Careers / Entry Level Lawyers

Entry Level Lawyers

Build the Career of a Lifetime

Haynes Boone operates as a team, not a hierarchy. As an associate you have immediate responsibility for clients, and our emphasis on strong work ethic, a collegial atmosphere, open communication and ongoing professional development crafts the framework that builds responsibility into success.

We have a dynamic, entrepreneurial atmosphere and our lawyers like building their careers here. If you’re looking for professional and personal satisfaction, look no further than Haynes Boone.

When you start with the firm, you’ll be assigned to a particular practice area - and perhaps a more focused sub-practice area. Your assignment is matched closely with the recruiting process to ensure that your needs and ours are met - and, although it doesn’t happen often, associates can change practice areas after being with the firm for a period of time.

Compensation and Benefits

Over the past several years, it has been our practice to set the initial salary level of the entering class at prevailing market rates. The firm also offers a full range of benefits to associates, including medical, dental, life and long-term disability insurance benefits, as well as participation in the firm’s 401(k) retirement savings plan.

Judicial Clerkship

We feel the experience of judicial clerkship is highly beneficial to your career. Many of our lawyers have completed them. The research and writing skills, plus the exposure to the trial and appeal process are valuable skills in the professional development of any lawyer.

If you join our firm and have completed a judicial clerkship, you will be given a clerkship bonus and appropriate credit for the year(s) spent clerking. Judicial clerkship credits include clerkships with Federal District Courts, Federal Courts of Appeals, the U.S. Supreme Court and state supreme courts. Credit for judicial clerkships with other courts will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Your Partnership Path

Each practice section coordinates periodic evaluations of its associates - at least annually and in some cases semi-annually. Evaluations give you substantive feedback about your progress and cover issues pertinent to your practice development. Early in your career, this provides an opportunity to identify your areas of interest and to voice any concerns regarding your work experience. As you become more senior, the evaluation process also includes a discussion of your prospects of making partner. We currently consider associates for partnership after eight to ten years of practice. There is no quota for how many associates make partner each year.

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Candidate Evaluation and Recruitment Process

Haynes Boone uses the Suited Assessment as part of our candidate evaluation and recruitment process to expand our consideration of candidates beyond traditional hiring metrics. Information on what is measured by the assessment, Suited’s data retention policies, and how to request a reasonable accommodation may be found here ¹. Completing the Suited assessment is a mandatory part of our recruiting process; however, should you believe that even with appropriate reasonable accommodations enabled you require an alternative selection procedure, please email the Managers of Entry-Level Recruiting, Amy Hill or Jennifer Lindsley. To see the results of our AEDT bias audit required under New York City Local Law 144, please click here ².