What do we mean when we talk about "the Jones Day way"? We mean a set of practices and attitudes about our work, our clients, and ourselves that lets us deliver better service to our clients, eliminate the rivalries and competition that often arise in large law firms, and facilitate the development of our lawyers. It's a philosophy of legal practice that we believe sets us apart from our peer firms. And it's the primary reason Jones Day was rated "Number One for Client Service" by the BTI Consulting Group in three of the last five years, was the most-mentioned law firm in Corporate Counsel's 2005 survey of "Who Represents America's Biggest Companies" and in 2009 was the second most admired law firm according to more than 4,000 corporate directors who took part in a FTI Consulting/Corporate Board Member survey. Broadly speaking, the Jones Day way means six things:"One Firm Worldwide." Jones Day is not a constellation of individual offices and practices, but rather a unified firm working together to deliver coordinated legal services to our clients in the most effective, efficient way possible. Clients do not "belong" to individual Partners, or even particular offices or practices. Rather, every client is a client of the Firm, and we draw on the legal resources best suited to address the client's problems, wherever they are located in the Firm. In addition, we operate as a single profit center, meaning that the success of each office in any given year depends on the strength of the Firm as a whole. Our structure fosters a culture of teamwork and discourages competition among offices and lawyers.One Managing Partner. Jones Day was decades ahead of its time in giving overall responsibility for the Firm's direction to a single Managing Partner, rather than having the Partners vote on all matters of Firm strategy and governance. While the increasing size of modern firms has prompted many of them to follow our lead in adopting a "CEO" structure, Jones Day was already there in 1913. Since then, seven Managing Partners have led the Firm's transformation to a national and then global firm, providing a steady, coherent strategic vision for our progress. With 32 offices worldwide, more than $1 billion in annual revenues, and a blue-chip client list, we think the results speak for themselves.No branch offices. Because we are completely integrated, we have no "branch" or "satellite" offices and no headquarters. While we take great pride in our Cleveland roots, the fact is that Jones Day was one of the first firms to expand beyond a single state, opening our Washington Office in 1946. The two principal governing committees that advise the Managing Partner-the Advisory Committee and the Partnership Committee-consist of lawyers from nearly every Jones Day office, and the lawyers who lead our 22 practices are similarly spread across the Firm. This Firmwide orientation helps us better serve our clients and focus more strategically and effectively on the development of the Firm.Compensation and confidentiality. Many firms still operate under some version of the "eat what you kill" approach, in which partner compensation is tied closely to business development, with complicated formulas based on "client origination". Not Jones Day. We recognize that Partners and associates alike contribute to the Firm in a variety of ways, and our lawyers are compensated according to their overall contributions. At the same time, our lawyers honor a culture of discretion about matters related to compensation; unlike other firms, we do not publish each lawyer's billable hours and compensation for the entire Firm to see. By keeping compensation matters private, we avoid the jealousies and rivalries that can arise from a zero-sum spoils system based on client credit.A culture of respect. The Firm characteristics described above attract a particular kind of lawyer to Jones Day. We seek lawyers who are concerned not with maximizing their individual position in the Firm, but with delivering the best service possible to our clients, with colleagues whom they value and respect. These lawyers take great pride in their work, they lack pretension, and they show respect and consideration to everyone in the Firm-Partners, associates, and staff alike.Time to explore. Jones Day has long recognized that many new lawyers coming out of law school remain uncertain of which particular practice area they want to pursue. In addition, like all relationships, we believe it takes some time for an individual to find the best personal fit within the Firm. Moreover, we believe that the variety of exposures a lawyer can encounter during his or her first year at the Firm provides valuable experience and makes that lawyer more well rounded. Accordingly, in 1981 Jones Day created the New Lawyers Group ("NLG"), which provides our newest lawyers with the opportunity to gain exposure to different practice areas and lawyering styles before making a commitment to a specific practice. All lawyers joining our domestic offices from law school – and judicial clerks, at their election – become members of the New Lawyers Group for about a year before joining a practice group. Please select an office location to learn more.
