Attorneys
Susman Godfrey is a challenging and rewarding place to work. The firm is always looking for intelligent, hard working individuals who have the skills and desire to work for one of the finest litigation firms in the country.
Susman Godfrey does not have a required minimum number of hours each lawyer must work. The level of our business sets the workload for each of us, and fortunately our business has been good. Within the firm, there is considerable variation regarding hours. While we value hard work, we always have placed a premium on quality over quantity.
In addition to billable time, all attorneys are asked to perform non-billable services for the firm. The firm meets weekly to discuss issues important to our practice, and all attorneys are encouraged to attend and participate. The firm is managed in part through a series of committees, and all lawyers are expected to participate on one or more of these committees. The firm also encourages all attorneys to attend in-house and outside seminars and training programs at the firm's expense.
Like new lawyers at most firms, new lawyers at Susman Godfrey learn by doing. Nonetheless, we try to approach the training of new lawyers, and the continuing education of all lawyers, in an organized manner. Subject to the approval of the Training Committee, a lawyer at the firm may attend seminars about areas of the law in which he or she is interested, at the firm's expense. In addition, the firm periodically conducts in-house seminars on litigation practice. These are conducted by lawyers at the firm and cover topics such as the drafting of pleadings, discovery requests, and motions; motion practice in state and federal courts; preparing for, conducting, and defending depositions; examining and cross-examining witnesses in court; and arguments to the court and the jury. We also encourage new lawyers to attend a mock trial advocacy program run by the National Institute of Trial Advocacy. These programs typically cover ten days and are intensive trial advocacy programs. The firm also has an orientation and training program specifically geared for new attorneys at the firm.
During a new lawyer's first three months at the firm, a substantial portion of his or her time will be set aside for observation of the firm's practice, including meetings with clients, depositions, hearings and trials. Three of the firm's attorneys, at varying levels of seniority, will be assigned to each new lawyer to manage training during this orientation period, and to provide specific opportunities for observation and discussion. Assignments on billable projects will be limited during the three-month orientation period in order to permit participation in the observation and training program.
Susman Godfrey is committed to setting the standard for associate compensation in the cities in which we practice — Houston, Dallas, Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York.
Our compensation package for first year associates joining our Houston, Dallas, Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York office is $170,000, plus benefits. The package includes a base salary of $160,000, plus a $5,000 signing bonus and a $5,000 vacation bonus.
Associates' base salaries are as follows:
| Associate Year | Base Salary (Houston, Dallas, Seattle, Los Angeles & New York) |
|---|---|
| 1st | $160,000 |
| 2nd | $170,000 |
Susman Godfrey also pays year-end merit bonuses to associates who have been with the firm for at least one year. Merit bonuses take into account each associate's work and results, as well as the firm's overall success that year and are usually generous.
The firm has even had a year when it paid all associates bonuses that exceeded 100% of their base salary. More commonly, our merit bonuses have accounted for 20% to 60% of an associate's annual compensation and are far in excess of bonuses paid by our competitors.
Read recent coverage regarding year-end 2011 bonuses here.
Associates' merit bonuses for the past five years are as follows:
| Grad yr | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 100,000 | 80-100,000 | |||
| 1999 | n/a | n/a | |||
| 2000 | 100,000 | 80-90,000 | |||
| 2001 | n/a | 100-120,000 | |||
| 2002 | 95,000 | 80-95,000 | |||
| 2003 | 80,000 | 55-59,500 | 40-95,000 | 65-75,000 | |
| 2004 | 95-115,000 | 60-80,000 | 36-55,250 | 35-100,000 | 65-70,000 |
| 2005 | 82-105,000 | 60-65,000 | 34-49,300 | 55-70,000 | |
| 2006 | 45-80,000 | 35-60,000 | 34-38,250 | ||
| 2007 | 45-75,000 | 32-42,250 | |||
| 2008 | 45-47,500 |
In addition to salary and bonuses, the firm pays for associates' life, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, long-term disability and major medical insurance, participation in our 401(k) program, garage parking, bar exam fees, and reasonable moving expenses. The firm also provides up to 16 weeks of paid pregnancy leave for associates and up to 4 weeks paid parental leave for associates.
