Private Practice

I was attracted to Kirkland & Ellis for the same reasons I was attracted to Michigan Law—there is just a different energy and level of collegiality that you don’t find every-where. I went to U-M to learn from some of the best professors in the world and be surrounded by diverse, intellectually curious students. Coming to Kirkland, I had the same motivations; our lawyers are some of the most brilliant, driven, and collaborative attorneys in the industry, and we like to hire Michigan Law graduates because we know that they will bring each of these qualities to our team.

"At Crowell & Moring, we view Michigan Law graduates as the complete package. Of course, they have all the qualities you would expect a graduate of a top law school to have—they’re smart, they have a strong work ethic, and they’re eager to learn. But they are also incredibly nice, down-to-earth people. That combination is hard to find, and it’s one we value highly at our firm. I think it is being a part of the Michigan Law community that produces such well-rounded attorneys. Michigan has all the analytical rigor of any other top law school, but it is its community that makes it truly unique. I’ve interviewed Michigan Law students who had come from colleges and universities all across the country, and from many different backgrounds. All of them leave Michigan Law, though, with the same ethos of collegiality that makes them so valuable to our culture at Crowell. I didn’t attend Michigan Law, but I’ve worked hard over the past 20 years to build a strong recruiting pipeline there. I now have Michigan graduates up and down my hallway, and I love working with them. Ultimately, that’s what hiring partners look for; we want people that we’re going to enjoy spending time with when we’re working long hours together on an important matter. That’s what we get from Michigan Law graduates, and that’s why we love recruiting in Ann Arbor. "

"As hiring partner, I am looking for students who are smart, engaged, hardworking, proactive, and enthusiastic about the practice of law and also have the character, judgment, warmth, and commitment that we count on from our colleagues. These are the qualities exemplified by lawyers who are successful at Davis Polk and by the students we’ve recruited from Michigan over the years—from my partners Bob Fiske, ’55 (U.S. Attorney, Southern District of New York, 1976-1980), and Dan Kolb, ’65, leaders in our litigation practice for decades, to our many current partners and associates, to the students who will join us in our 2016 summer program. As Michigan continues to prepare students for the challenges our clients face in this complex global economy, we look forward to deepening our relationship with the Law School and its graduates. "

"I have been active in Kirkland’s recruiting efforts ever since I graduated from Michigan Law in 1998. With more than 90 grads at the firm, Michigan Law is a key source of talent for us. Over the years, I have found that Michigan students are team players, strong critical and analytical thinkers, and are interested in working on the types of challenging matters for which our clients hire us. In addition, given the number of clinical and other hands-on opportunities at Michigan, students often have practice-ready skills that give them an edge from their first day on the job. There is no doubt in my mind that much of my success as a lawyer is due to my experience at Michigan Law, and I know from my recruiting experiences how valuable it is for so many others. I strongly recommend Michigan Law as a fantastic place to start a legal career."

"At Skadden, we have a longstanding tradition of hiring Michigan Law students who we view as among the best and brightest legal talent. Michigan is a top recruiting source for the summer program and beyond, and we have more than 60 alumni firmwide. Students educated at Michigan Law excel at Skadden because they are sharp, innovative, and demonstrate initiative and entrepreneurial spirit. We value Michigan’s reputation of excellence and look forward to a continued relationship and pipeline by which we hire future generations of first-rate associates."

"Our firm’s tradition with Michigan Law goes back many decades; indeed, all of you at one point in your law school career will take a class in the Jason L. Honigman Auditorium, endowed many years ago by one of our founders. Our longstanding dedication to the Law School and its students is no accident. We firmly believe that the Law School’s commitment to excellence and diversity mirrors our own. We actively seek law students and new lawyers with unbounded curiosity, intellect, and drive who desire the opportunity to get front-line, first-chair legal opportunities as a young lawyer in a collegial, team-oriented atmosphere. In my years as the firm’s hiring partner, I have found that Michigan Law does an exceptional job fostering and nurturing those qualities and produces some of the best young lawyers the country has to offer. As an alum, I take tremendous pride in seeing that each year’s class exudes the outstanding qualities that continue to make Michigan Law one of the finest law schools in the world."

"Michigan Law stands out from its peers through the quality and adaptability of its graduates. As a partner who is actively involved in recruiting for Allen & Overy, I have seen these qualities in action in the Michigan alumni that I have worked with, whether during our summer associate program, as recent graduates from Michigan during our first-year rotation system, or as senior attorneys who have developed their practice. I specialize in derivatives and structured finance law, and lawyers who are successful in this field excel in an integrated, cross-disciplinary environment. I have worked directly with many Michigan alumni who have become known experts in the derivatives space, evolving into top-notch senior attorneys at the firm or taking their careers in the direction of excellent in-house counsel roles. Our firm is committed to recruiting directly from Michigan Law for our summer associate programs in the United States. (New York and D.C.) as well as in London and Hong Kong. We look forward to maintaining a great working relationship with its alumni."