Steven’s Career Story

One of the reasons I came to Kirkland was the opportunities offered to associates much earlier in their careers than anywhere else. I took my first deposition as a first-year associate and argued in court for the first time at the beginning of my second year. Those experiences affirmed that I made the right choice.

Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to serve on numerous trial teams in both state and federal courts across the country. Those experiences have been invaluable for my development as a litigator. Kirkland is a firm that goes to trial, and not every Big Law firm can say that. We take on some of the most interesting, complex cases, which means the work is both enjoyable and challenging.

There is an entrepreneurial culture at Kirkland — you own your career. Having served in the military for eight years prior to going to law school, I knew I wanted to practice at a firm that provided me with the opportunity to chart my own path. Almost six years later, I can confidently say Kirkland has been that place.

Kirkland offers several formal training programs that are helpful in developing practical skills. The Kirkland Institute for Trial Advocacy (KITA), for example, gets litigators on their feet to practice the basic mechanics of trial early on.

The informal mentorship opportunities available at Kirkland can be just as helpful. One of my mentors told me that some of the best opportunities come early in your career, but to always take advantage of them if you can. These words have rung true throughout my time at the Firm.

Summer associates at Kirkland are given real client work. When I spent my summer at Kirkland, I had the opportunity to draft a memorandum about a novel legal issue for a case that was quickly growing in scale. When I came back to the Firm as an associate the following year, a partner remembered I had worked on it and asked me to join the case. The matter ended up being the largest multidistrict litigation (MDL) in history and afforded me significant trial experience as a first- and second-year associate. This opened the door for me to serve on other mass action trial teams early on in my career.