We are seeking lawyers who will thrive in the exceptionally supportive, nonhierarchical, team environment that is the hallmark of Jones Day. We want our lawyers to share certain fundamental principles: exemplary integrity, a selfless dedication to the Firm and our clients, and a sense of responsibility and initiative that leads them to take ownership of assignments and to perform them at the highest level of quality legal service. We seek lawyers who are always looking for opportunities to contribute more in solving our clients' problems and who focus on "why" we are crafting a particular solution rather than merely concentrating on the mechanics of "what" needs to be done. Over the course of the summer, we evaluate whether our summer associates are compatible with the Firm's culture.Our summer associates have a sense of involvement in the Firm and leave with an accurate picture of what being a Jones Day lawyer is like. Perhaps that is why our acceptance rates are high and the vast majority of our new associates join us after spending a summer at Jones Day.
Overview of Summer Program: The principal goal of our summer program is to provide summer associates with a realistic experience so they understand what it is like to work here and so we can learn more about their potential as Jones Day lawyers. We attempt to achieve this goal by providing our summer associates with meaningful work on actual client matters, training programs modeled on the same programs attended by our partners and associates, and social functions designed to allow them to develop relationships with our lawyers and each other. We sincerely hope that all of our summer associates will return to the Firm as full-time associates, and we do not over-hire summer associates who then have to compete with one another for a limited number of positions. Consequently, we expect our summer associates to view each other as colleagues and not as competition. This perspective fosters the kind of cooperation we value, and is why we devote so much time, energy and money to ensuring that each summer associate has a challenging and rewarding experience with us.Work Assignment Process: We have designed work assignment procedures that allow our summer associates to effectively assimilate into our workflow. Each of our summer associates is assigned to one of five attorneys who comprise our Work Assignment Committee. That committee is responsible for making sure each summer associate has opportunities in a variety of practice areas and achieves an appropriate balance between work and social activities. In selecting projects, the Work Assignment Committee takes into consideration each summer associate’s expressed interests and aversions, if any, and typically assigns work that would otherwise be assigned to one of our first or second-year associates. In addition to the Work Assignment Committee, our summer associates work closely with their assigning attorneys and benefit from the same type of constructive guidance and feedback that our full-time associates receive.Feedback: We provide our summer associates with formal and informal guidance and feedback concerning their development. Our Hiring Partner meets with each summer associate for formal mid-summer and final reviews, which act as a dedicated two-way street for guidance and feedback. During those reviews, our summer associates will not only receive formal guidance and feedback regarding his or her development, but will have the opportunity to give feedback regarding how we are doing in providing an exceptional experience. In addition, the Work Assignment Committee provides informal feedback for each project a summer associate completes. This allows each summer associate to continually improve his or her work between formal reviews. Finally, and most importantly, our assigning attorneys are encouraged to provide meaningful and timely impromptu feedback to our summer associates. This is the same kind of informal feedback received by our lawyers, and may be given during a meeting, through comments to written work or over morning coffee. Training and Mentoring: We schedule training programs for our summer associates throughout the summer. The programs allow our summer associates to learn more about substantive areas of law and our practice areas, and are usually hosted during lunch or breakfast by our attorneys. In the past, our programs have addressed topics such as negotiation skills, legal writing, trial preparation, deposition strategies and ethics. In addition, our summer associates are afforded opportunities to attend trials, depositions, closings and client meetings. Finally, each of our summer associates is assigned a mentor to assist in his or her professional and personal development, as well as to provide support and guidance throughout the summer and beyond. Summer Social Program: Our summer social program is comprised of both large and small events, and provides opportunities for all of our attorneys to get together in an atmosphere apart from the sometimes frenzied pace of the office. Our events vary from year to year, and we are always trying to improve our program. In the past, our summer associates have enjoyed informal dinners and summer cookouts at the homes of our partners and associates, Las Vegas-style casino parties, golf outings, baseball games, tennis lessons, lake-side barbeques, wine tastings, paintball battles and even private tours of The Ohio State University football facilities (hosted by none other than head football coach, Jim Tressel). In addition to our formal program, individual practice areas or attorneys often organize their own events during the summer, such as daily lunches, afternoon movies or doughnut-eating contests. Regardless of the specific activity, the entire office takes advantage of the summer program to meet our summer associates and spend time with one another.Pro Bono/Community Service: We encourage our summer associates to participate in our pro bono and community efforts during the summer. In addition to pro bono work involving traditional legal advice, we are actively involved in community service projects such as purchasing, cooking and serving dinners to needy families at the YWCA Family Center. In addition, our summer associates recently spearheaded a presentation to WrightChoice, Inc., an organization that promotes the talents of the next generation of lawyers and other professionals and targets primarily minority and disabled students.
