Recruiting
Williams & Connolly is an equal opportunity employer. All are welcome to apply. We actively recruit summer associates and associates from all backgrounds, including those that are not well represented in the legal profession. We participate in career fairs, panels, and other events and we partner with student affinity and interest groups at many top law schools to host receptions for 1L students.
Mentoring & Professional Development
We work hard to ensure that all of our attorneys have the guidance and opportunities necessary for their professional development regardless of background. To accomplish this, Williams & Connolly continues to focus on our associate sponsorship program, which allows partner sponsors to guide each associate individually. The associate sponsorship program is for all associates. The firm also ensures that all associates have equal opportunity for feedback.
Diversity Speaker Series
The Williams & Connolly Diversity & Inclusion Committee also sponsors an ongoing speaker series that brings distinguished speakers to our firm to discuss diversity-related issues. Past speakers include Paul Smith, who argued the landmark case Lawrence v. Texas; Georgetown Law Professor Paul Butler, a Williams & Connolly alumnus whose academic work focuses on criminal law and race relations; Michael Tigar, a Williams & Connolly alumnus and leading human rights advocate; Madeline Albright, former Secretary of State; Angie Kim, a Williams & Connolly alumna and best-selling author; Karyn Temple, a Williams & Connolly alumna and Global General Counsel for the Motion Picture Association; Geoffrey Starks a Williams & Connolly alumnus and FCC Commissioner; and Barry Kowalski, a leading federal civil rights attorney.
Work-Life Balance
The firm recognizes that it can be challenging to balance a career with parenthood and family caregiving responsibilities. To help address those unique challenges, Williams & Connolly has created a Families Committee. The Committee provides programming, support, and community for all of the firm’s parents and caregivers. Past events have included firm playdates at local venues, programming for firm families, and panel discussions on topics of interest for firm employees with caregiving responsibilities.
Williams & Connolly also offers flexible schedules to accommodate the needs of our attorneys, including family commitments, and several of our attorneys currently work at a 50% or 80% schedule. When an attorney works part-time, they are paid based on a percentage of the same rate (e.g., 50% or 80% of the full-time rate). The firm has also partnered with Bright Horizon’s Backup Care Advantage Program, which provides backup child and elder care, with in-home and local care center options available. Following the birth or adoption of a child, we offer all caregivers 18 weeks of paid leave. The time our attorneys spend while on parental leave is fully credited for purposes of seniority and partnership consideration, and it does not affect attorney salary.