Fall Interview Process
What is the callback interview process like? How long should I expect my interview to last?
Each callback interview consists of separate meetings with typically four different lawyers for approximately 30 minutes each.
Please indicate your practice area interests (if any) when you call to schedule your callback interview. We do our best to have you meet with attorneys from the departments in which you are most interested, along with law school and undergraduate alumni, if applicable.
What should I bring to my callback interview?
When you schedule your callback interview, you should confirm that we have a copy of your transcript, an updated copy of your resume and a short writing sample. We will distribute these items to the attorneys you will interview with in advance of your meetings. However, it would be nice to have an extra copy of each of these documents with you.
How do I get reimbursed for travel expenses?
Please keep track of all your expenses using the NALP Travel Expense Reimbursement Form. Be sure to get receipts for any expenses for which you would like to be reimbursed (transportation, meals, etc.). Please send the form along with your receipts to:
Samantha C. Lia
Legal Recruiting Manager
Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP
1177 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036
If I receive an offer, can I come back to the firm for a second visit?
Yes! We strongly encourage those students who have received offers to come back to the firm and meet with more of our lawyers. We will arrange for you to meet with lawyers of the practice area and seniority level of your choice, either in the office, at lunch or over dinner. We recognize this is an important decision and feel that the best way for you to get to know our firm and culture better is by meeting with more of our lawyers.
What qualifications does the firm look for in recruits?
We seek students whose academic achievements, journal writing and prior work experience demonstrate exceptional ability, motivation and potential for leadership.
What is the typical size of your Summer Program?
Approximately 15 summer associates.
Who should I contact at the firm if I have any additional questions about the interview process?
Feel free to call Lauren Tapper at 212-715-9287 or ltapper@kramerlevin.com.
Summer Program
What level of responsibility will I be given as a summer associate?
Every summer associate is given intensive, hands-on work and is treated as a practicing attorney, receiving the same assignments as first-year associates. For examples of projects our summer associates have been responsible for, please click here.
What training do summer associates receive during the Summer Program?
A variety of training and departmental information lunches are held throughout the summer. In addition to our extensive orientation, examples of typical training programs include a deposition skills workshop, negotiation skills workshop, tour of the courts and legal writing seminar. Departmental information sessions are also conducted, and consist of one or more members of the department (usually a combination of partners and associates) presenting an overview of the practice, current deals or cases, work encountered at various levels, and clients represented.
How will I receive assignments during the summer?
Summer associates are not assigned to a specific department during the Summer Program. An assigning attorney distributes work according to summer associate departmental interests and availability, giving each summer associate the opportunity to work in as many different areas of practice as possible throughout the summer. If a summer associate has a specific area of interest and wants to work exclusively for that department, that request will be granted as long as there is sufficient work to keep the summer associate busy throughout the summer.
Will I be able to work directly with partners and clients?
Yes! There are opportunities to work with attorneys of all levels, and with clients. Our shadowing program offers additional opportunities to work with partners and clients.
Will I receive feedback on my assignments? Is there a formal evaluation process?
Attorneys are asked to give feedback to each summer associate with whom they work on a project-by-project basis. Additionally, a partner member of the Recruiting Committee gives each summer associate a midsummer review and an end-of-summer review.
Can I participate in pro bono activities over the summer?
Every summer associate has the opportunity to take direct responsibility for handling a pro bono matter under the supervision of a partner or associate, and summer associates also may receive assignments on other ongoing Kramer Levin pro bono representations. Pro bono and community service activities can be built into your Kramer Levin career from the very beginning.
Summer associates who choose to participate can conduct a Social Security disability hearing, help litigate a political asylum claim, or take the lead on other matters for low-income clients or nonprofit organizations. These assignments provide summer associates with hands-on experience and client contact, while helping the firm meet its commitment to devote 3 percent of its billable time to pro bono legal services. Summer associates also may receive regular assignments on other pro bono matters in the office. In recent years, summer associates have done crucial research to help develop the legal theories underlying Kramer Levin’s groundbreaking civil rights work on behalf of same-sex couples and their families, assisted on class actions on behalf of homeless children with asthma and child SSI claimants, and helped obtain important results for a number of worthy nonprofit organizations.
What kinds of social events are there during the Summer Program?
Our Summer Program is structured to give our summer associates a balance between work and social gatherings. A variety of social events are planned throughout the summer that provide summer associates with the opportunity to get to know our attorneys away from the office.
Events have included:
- NYC Bus Tour
- Golf at Chelsea Piers
- Cocktail Reception at Butter NYC
- Ping Pong and Bocce at Bryant Park
- Reception at Elsie Rooftop
- Virtual Trivia
- NYC Scavenger Hunt
- Hornblower Dinner Cruise
- Happy Hours at Connolly’s and The Elgin
... and many more!
If I receive an offer from the firm, but decide to accept a clerkship after graduation, will my offer remain open?
Many lawyers join Kramer Levin after gaining experience as federal or state judicial clerks for one or more years following law school. We believe that these experiences greatly add to the continued professional development and success of lawyers entering private practice. Your offer will remain open until after you complete your clerkship.
What is the percentage of summer associates who have received offers over the past few years?
Although each summer associate is evaluated on his or her merit, our general practice is to extend offers to 100 percent of the summer class.