Associate Life
Work Assignments
At Hunton & Williams LLP, we allow our associates a great deal of responsibility early in their careers. Even the newest associates work directly with clients and participate in all aspects of deals and cases alongside our partners.
The firm is divided into three main Groups: Business Practice; Administrative Law; and Litigation, Intellectual Property, Competition & Labor. Each of these groups contains teams organized by specific practice areas. Although work assignments are generally given through and supervised by partners, assignments are coordinated within the appropriate teams and practice groups. Because we are organized functionally on a team and practice group basis, it is common for lawyers in different offices to work together, and associates may be given the opportunity to work on temporary assignments in a variety of offices or to work on multi-office projects with lawyers from across the firm.
Pro Bono Opportunities
Consistent with the firm's core values, all of our lawyers are expected to demonstrate a high level of commitment not only to the firm, but also to the community. In fact, all firm attorneys are asked to commit at least 40 hours per fiscal year of pro bono service, and billable hour credit is provided for up to 50 hours of pro bono legal work per year. Our commitment is evidenced by our participation in the Pro Bono Institute Pro Bono Challenge, which requires major law firms to provide pro bono legal work each year in an amount equal to at least three percent of its billable hours. We are proud to have met this commitment every year since the challenge was issued in 1994.
Hunton & Williams also maintains two pro bono Fellowship positions for attorneys whose time is entirely committed to pro bono work. Two-year positions, these Fellowships are a valuable opportunity for young lawyers pursuing a career in public service. As members of the firm’s litigation team, our Pro Bono Fellows spend a great amount of time in the courtroom and serve as a useful resource for other attorneys seeking assistance on pro bono matters. The Fellowship programs, one in Richmond, Virginia, and the other in Atlanta, Georgia, were enhanced in 2004 to provide $10,000 each year for law school debt repayment. In addition, Hunton & Williams employs a full-time lawyer to manage and develop a new pro bono office in Charlottesville, Virginia, established in 2005 in partnership with the University of Virginia.
For more information on our Pro Bono Program, please click here.
Community Involvement and Life Outside the Firm
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"Community service, which has included serving on the Board of Directors of the Special Olympics Virginia and the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia, has allowed me to give back to the community and to gain exposure to interesting and diverse people who have different views from my own. There is a whole world out there that does not revolve around the practice of law."
-- Sharon Goodwyn, Counsel, Norfolk |
Life inside the office routinely rates high scores, but the firm recognizes and encourages personal and professional growth outside of its four walls. Many of our attorneys are leaders in the community and at the bar, and our associates can take advantage of the excellent reputation of our firm to become involved in community service early in their careers. Non-legal passions and pursuits are also valued and encouraged by the lawyers in the firm, who realize that a well-rounded and relaxed lawyer has more to offer his or her team and our clients!
Life Inside the Firm
Associates have the opportunity to become involved in firm life almost immediately through team meetings, retreats and training sessions. You might say that our associates "hit the ground running." But, if they need assistance along the way, members of the Associates Committee, comprised of a group of partners drawn from across the firm's offices and teams, serve as Ombudsmen and provide support however and whenever it is needed.
Each office also has an Associate Advisory Committee ("AAC"), comprised of associates, which facilitates dialogue across offices and provides a venue for sharing best practices. In addition, the AAC offers associates the opportunity to take leadership roles in their offices and to provide input to firm management on initiatives designed to make the firm a better place to work. AAC members help plan events, conduct associate surveys, communicate needs, and provide outreach to speakers, as well as office, firm and practice leadership.
In addition to the informal mentoring relationships that are nurtured and naturally develop within our team and practice group structures, the firm has implemented a formal mentoring program for young associates, which is coordinated by the Office of Lawyer Recruiting and Development. All first- and second-year associates are paired with senior associates from their own practice areas to serve as "coaches" during their first two years at the firm. To ensure success, we monitor the program at regular intervals throughout the year to be sure it is working well for both coach and protégé.
Female attorneys also have the opportunity to become involved with our Women's Networking Forum ("WNF"). Designed to help professional women develop relationships, advance careers and enrich their personal and professional lives, we have WNF chapters in Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Miami, New York, Raleigh, Richmond, and Washington, DC. Each chapter regularly holds business development, social and educational events for chapter members and clients that are geared to the lives and interests of successful women. For more information, click here.
Recruiting is another area of firm life in which our associates may become involved early in their careers at Hunton & Williams. We have a Campus Recruiting and Outreach Team ("CRO Team") for each law school at which we recruit, and associates are invited to join any school team or teams in which they have an interest. Although many associates become involved with their alma mater, this is not a requirement for team membership. The CRO Teams develop yearly recruiting plans, sponsor campus events, and communicate regularly with students, faculty, and administrators at their assigned schools to enhance our recruiting efforts.
As associates gain experience and seniority, more opportunities for involvement in firm initiatives, programs and committees become available. At Hunton & Williams, putting your leadership skills and talents to use is a priority.
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"I can't tell you what a benefit it is to have an experienced attorney at the firm to call on whenever I have questions. It is especially nice to have a senior associate down the hall who is willing, not only to listen to my questions and concerns, but also to provide advice and answers whenever possible."
-- Lisa Spreitzer, Associate, Atlanta
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Technology and Support
We provide our attorneys state-of-the-art technology to help them work effectively and efficiently, including laptops, Blackberry PDAs, wireless headsets, and remote connectivity. Attorneys can handle business remotely from most locations, and support is available at all times, making working away from the office almost as easy as working in the office. Because our attorneys are located across the globe, we work hard to ensure easy access to colleagues and documents wherever they are located.
We also have an exceptional staff of paralegals, professional assistants and reference professionals, as well as specialists in business development, accounting, research, human resources and recruiting. All are available to assist our attorneys and to provide a myriad of support services.
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"From almost my first day at Hunton & Williams, I have worked directly with firm partners and assumed significant responsibilities for the cases assigned to me. There is no better way to learn how to practice law. The firm also has allowed me to develop a sophisticated practice that extends nationally and internationally. For example, I am currently actively engaged in litigating federal and state cases and advising firm clients with colleagues in California, New York, North Carolina, Miami, and even Beijing, China."
--Robert Van Arnam , Associate, Raleigh
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