Students should schedule an on-campus interview through their law school Career Services Office. At some law schools, Jones Day sends a lawyer from a single office to interview on behalf of several, or all, offices. It is important that you inform the interviewer about your office location preference(s). List the office(s) which interest you, in order of preference, on the upper right corner of your resume.
If we are not coming to your school, or you were otherwise unable to apply through that process, follow the instructions at Opportunities. Be prepared to attach your resume and law school transcript. Download Interview Tips and Reimbursement Guidelines.
You have more than three months to select an undergraduate university or law school. You have more than three months to find the neighborhood, house or apartment that fits you best. And you have more than three months to pick a spouse or life partner. So why does it make sense to force a lifetime career decision based upon a ten or eleven week summer experience?
It doesn’t. And we don’t force that decision.
To the contrary, Jones Day has long recognized that many new lawyers coming out of law school remain uncertain of which particular practice area they want to pursue. In addition, like all relationships, we believe it takes some time for an individual to find the best personal fit within the Firm. Moreover, we believe that the variety of exposures a lawyer can encounter during his or her first year at the Firm provides valuable experience and makes that lawyer more well rounded. Accordingly, in 1981 Jones Day created the New Lawyers Group (“NLG”), which provides our newest lawyers with the opportunity to gain exposure to different practice areas and lawyering styles before making a commitment to a specific practice. All lawyers joining our domestic offices from law school – and judicial clerks, at their election – become members of the New Lawyers Group for about a year before joining a practice group.
However, like most things at Jones Day, we don’t believe the NLG year is a one size fits all proposition. Accordingly, we have made the program very flexible to the individual. If you arrive at Jones Day focused on a particular area of practice, you are more than able to concentrate on that area during your first year (consistent with the overall needs of our clients). In contrast, if you are still seeking to compare practice areas, or to explore a new area, the NLG program provides institutional flexibility to support you in that effort. Indeed, the program is fluid enough that should your interests change mid-year, the Firm can be responsive to that directional change.
Each U.S. office designates a New Lawyers Group coordinator, a partner who coordinates assignments for new lawyers, oversees the training components of the NLG year, and assists you with any issues that may come up during your first months at the Firm. You will keep the coordinator apprised of your workload and interests and he or she will make every effort to match your assignments with those areas of interest. At the same time, you are encouraged to develop your own internal “clients” at the Firm, by seeking out senior lawyers with whom you wish to work in areas that interest you.
We recognize that feedback on your performance is critical to your growth as a lawyer and to your job satisfaction. Accordingly, we endeavor to get our new lawyers a prompt and meaningful evaluation of their work on each assigned project. In addition, the NLG coordinator will provide a more formal “mid-term” evaluation of your work after your first few months at the Firm to keep you apprised of what you are doing well and to identify any areas for continued growth.
Finally, one of our commitments to you as a Jones Day lawyer is to help you become the best lawyer you can be. Training is central to that goal and accordingly is an important part of the NLG year. Aside from the informal training you will receive on an ongoing basis as part of your work on assigned projects, there is a slate of formal trainings you will receive as well. These range from sessions on “better brief writing,” to classes on privilege issues or taking effective depositions. The most substantial component of this training schedule is the annual “New Lawyers Academy.” During this three days of training, all of Jones Day’s new lawyers Firmwide are brought together for hands-on training exercises, seminars on ethics, communications and pro bono, and meetings with leaders at the Firm. In addition to providing substantive training, the Academy helps to broaden your understanding of Jones Day’s unique culture, organization and operation.Our goal via the New Lawyers Group is to assist in making your transition to the practice of law at Jones Day as smooth and successful as possible. A big part of that is allowing you the time and opportunity to make a meaningful practice choice. We suspect you’ll find that your time in the New Lawyers Group will not only accomplish these goals, but will connect you with peers – Firmwide – that will remain your friends and colleagues for years to come.
Successful associates at Jones Day share our commitment to high-quality service and dedication to clients, with the goal of building their own unique contribution to the Firm. In return, we are equally committed to providing the training, professional development, and client responsibility, consistent with increasing levels of experience and competence, that will enable our associates to become outstanding lawyers.
Jones Day has been, and will continue to be, a firm where a lawyer can make a career. Many of the Firm’s leaders began here as new lawyers, and even as summer associates, and are testaments to the Firm’s commitment to our associates and associate development. Up-from-the-ranks partners are the norm, not the exception, and the Firm invests considerable time and effort in both formal and informal training that will enable our associates to take on even increasing responsibilities and to advance in the Firm.
