Associate Life

Our vibrant, multi-discipline, national practice reflects a shared purpose of excellence, community service, and a firm-wide commitment to justice. Our lawyers and associates are:

• Ambitious, passionate, and creative;
• Invested in success for our clients and ourselves;
• Proud of our work and of winning;
• Committed to our families and communities; and
• Part of a team—camaraderie and ingenuity fuel our success at trial and we bring that same team spirit to the office.

Formal and Informal Feedback
All associates participate in formal mid-year and year-end evaluations. These evaluations provide feedback on projects undertaken throughout the year while also assessing the progress of the associate’s career at our firm. Additionally, all supervising attorneys are encouraged to provide informal feedback on a regular basis and associates are encouraged to seek feedback from more senior associates and partners.

We are committed to the growth and development of all our attorneys. The firm uses Performance and Advancement Criteria to ensure consistent expectations, fair evaluations, and transparent advancement opportunities.

Our criteria provides clear standards to our associates. The performance milestones are specific to an attorney’s position and expectations are cumulative as an attorney advances. Performance criteria areas include:

• Oral Advocacy
• Written Advocacy
• Legal Analysis
• Case Engagement
• Case Management
• Externalities
• Leadership
• Legal Skills

In addition to the criteria areas listed above, all attorneys are expected to support the values of the firm, including professional responsibility, commitment to community, diversity, and exceptional client service.

Training
We develop training curriculums that align with our Performance and Advancement Criteria and guiding principles. Partners and experts annually present over 200 hours of educational programs to our attorneys and clients. We seek CLE credit for every attending attorney, regardless of state of licensure.

We are one of just a few law firms to have our own courtroom. This state-of-the-art practice center enables us to offer programs using varied delivery methods and to digitally archive each session. The investment made in this facility is representative of our firm’s commitment to attorney professional development.

Mentoring
Our informal mentoring program is designed to help new associates transition into the firm and stay on track with their professional development goals. Each new associate is matched with a mentor. Part ambassador, part tour guide, the associate mentor picks up where law school left off, answering questions you didn’t even know you had. They show you the ropes and serve as a resource for basic lawyering skills, administrative procedures, and firm culture.

Diversity
Robins Kaplan LLP has made a serious commitment to the recruitment, retention, and advancement of attorneys of color, and individuals from the LGBTQ community. We are proud to be named a 2020 Top Performer by the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD). The Top Performer award recognizes organizations in the top 20% for participation in LCLD programs and activities.

Also in 2020, the firm has achieved Mansfield 3.0 Certification status. This certification means that the firm met or exceeded the program’s goal of increasing diversity in law firms by considering at least 30 percent women, lawyers with disabilities, LGBTQ+ lawyers, and lawyers of color for significant leadership roles and lateral partner and senior associate searches and openings.

In 2019, the firm received the ABA Law Practice Division’s Martha Fay Africa Golden Hammer Award. The award “recognizes the work of individuals/entities that help promote women and diverse attorneys in the Division, the ABA, and the profession.”

The firm has also been recognized for its groundbreaking diversity program, the Leaders Engaged in the Advancement of Diversity (LEAD) initiative. Built upon the premise that progress on diversity requires commitment from the very top, this comprehensive program empowers the firm’s leaders to take concrete steps to increase diversity and holds them accountable for their results.

Compensation and Benefits
Associate compensation varies by geographic location and is competitive with peer firms in each market where we have an office. Additionally, we offer a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Three weeks of vacation annually
• Eleven paid holidays (including Juneteenth)
• Medical, dental and life insurance (including same-sex domestic partner coverage)
• Paid medical leave
• Long-term disability coverage
• Medical care reimbursement account
• Dependent care reimbursement account
• Pre-tax commuter benefits
• Paid parental leave
• Annual bar dues
• Annual attorney registration fees
• Profit sharing plan
• Employee assistance program
• Back-up/sick child care benefits
• Discounted transit cards
• CLE Reimbursement
• 401(k) plan
• Bar Exam preparation and test expenses

Pro Bono
We believe in justice, and our representation of those who would otherwise lack access to the court system serves as a profound source of personal and professional satisfaction. For this reason, with advance approval, we generously count all associate’s pro bono work toward their billable hour requirement without a cap.

We believe that everyone deserves equal access to the justice system regardless of race, religious beliefs, nationality, or economic situation. Our associates have the opportunity to help solve problems for people who might not otherwise have access to a lawyer. It also affords associates the chance to get into court, argue before a judge or other referee, and otherwise participate in meaningful legal proceedings sooner.