How many lawyers are there worldwide?
Approximately 2,600 lawyers, including 532 partners.
How many U.S. lawyers are there worldwide?
Nearly 220, including 52 partners.
How many offices does Linklaters have?
30 offices in 23 countries.
What opportunities are there to work overseas as an associate?
There are a great many opportunities to work overseas. In fact, most of our U.S. lawyers choose to spend some time in an overseas office. This is, of course, dependent on a number of factors, including the needs of various practice areas.
Do I need to be multi-lingual to succeed at Linklaters?
No. While sometimes we look for particular language skills in U.S. law students, depending on the needs of the practice, most of our U.S. attorneys speak only English.
What's the firm's policy on work permits?
We will help organize work permits where possible.
How will my performance be assessed?
Our annual formal appraisal process measures your performance against key skills. We'll assess your technical, client, business development, business management and people skills, identifying your strengths and highlighting where and how you can improve and develop. While there are chargeable hours targets to meet, individuals are also measured against personal contribution to areas such as marketing, training, recruitment, community investment and pro bono work.
What is the average time for an associate to become a partner at Linklaters?
Partnership track varies on an individual basis, but associates in the U.S. practice can become a partner about 8 years after graduating from law school.
Is there a minimum billable hour requirement? If so, what is it?
There is no minimum billable hours requirement, although targets are set throughout the firm. Targets vary by practice area, however, we expect all our associates to work hard and to satisfy the demands of their client work all the time.
Will I be working 24/7 at Linklaters?
No. We act on behalf of major organizations worldwide, which often involves our lawyers in periods of intensive and extremely demanding work. But while ours is not a 9-5 culture or a “lifestyle firm”, neither is it one where you'll be expected to put in “face time” once your day's work is done.