Best Law Firms to Work For

Associates assess their own firms on a range of workplace issues related to career development, job satisfaction, and quality of life. Vault's 2021 Rankings are derived from Vault's Annual Associate Survey conducted between late January 2020 through early April 2020.

Survey Methodology

Which law firms are the best to work for? For some, this is a far more important consideration than prestige. To determine our Best Law Firms to Work For, we used a formula that weighed the most relevant categories for an overall quality of life ranking. Each firm's overall score was calculated using the following formula:

25% satisfaction; 10% firm culture; 10% hours; 10% compensation; 10% quality of work; 5% business outlook; 5% career outlook; 5% associate/partner relations; 5% transparency; 5% formal and informal training; 5% pro bono; 5% overall diversity

Like our Vault Law 100 rankings, our quality of life rankings are meant to reflect the subjective opinions of associates. These rankings are based on perceptions of insiders—some of whom may be biased in favor of (or against) their firms.

Vault's 2021 Rankings are derived from Vault's Annual Associate Survey conducted between late January 2020 through early April 2020.

2021 Best Law Firms for Compensation

SCORE 9.655

2020 Rank 1

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz

Each year, a significant chunk of the world’s dealmaking—major mergers and acquisitions, antitrust and shareholder litigation, big-name restructurings, and multi-billion-dollar real estate ventures—gets cranked through the well-oiled machine...

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SCORE 9.615

2020 Rank 10

Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP

Since 1899, Choate Hall & Stewart has been a Boston firm through and through. Although smaller in number than its national competitors, Choate attorneys have remained competitive without compromising on the firm’s collaborative mindset and...

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SCORE 9.611

2020 Rank 5

Clifford Chance US LLP

With 2,500 lawyers across more than 30 offices around the globe, Clifford Chance is a legal behemoth. The firm boasts a growing practice in the U.S. and a global reputation that shines. Brits and Yanks The Modern Clifford Chance was...

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SCORE 9.573

2020 Rank 2

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP

Cleary Gottlieb is a leading global law firm, with offices on four continents and an unparalleled reputation for groundbreaking work. While long known as a dominant player in the international and corporate business world, Cleary has built out...

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SCORE 9.556

2020 Rank 6

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP

One of the New York elites, Willkie is home to more than 750 attorneys. In addition to its home in the Big Apple, the firm has offices in Chicago, DC, Houston, Palo Alto, and San Francisco, plus six locations across Europe. The firm is known for...

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SCORE 9.552

2020 Rank 29

Shearman & Sterling

Shearman & Sterling is one of the world’s leading law firms, serving the domestic and cross-border needs of an impressive roster of clients. With approximately 850 lawyers in 24 offices across North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, and...

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SCORE 9.505

2020 Rank 8

Ropes & Gray LLP

With 11 offices across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, Ropes & Gray is an international firm that prides itself in handling cutting-edge work. A regular atop legal industry rankings, the firm is adept at assisting clients in complex, highly...

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SCORE 9.503

2020 Rank 23

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Founded in Texas in 1945, Akin Gump has grown to become one of the world’s largest law firms, with hundreds of lawyers across 21 offices around the globe. The firm has long been a force in national politics via its lobbying and policy work. ...

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SCORE 9.478

2020 Rank 3

Latham & Watkins LLP

Latham is one of the world’s largest law firms, a bona fide member of the clique that includes the Magic Circle and the elite U.S. heritage firms. With more than 2,800 attorneys in 29 offices around the world, Latham practices in all the major...

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#10

SCORE 9.462

2020 Rank 14

Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

Orrick is a global firm of more than 1,100 attorneys that is fiercely committed to teamwork and innovation. The firm has dozens of offices across the globe, including domestic locations in California, New York, Oregon, and Texas. It All...

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