Litigation Associate

Patterson Belknap is now accepting applications from rising 3L students interested in joining the Firm?s Litigation Department in the Fall of 2026.

All applicants must submit a resume, law school transcript, and a writing sample.

Your writing sample should:

1. Be no more than 1250 words. An excerpt from a longer work is fine, but please choose an excerpt that a reader can understand without the context of the larger piece.

2. Beyour own original work, with no editing from others. If you do not have a writing sample that meets this requirement, please choose a sample with as little external editing as possible, and include a note with your sample informing us (i) who edited the sample and (ii) the nature and extent of their edits. However, you should provide a fully unedited sample if at all possible, and we will assume you have done so unless you tell us otherwise.

3. Demonstrate your skills as an advocate. Ideally, your sample should show us that you can be a strong and effective advocate for our clients. As a general rule, we have found that draft briefs or judicial opinions make the best samples, and legal research memos are also fine. Academic pieces, such as law review notes, tend to be less helpful.

Qualifications:

? Desire to work in a small, tight-knit group that offers broad training and gives early responsibility to junior attorneys and offers the opportunity to work directly with partners and other senior attorneys from the outset.

? Strong written and verbal communication skills.

? Strong legal research and analytical skills.

? Careful attention to details.

? Excellent time management and organizational skills.

? A flexible problem solver, self-directed, client service oriented, and collaborative.

? Strong academic credentials.

The starting base salary for a first-year associate is $225,000 per year, plus competitive benefits and bonus eligibility. Associate base compensation at Patterson Belknap is typically lock-step, based on experience.

At Patterson Belknap, we are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace. If this role interests you, but you believe your prior work experience may not align perfectly, we still encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this role, or we may help you explore other suitable opportunities. We look forward to hearing from you.

PBWT is an equal opportunity employer.

If you have questions or encounter difficulties with the electronic applications, please email legalrecruiting@pbwt.com.

Practice Areas & Specialty

Litigation