Kirkland & Ellis LLP

"This is a fantastic firm to gain the skills as a young lawyer. The expectations (hours and work ethic) are high, but the experience you gain is invaluable. "

"K&E is a great place to work. I feel appreciated and valued. "

"Great place to work with smart, nice coworkers. Mostly everyone is willing to help each other when needed."

"While K & E is a great company to work for, I don't think it's the best for someone wanting to start a family. As an attorney, I've found there hasn't been much work/life balance."

"I worked here as a corporate associate for a few years. I think women are generally treated fairly and I don't think there is a disparity in responsibility, respect, etc. - particularly at the associate level. However, as mid-level women advance (both in their personal lives and careers), I think they are generally less successful at making the step to non-share or share partner (than men). The M&A group maintains an "up or out" structure, so you'll see VERY few female share partners (the odds aren't great for men, either, but numerically there are far more men than women at the top). The debt finance group, on the other hand, will let women stay on as non-share partners for a much longer period of time. I believe this is the case in other groups too, such as litigation and IP. However, I'm not sure if that's actually good or bad - it's great not to have to find another job 10 years in, but it takes you off the share partner track and relegates you to a lesser position with a glass ceiling. Maternity and leave policies are fantastic - definitely have kids here, if you can - and then leave for a place with better work/life balance! While it's hard to "have it all" anywhere, I'm sure every woman at K&E has heard stories of (or personally experienced) the challenges of the long hours and the toll it takes on families - full time nannies, backup nannies, daycare + backup nannies, missed sports events/dance recitals, etc. Some women seem to be fine with that and salaries are high enough to make it economically feasible, but I just don't think I could ever love a job enough to miss out on most of my child's life."

"You will be treated like you're less competent and less talented than your male peers, and often will be treated as though you're a paralegal/secretary or more junior associate. There's an "old boys" club atmosphere that is hard to escape - the male partners tend to do lunch with and utilize/promote the male associates more, there are inappropriate jokes and comments made (especially by the male partners), and there was more than one unofficial event at a burlesque bar when I was there. Maternity leave and vacation/sick time is generous, but it seems frowned upon to use it. Most of the men have stay-at home wives (and many partners are on their second or third marriage), so there's generally a lack of understanding and compassion if you have a child-related issue. The men brag about missing the birth of their kids and the few women who stick around tend not to have families or contribute the the workaholic/anti-family culture by doing crazy things like traveling to trial 2 weeks before their due dates or sending briefs a day after giving birth."

"I've worked here for 3 years and there are a lot of female associates but almost no female corporate partners. The Company says that it is a meritocracy, which I agree with and believe is the right way to reward people, but the industry and business model do not allow for women to "do both" - be successful at home and successful on the job. Senior partners have stuck their head in the sand on this matter. Women who take maternity leave are essentially expected to quit after they come back. There is no real possibility to come back part time from what I've heard. Ultimately, the billable hour plays such a critical role in a person's success (even at associate levels) that it almost entirely stands in the way of women making partner if they choose to try to be "successful" at home."

"You will work long hours with little to no prospect of promotion. You will be tone-policed by your supervisor if you advocate for yourself and your career. You will watch male supervisors comment on a female attorney's body in front of an entire room of staff. You will watch your male colleagues, with less education and less experience, get paid more than you and promoted faster, even though you're on the same case and doing the same work (and even though your supervisors remark on how much more competent an employee you are)."

"The firm does have good policies when it comes to flex time and maternity leave. That said, the advancement of female attorneys pales in comparison to their male counterparts, and the culture as a whole seems more inviting to men than women. However, I'm unsure to what extent this firm is worse than others in this regard."

"Long hours. Lots of resources. Hard-working people."

"I've been working here for several years, and I have had one child. I feel as if my track changed considerably after I came back from my maternity leave. It is almost as if I make the men uncomfortable, they see me as a "mom" now rather than the tough, focused, "on track" employee that I was (and still am). I worked long hours up until the day I gave birth, and returned to hit the ground running, but I am not sure that I will be able to change the perception. Every other woman that had a baby left my group for a reason. I would like to figure out how to change course, or I suppose I should start looking into other options. That said, I have been able to achieve balance here for now, which is important because I want to be in an involved mom."

"Love it. No face time requirement (at least on my cases) and the company was supportive during my maternity leave and transition back even though I am still pretty junior."