At Jones Day, providing exceptional client service has been the hallmark of our practice philosophy. The time it takes to do that is not an end in itself, but merely incidental to the true goal. As a consequence, billable hours, while often reflective of effort, are not the singular, or even most instructive, measure of an associate’s contribution. Associates are not expected to mark time or to show up on a weekend just to be visible. We expect our associates to be effective and efficient. When our lawyers determine how to spend their time, common sense, rather than a spirit of competition, prevails.
Our Managing Partner has emphasized that while we intend to keep our salaries competitive, we will not link salary to billable hour requirements. We believe that rewarding the mere accumulation of billable hours can not only result in unhealthy competition among lawyers, but also detract from client service.
We encourage all of our lawyers to find a successful balance between the demands of client service, community involvement, family and personal interest. This balance is often vital to long term success and enjoyment in the practice of law. The great diversity of our lawyers’ backgrounds, interests and talents reflect their success in enjoying full lives while also engaging in one of the world’s most challenging and stimulating legal practices.
Consistent with its position as a premier global law firm, Jones Day offers competitive salary packages by individual geographic market. Associate compensation for lawyers at Jones Day is reviewed annually in connection with our evaluation process. Salary determinations are based upon merit, considering an individual's total contribution to the Firm, individual development and effectiveness. Starting salary for New Associates in Columbus is $145,000 annually. A $4,000 summer living stipend is paid on June 1 to those who are taking the July Bar Exam. Bar Exam Review Course and Bar Exam Fees are paid by the Firm in addition to the stipend. A relocation expense package is also provided.Summer Associate salary in Columbus is $12,083 monthly. A one-time stipend to assist with relocation expenses will be paid to summer associates at the beginning of the summer. The Firm provides a bonus and gives credit for both compensation and seniority purposes to associates joining the Firm directly from a federal court or state supreme court clerkship. For those associates coming to the Firm from a U.S. Court of Appeals or District Court, or from a state supreme court, the bonus is $50,000. Associates joining the Firm directly from the U.S. Supreme Court receive a competitive bonus. Associates coming off qualifying clerkships also receive credit for each year spent on those clerkships for seniority purposes. Benefits Approved Leave. The Firm provides four weeks of vacation and a reasonable amount of sick leave per year. Vacation days are pro-rated if the employee begins late in the year.Back-up Child Care. The Firm provides backup child care in the event that the regular care-giver is not available. A nominal daily charge may be required.Bar Expenses. The Firm pays for Bar review courses and the Bar Exam fees associated with becoming admitted in the jurisdiction in which the associate will practice. These payments are in addition to the summer living stipend.Blackberry. The Firm will reimburse the monthly fee and up to $200 to cover the costs of a blackberry device. Associates are eligible for a replacement device every 24 months.Part-time/Flex-time. A variety of flexible and part-time arrangements are available to meet the needs of individual lawyers. Associates may propose a part-time arrangement, and such arrangements are considered on a case-by-case basis.Professional Association Membership. The Firm pays the annual dues for the primary State Bar membership and for one local bar association.Professional Development/CLE. The Firm offers a variety of in-house courses which are pre-approved to meet mandatory CLE requirements and also reimburses for certain outside seminar expenses.Relocation. Reasonable moving and travel expenses are covered for incoming associates who live more than 50 miles from the office.Summer Living Stipend. In addition to other payments and reimbursements, the Firm pays a stipend to assist with living costs for recent graduates who are sitting for the Bar Exam.Paid Medical, Maternity and Family Leave. The Firm provides salary continuation in the event of a major illness or medical condition, including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, as follows: full salary and benefits for up to the first 13 weeks of continuous disability and 75% of salary and full benefits for up to the 14th through 26th weeks of continuous disability. For routine childbirth (including cesarean-section births), the Firm will assume an eight-week disability period, unless we are notified that the Associate is disabled for a longer period. Further, in the event an Associate has a newborn or newly adopted child, or a child with a serious illness or medical condition that necessitates the Associate's absence from the office to care for the child, the Firm provides up to four weeks of paid family leave with fringe benefits continuing as though actively at work. Thus the available leave for routine childbirth generally includes an eight-week paid medical leave and a four-week paid family leave, for a total of twelve weeks paid leave, and with approval, up to an additional 12 weeks of unpaid leave with benefits continued at the Associate's expense.
INSURANCE AND OTHER BENEFITS: