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 Transparency

SCORE 9.089

2020 Rank 2

Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP

One of SoCal’s elites, Munger, Tolles & Olson has only recently expanded beyond the Golden State. The firm is best known for its litigation chops, and through its highly selective recruiting process, draws in a high number of clerks. ...

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SCORE 8.973

2020 Rank 9

O'Melveny & Myers LLP

Long rooted in California—where it maintains a quintet of offices—O’Melveny & Myers has branched out in all directions with offices in seven countries on three continents. The firm is known for its work in antitrust, appellate litigation,...

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SCORE 8.918

2020 Rank 1

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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SCORE 8.894

2020 Rank 3

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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SCORE 8.769

2020 Rank 5

Jackson Walker

Jackson Walker is the largest firm contained completely in Texas. The firm has more than 400 attorneys practicing in a broad range of practice areas in seven offices across the Lone Star State: Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Angelo,...

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SCORE 8.739

2020 Rank 12

Goulston & Storrs PC

Founded in 1900, Goulston & Storrs is an AmLaw 200 firm with around 200 lawyers working down the East Coast from Boston to New York City to DC. The firm touts its collaborative culture with a motto of “Collaboration: Some law firms say it....

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SCORE 8.683

2020 Rank 6

Cozen O'Connor

With 30 offices across the U.S., U.K., and Canada, Cozen O’Connor is a full-service law firm. The firm’s client list ranges from Fortune 500 and middle-market firms to startups and individuals. Supersized Cozen O’Connor was founded in 1970...

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SCORE 8.643

2020 Rank 7

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 8.532

2020 Rank 11

Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP

With expertise in a variety of practices, including corporate, litigation, employment, IP, antitrust, and finance, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP has grown aggressively in recent times. The firm has added several industry-focused...

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#10

SCORE 8.469

2020 Rank 25

Thompson Coburn LLP

With headquarters in St. Louis, Thompson Coburn has offices spread across the U.S., from DC to California to Illinois to Texas. The firm is known for its copyright, corporate, labor & employment, litigation, and environmental practices, and...

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