Bay Area Private Equity Fellowship

Overview

Our Private Equity Fellowship Program (PEF) provides a unique opportunity for highly qualified students to gain substantive experience at one of the world’s leading law firms. Students who are selected to be Fellows will join Kirkland’s 2020 summer associate program in the San Francisco or Palo Alto offices. Highlights of the program include specialized small group private equity M&A-focused training sessions, substantive involvement in live deals and shadowing of partners.

Fellows will learn by working alongside partners who have built a practice that has been recognized as "Private Equity Practice Group of the Year" every year since 2011 by Law360. Fellows will enjoy engaging directly with our private equity clients through various networking opportunities. In addition, certain Fellows will have the opportunity to gain exposure to the business side of private equity by working in-house with select private equity clients (including possible multi-week secondments).

Students with a keen interest in private equity who are enrolled (or plan to enroll) in a three- or four-year JD/MBA program are welcome to apply. While PEF is intended for the last summer of a candidate’s joint-degree program, exceptions will be made for candidates willing to commit to two consecutive summer associateships with Kirkland, one of which may be spent seconded to a Kirkland private equity client.

In addition to a $25,000 JD/MBA bonus, JD/MBA Fellows will receive $50,000 to help defray their MBA tuition costs. The bonus and stipend will be paid after Fellows have become full-time associates at the Firm.

Kirkland’s Bay Area offices are also offering a specialized Private Equity Fellowship for students that are accepted into the University of Chicago’s Doctoroff Business Leadership Program. Eligible candidates: Students with a keen, demonstrable interest in private equity, including relevant post-graduate professional experience, that are accepted into the University of Chicago’s Doctoroff Business Leadership Program may apply to join for their 2L summer.

In order to qualify for the Fellowship, students must complete all Doctoroff Business Leadership Certificate Program requirements and take one additional Booth course from each of the following two subject areas: statistics/risk analysis and advanced financial modeling. Approved courses for statistics/risk analysis include Business Statistics (41000) and Managerial Decision Making (36106). Recommended courses for advanced financial modeling include Taxes and Business Strategy (30118) and Financial Statement Analysis (30130). As a substitute for one of the subject areas, students may write one of their required papers on an approved topic with relevance for private equity M&A.

Private Equity Fellows in the Doctoroff program will receive a bonus of $25,000 paid after they graduate and become a full-time associate at the Firm.

Application Process

To apply for the Bay Area Private Equity Fellowship for the 2020 summer, please submit your materials to the Bay Area Fellowship Application Portal.

For more information, please email San Francisco Attorney Recruiting.
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