Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP

Vault’s Verdict: High levels of responsibility and no face-time requirement make up for unpredictable and long hours. Cravath's unique rotation system means that individual associates’ experiences can depend on the partners to whom they are assigned.

Associate Life

Satisfaction
• "The deals are top notch in terms of complexity and importance; the partners and associates are intelligent and collegial; associates are typically given as much responsibility as they can handle. These factors tend to lead to stress and long hours at times, but they also foster accelerated development and satisfaction."
• "Some aspects of the job are good—interesting deals, varied practices, the rotation system. However, this is often countered by crushing hours, negative interactions with partners and a lack of any real hope of making partner."
• "Cravath is a consistently challenging place to work. Standards are very, very high, which requires a lot from you, but it is also satisfying and inspiring. From the partners to the support staff, there is a universal insistence on achieving something close to perfection, and that makes hard work seem worthwhile."
• "As firms go, I think this is a great place—incredibly intelligent people and lots of opportunities to take responsibility at the highest levels."