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 2022 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 may 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 that are enrolled (or planning 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.
In addition to a $25,000 JD/MBA signing bonus, Fellows will receive $50,000 to help defray their MBA tuition costs. The signing bonus and stipend will be paid after Fellows have become full-time associates at the Firm.
Students with a keen, demonstrable interest in private equity (for example, relevant post-graduate professional experience), may apply. While a JD/MBA is preferred, JD students may qualify for the Fellowship by completing as many business electives as permitted outside the law school from the following subject areas: Accounting, Business Statistics, Corporate Finance, Microeconomics and Tax. Fellows will be assigned a designated mentor during the summer and 3L year to provide guidance on school-specific business curriculum and the private equity career path, among other things.
Fellows with a JD only will receive a bonus of $25,000 paid after they graduate and become a full-time associate at the Firm.
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.
Fellows will receive a bonus of $25,000 paid after they graduate and become a full-time associate at the Firm.