers. It's possible that you can wait until summer and not have an issue, but my understanding is that you want to make a more formal request so attorneys at the firm are generally aware of who you are/your interest in their group. I was told that your summer associate bio (photo + resume) only goes to the group they have you down for in their system. Even though anyone at the firm can access it. Just reach out to recruiting, safer bet.

[Anonymous User]

How railroaded are you in terms of practice area as a summer/1st year? I've let them know I'm interested in both restructuring and core corporate practices (debt finance, cap markets, private M&A), but it seems like they really want to feed me into restructuring even before I start my summer. Not surprised, tbh - it would just be nice to know whether I'm going to have a choice after I know more than what little one can scrap from a 2L bankruptcy class.

What makes you think they want to feed you into Rx? Chicago or NY?

I'm splitting my summer between Rx and Corporate. My offer letter didn't specify a group. Just wondering what makes you think as you do. .

NY. As to why I think that, I'm an F-1 student and needed an employer letter generated so I could do summer work. In the letter, they described what my responsibilities would be during the summer and it is all focused around restructuring. I could be reading far too much into it, but there were also some prior indicators (mostly pairing me with restructuring associates when I wanted to talk to someone, for example.)
Granted, I did express a strong interest in the group, so they could just be trying to reflect that, but who knows.

Did you talk to anyone in recruiting at the firm about splitting your summer? I'm sorry if that's a question with a very obvious answer but just wanted to check.

It does sound like they've hired you thinking you wanted Rx, but there are always bodies needed in corporate too. Can't imagine you wouldn't be able to choose which group you want at the end of the summer. I was told by previous summers that split between two groups that you get to manage how much of your time you spend doing work for each.

Well, I indicated I wanted to split. I was sort of under the impression that K&E didn't really have a clear-cut delineation in terms of practices as far as summers were concerned and that you could sort of try out several groups. Should I ask HR about this or is it a bridge I can cross when I get to it (i.e., can I say during the summer that I want to try out some corporate work too)?

How did you indicate that you wanted a split? Sorry for the follow up questions but I'm unclear by what you mean. You indicated this during your callback? At some point after?

Reach out to the legal recruiting manager in the NY office. Or the person in legal recruiting that coordinated your interviewing and offer. Tell them you're interested in splitting your summer between both Rx and transactional work. I would not wait until the summer to ask because summer planning is under way. I do know that the recruiting team internally marks individuals that are interested in split summers. It's possible that you can wait until summer and not have an issue, but my understanding is that you want to make a more formal request so attorneys at the firm are generally aware of who you are/your interest in their group. I was told that your summer associate bio (photo + resume) only goes to the group they have you down for in their system. Even though anyone at the firm can access it. Just reach out to recruiting, safer bet.

I basically just mentioned it to my interviewers (although pretty explicitly). All is well, though. Emailed them a few minutes ago and was told that they did note my interest in both Rx and corporate and that there's no formal split process anyways. Thanks for the heads up!

[Anonymous User]

How railroaded are you in terms of practice area as a summer/1st year? I've let them know I'm interested in both restructuring and core corporate practices (debt finance, cap markets, private M&A), but it seems like they really want to feed me into restructuring even before I start my summer. Not surprised, tbh - it would just be nice to know whether I'm going to have a choice after I know more than what little one can scrap from a 2L bankruptcy class.

What makes you think they want to feed you into Rx? Chicago or NY?

I'm splitting my summer between Rx and Corporate. My offer letter didn't specify a group. Just wondering what makes you think as you do. .

NY. As to why I think that, I'm an F-1 student and needed an employer letter generated so I could do summer work. In the letter, they described what my responsibilities would be during the summer and it is all focused around restructuring. I could be reading far too much into it, but there were also some prior indicators (mostly pairing me with restructuring associates when I wanted to talk to someone, for example.)
Granted, I did express a strong interest in the group, so they could just be trying to reflect that, but who knows.

Did you talk to anyone in recruiting at the firm about splitting your summer? I'm sorry if that's a question with a very obvious answer but just wanted to check.

It does sound like they've hired you thinking you wanted Rx, but there are always bodies needed in corporate too. Can't imagine you wouldn't be able to choose which group you want at the end of the summer. I was told by previous summers that split between two groups that you get to manage how much of your time you spend doing work for each.

Well, I indicated I wanted to split. I was sort of under the impression that K&E didn't really have a clear-cut delineation in terms of practices as far as summers were concerned and that you could sort of try out several groups. Should I ask HR about this or is it a bridge I can cross when I get to it (i.e., can I say during the summer that I want to try out some corporate work too)?

How did you indicate that you wanted a split? Sorry for the follow up questions but I'm unclear by what you mean. You indicated this during your callback? At some point after?