"As the first lawyer in my family, I entered the legal profession without connections and without an ability to play golf. I wanted to join a ‘tier one' firm that rewarded merit not an ability to politic and a firm that would let me run as fast as I could run. Susman Godfrey is a meritocracy and that has served me well. I have achieved my goals here, and I have achieved them quickly. I am where I want to be, working at the highest level with the high performing lawyers, paralegals, secretaries and support staff that excel in this merit-based system." — Erica Harris, Partner
"Susman Godfrey is unlike any other firm I interviewed or summered at. All we do is litigation, we are very good at it, we hire extremely selectively, and once you're in the door, you're doing the kind of fun and challenging work that your friends at other law firms only dream of doing at that point in their career: taking witnesses at trial; arguing key motions and appeals; taking and defending fact and expert depositions; running cases. I did all that within my first two years here, except arguing an appeal — that came in year three. Making partner has meant more of the same great work, and even greater rewards."
— Stephen Shackelford, Partner
"From the moment I started at Susman Godfrey, my experiences have been incomparable. I argued in court in my first week, deposed witnesses in my first month, and tried my first case a few months later. My cases have taken me from rural Texas to Europe and everywhere in between. My practice has been extremely diverse, including energy, contract, defamation, patent, bankruptcy, securities, class actions, corporate mergers, and real estate disputes. Through it all, I've had the privilege to work alongside the most talented and dedicated trial lawyers in the country. There's simply no other law firm providing young lawyers the same opportunity for meaningful experience in the highest caliber lawsuits." — David Peterson, Associate
"I came to Susman Godfrey to get in the trenches and polish my litigation skills. I've been validated-in less than one month. The clearest example is that I argued a motion to dismiss in federal court in a multimillion dollar dispute. My opponent was a corner-office partner from a prestigious law firm. I'm sure that the associates in my class at the opposing law firm had researched and written the motion, just like I did. But the difference about working at Susman Godfrey is that I got to argue it, too. Susman Godfrey is a place where young associates take depositions, argue motions in court, and get standup time at trial. Here, that's the rule, not the rare exception." — Mani Walia, Associate
Susman Godfrey interviews second and third year law students each year at several law schools, including Harvard, Yale, Columbia, The University of Texas, The University of Chicago, and The University of Houston. We also welcome resumes from top students at law schools where we do not conduct on-campus interviews. We require interview applicants to be in the top ten percent of their class, be a member of the law review or journal at their law school, and show the desire and ability to become a successful trial lawyer. It is a prerequisite at Susman Godfrey for employment that applicants complete a federal judicial clerkship before starting at the firm.
Federal Judicial Clerkships:
We require prospective associates to clerk for the judiciary after they complete law school. Accordingly, we give incoming associates salary and partnership credit for most judicial clerkships. Associates who join our firm after completing a federal judicial clerkship receive credit toward salary and partnership eligibility, as well as a $50,000 bonus. This bonus is in addition to the $5,000 signing bonus and the $5,000 vacation bonus that we give to every associate who joins us. United States Supreme Court clerks receive additional credit toward salary and partnership eligibility and an additional $75,000 bonus. Thus, those who clerk both for a federal judge and for a United States Supreme Court justice will receive a total clerkship bonus of $125,000.
Approximately 82% of our attorneys clerked for federal judges, six for Justices of the United States Supreme Court. We strongly believe the experience is an excellent way to begin a career in litigation. We routinely interview and hire judicial clerks who have not participated in our summer associate program.
Pro Bono:
The firm accepts pro bono matters that are approved by the firm's attorneys. In the past we have handled a number of substantial pro bono cases. Time spent on pro bono matters is counted as billable time.
Partnership:
Associates at Susman Godfrey generally become partners much earlier than associates at large firms in Houston, Dallas, Seattle, Los Angeles or New York. The firm does not adhere to a rigid "class" system. That is, attorneys from the same law school class will not necessarily be treated alike in terms of compensation or advancement in the firm. We strive for a merit-based system.
We do not adhere to any arbitrary quota for the number of associates who ultimately will become partners. Each associate is evaluated on his or her own performance. The most important criterion used in deciding to make an associate a partner is the associate's ability to handle cases effectively and independently. Other important criteria are the associate's dedication to the firm's practice as reflected by the associate's quality of work, amount of time spent working, long-run potential for generating new business for the firm, facility for leadership, and ability to work with and supervise other attorneys.
Generally, we consider associates for partnership after completing a one year federal clerkship and six years with the firm.
Diversity:
Susman Godfrey is committed to diversity among our lawyers. We believe this commitment is important to maintaining our position as a premier litigation firm, enriching the experience of our lawyers, and achieving the best results for our clients.
Susman Godfrey seeks to attract the brightest minds in the country to work here, drawing from a broad range of talent. The firm strongly encourages women and members of minority and other underrepresented groups to apply. Susman Godfrey does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, marital status, disability, or sexual orientation.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Susman Godfrey's Diversity Committee at diversity@susmangodfrey.com.
