Legal Recruitment and Professional Development

Our search for candidates is broad, but our focus is narrow: hiring lawyers who will thrive in a firm that emphasizes excellence and collegiality.

We interview top students at the best law schools and recruit leading lawyers whose knowledge of their local jurisdictions enhances our global practice. In addition, we seek lawyers with strong credentials from diverse backgrounds: judicial clerkships, government positions, or other law firms.

In recruiting new lawyers, we seek women and men of all races and nationalities who possess superior intellectual capability, share the firm’s vision and values, and have the initiative and potential to become our future partners.

In 2011, we added more than 100 associates in our New York and Washington offices, and will welcome 141 summer associates in the summer of 2012.

We give training that delves into the particulars of a practice, and provide opportunities to build the broad skills that inform a nimble and well-rounded lawyer, including:

• A robust in-house CLE program with comprehensive courses at all levels in all practice areas.
• A special training program for first-year associates designed to teach the “Cleary Core Skills” – the essential skills needed to thrive at Cleary Gottlieb.
• A two-week full-time "Mini-MBA" program for all new associates that provides an intensive introduction to business and finance. 
• A five-year program, supplementing the practice-specific CLEs. This supplemental skills program includes negotiation, business development, project management, and communication skills.
• Various programs that foster mentoring relationships between experienced and junior lawyers.
• A comprehensive review system that provides detailed feedback to associates from all of the senior people with whom the associates work.
• Long-term assignments in our global offices.
• Public interest externships.
• Client secondments.