Reach out to the legal recruiting manager in the NY office. Or the person in legal recruiting that coordinated your interviewing and offer. Tell them you're interested in splitting your summer between both Rx and transactional work. I would not wait until the summer to ask because summer planning is under way. I do know that the recruiting team internally marks individuals that are interested in split summers. It's possible that you can wait until summer and not have an issue, but my understanding is that you want to make a more formal request so attorneys at the firm are generally aware of who you are/your interest in their group. I was told that your summer associate bio (photo + resume) only goes to the group they have you down for in their system. Even though anyone at the firm can access it. Just reach out to recruiting, safer bet.

I basically just mentioned it to my interviewers (although pretty explicitly). All is well, though. Emailed them a few minutes ago and was told that they did note my interest in both Rx and corporate and that there's no formal split process anyways. Thanks for the heads up!

Glad it all worked out! As a general matter, the firm is extremely flexible about you trying different stuff as a summer, 1st year, 2nd year, and even maybe a little as a 3rd year. It’s one of the huge reasons I chose to come here. Crossing the corporate/litigation divide is the only thing that can be tricky, but I’ve seen it happen multiple times in the early stages.

[Anonymous User]

"If the grind gets to be too much, attorneys can turn to the Kirkland Concierge. “It’s a service that helps with everyday tasks you might not have time for, like picking up your groceries or planning a child's birthday,” juniors said." - the Kirkland Chambers Associate page

Can anyone speak to what this is and how the fuck it would help you plan your kid's birthday party?

I know associates that have used it to plan their wedding and high school reunions lol. I personally used them to plan a very complicated international flight plan once (getting two people from different countries to meet in a third country where each of them could arrive visa-free, for the cheapest total cost, and preferably keeping flight times equal). They were very helpful!

[Anonymous User]

You actually keep Kirkland Concierge access after you leave the firm (through the "Kirkland Alumni" program). So you can do a biglaw stint and then keep using these people to do planning work for you for the next 40 years.

[Anonymous User]

You actually keep Kirkland Concierge access after you leave the firm (through the "Kirkland Alumni" program). So you can do a biglaw stint and then keep using these people to do planning work for you for the next 40 years.

Why the fuck do they not advertise this. Is there a minum tenure requirement?
-Angry 3L going to another firm with a similar "cultural" reputation

[Anonymous User]

You actually keep Kirkland Concierge access after you leave the firm (through the "Kirkland Alumni" program). So you can do a biglaw stint and then keep using these people to do planning work for you for the next 40 years.

Why the fuck do they not advertise this. Is there a minum tenure requirement?
-Angry 3L going to another firm with a similar "cultural" reputation

1. It's not a big enough deal that it should have changed your mind about where you want to work.
2. Thanks to whoever posted this, I had no idea and I just asked them to plan a dinner for me.

[Anonymous User]

You actually keep Kirkland Concierge access after you leave the firm (through the "Kirkland Alumni" program). So you can do a biglaw stint and then keep using these people to do planning work for you for the next 40 years.

Why the fuck do they not advertise this. Is there a minum tenure requirement?
-Angry 3L going to another firm with a similar "cultural" reputation

1. It's not a big enough deal that it should have changed your mind about where you want to work.
2. Thanks to whoever posted this, I had no idea and I just asked them to plan a dinner for me.

Re:1, when they all pay the exact same. Yes, a lifetime soft benefit does change my mind.

[Anonymous User]

Rx is where they put young minds to slowly fade before they move you elsewhere. The best stars all left Rx before share partnership. Look into it.

Also who wants to stay in NY. That’s where they’re pushing that group long term. Worst place to make money at K&E.

[Anonymous User]

I'll be in Kirkland's chicago office as a corporate summer this year. When do I have to choose a practice area?

And would anyone be willing to shed some light on their experience / impression of the corporate practice groups? I know that individual experiences are subjective but I'm still interested.

bump

Think you only need to commit between corp or litigation. If you are already corp, don't think you actually need to choose a practice area until end of your second year. Would ask your question regarding experience / impression to ppl you meet at summer, rather than on here.

People tend to be less honest in person because there is no anonymity. I appreciate the insight into only having to commit to corp but no practice area.

I will continue to welcome anecdotes or impressions about Chicago corporate practice areas because I feel people speak more freely anonymously.

I’m at KE Houston and as far as I know Chicago would operate the same way. For the summer, you just need to pick transactional vs litigation. Once you start full-time it’s the same thing. In corporate, it seems like we have approximately two years to fuck around and try whatever we want. I can’t imagine a firm having more flexibility than what we have here (at least as a junior).

I’ll save my impressions of practice groups because that’ll probably differ more by office, though these days many of my deals involve at least some cross-staffing with other offices. Hopefully someone in Chicago can give you insight about that!

As a general matter, you will be actively encouraged to work on matters within many different corporate groups both during your summer and in your first 2-3 years as an associate at the firm — M&A (both public and private), debt, funds, capital markets, etc. At some point around years 3-4 (or earlier if you so choose) you will generally be expected to begin to focus and narrow the scope of your practice primarily to one of the corporate groups (those mentioned above being among the main, but certainly not only, options).

