Sam’s Career Story

Kirkland’s culture is rooted in entrepreneurship and collaboration. Early on, associates are given the tools to take ownership of matters and are expected to help build cases. In practice, this translates to opportunities to mold litigation strategy, to work directly with clients and to grow as a young lawyer. Having these opportunities so early in your career is the rule, not the exception, at Kirkland, and you are supported by mentorship every step of the way.

In the Philadelphia office, we are building our own culture as the office grows. One thing I love about our team is that we are competitive. We all work incredibly hard to get the best results possible. I work with the best trial lawyers in the country who are handling cutting-edge products liability work. Every win, big or small, is celebrated.

In my first month at the Firm, I was given the opportunity to draft and lead the filing of a response briefing in federal court. Since then, I have taken depositions myself. Every step of the way, partners provided detailed and helpful feedback.

More recently, I helped lead deposition prep for two key witnesses. Prior to the depositions, the partner, who has become an amazing mentor, worked with me to prepare. In that moment, I realized two things: Everyone, no matter their class year, is working hard to create an exceptional work product; and I am surrounded by incredibly talented and fun people who want to see me succeed and grow as a lawyer.

At Kirkland, getting such amazing opportunities so early in your career is the norm, not the exception.

Every day I have the opportunity to learn from some of the best trial lawyers in the country. They have mentored me both professionally and personally, and I am grateful for the trust they have in me to do work that is well above my class year.

No two cases are alike. When I am assigned a new case, I have the opportunity to learn new strategy, science and facts. The challenge of learning something new every day is what makes law interesting.

Mentorship is key at Kirkland. We have both formal and informal mentors who provide guidance on best practices, advocacy skills and client communications. Every partner I have worked with has been eager to help me flesh out my thoughts and strategy.

I am also excited to take advantage of the Kirkland Institute for Trial Advocacy (KITA) program, which happens every year. I am eager to learn from Kirkland’s talented bench of trial lawyers and look forward to applying the skills I learn in real-world situations.