Have been at K&E for a while, glad to answer any other questions as well.

Kind of irrelevant to this convo but do you know much about recruiting at K&E? Specifically, any information you may have about K&E's recruiting requirements (GPA cutoff/class ranking) for UT Austin School of Law would be greatly appreciated. Interested in Houston, Dallas or Austin office.

[Anonymous User]

I'll be in Kirkland's chicago office as a corporate summer this year. When do I have to choose a practice area?

And would anyone be willing to shed some light on their experience / impression of the corporate practice groups? I know that individual experiences are subjective but I'm still interested.

bump

Think you only need to commit between corp or litigation. If you are already corp, don't think you actually need to choose a practice area until end of your second year. Would ask your question regarding experience / impression to ppl you meet at summer, rather than on here.

People tend to be less honest in person because there is no anonymity. I appreciate the insight into only having to commit to corp but no practice area.

I will continue to welcome anecdotes or impressions about Chicago corporate practice areas because I feel people speak more freely anonymously.

I’m at KE Houston and as far as I know Chicago would operate the same way. For the summer, you just need to pick transactional vs litigation. Once you start full-time it’s the same thing. In corporate, it seems like we have approximately two years to fuck around and try whatever we want. I can’t imagine a firm having more flexibility than what we have here (at least as a junior).

I’ll save my impressions of practice groups because that’ll probably differ more by office, though these days many of my deals involve at least some cross-staffing with other offices. Hopefully someone in Chicago can give you insight about that!

As a general matter, you will be actively encouraged to work on matters within many different corporate groups both during your summer and in your first 2-3 years as an associate at the firm — M&A (both public and private), debt, funds, capital markets, etc. At some point around years 3-4 (or earlier if you so choose) you will generally be expected to begin to focus and narrow the scope of your practice primarily to one of the corporate groups (those mentioned above being among the main, but certainly not only, options).

Have been at K&E for a while, glad to answer any other questions as well.

Kind of irrelevant to this convo but do you know much about recruiting at K&E? Specifically, any information you may have about K&E's recruiting requirements (GPA cutoff/class ranking) for UT Austin School of Law would be greatly appreciated. Interested in Houston, Dallas or Austin office.

Your school's CSO should provide you this information. I know my school kept track of GPA cutoffs in a spreadsheet

[Anonymous User]

bump

Think you only need to commit between corp or litigation. If you are already corp, don't think you actually need to choose a practice area until end of your second year. Would ask your question regarding experience / impression to ppl you meet at summer, rather than on here.

People tend to be less honest in person because there is no anonymity. I appreciate the insight into only having to commit to corp but no practice area.

I will continue to welcome anecdotes or impressions about Chicago corporate practice areas because I feel people speak more freely anonymously.

I’m at KE Houston and as far as I know Chicago would operate the same way. For the summer, you just need to pick transactional vs litigation. Once you start full-time it’s the same thing. In corporate, it seems like we have approximately two years to fuck around and try whatever we want. I can’t imagine a firm having more flexibility than what we have here (at least as a junior).

I’ll save my impressions of practice groups because that’ll probably differ more by office, though these days many of my deals involve at least some cross-staffing with other offices. Hopefully someone in Chicago can give you insight about that!

As a general matter, you will be actively encouraged to work on matters within many different corporate groups both during your summer and in your first 2-3 years as an associate at the firm — M&A (both public and private), debt, funds, capital markets, etc. At some point around years 3-4 (or earlier if you so choose) you will generally be expected to begin to focus and narrow the scope of your practice primarily to one of the corporate groups (those mentioned above being among the main, but certainly not only, options).

Have been at K&E for a while, glad to answer any other questions as well.

Kind of irrelevant to this convo but do you know much about recruiting at K&E? Specifically, any information you may have about K&E's recruiting requirements (GPA cutoff/class ranking) for UT Austin School of Law would be greatly appreciated. Interested in Houston, Dallas or Austin office.

Your school's CSO should provide you this information. I know my school kept track of GPA cutoffs in a spreadsheet

I'm contemplating whether I should enroll as I am currently admitted. I reached out to CSO and they said I can't have access until I am enrolled. This seems like important information, though.

[Anonymous User]

I'm contemplating whether I should enroll as I am currently admitted. I reached out to CSO and they said I can't have access until I am enrolled. This seems like important information, though.

Caveat, I don’t work at KE, nor did I attend UT, so I have no business answering your question. That said, there are a decent number (51) of UT grads listed online as associates in the three KE offices you mentioned. Reviewing their bios — check for honors, LR, etc. — should give you a rough sense of the credentials you’d need to land an offer. Not the hard cutoff you’re looking for, but better than nothing.