Career Trajectory

Your Career Path at Cleary

Our informal and collegial working environment is designed to accommodate individuality. We encourage our associates to pursue their interests in diverse practice areas, gaining the broad experience that will lay the foundation for sound legal judgment and superior lawyering skills.

Finding Your Practice

In a constantly changing legal environment, we believe clients are best served by lawyers who have the confidence and creativity to practice effectively in a variety of areas. As a lawyer’s experience builds, the lawyer is expected to assume increasing responsibilities in chosen areas of interest. 

At Cleary, lawyers join practice groups based on both their preferences and our clients’ needs. Although many lawyers participate in several different practice groups, we emphasize the development of a high level of demonstrated ability in areas of the law where specialization is necessary.

A Commitment to Growth

Associates who join Cleary have several ways to grow their careers at the firm:

• Partner: It is our hope and expectation that our associates will strive to become partners of Cleary. The traditional partnership track at Cleary is eight years. (Certain associates may be granted one or two years of seniority credit reflecting professional experience already attained.) The partnership, as a whole, elects individual lawyers to become partners in our firm. All partners, irrespective of the office in which they are located and their seniority, are full-fledged members of Cleary with equal voting and participation rights.
• Counsel: We offer the position of counsel on a selective basis to a small number of highly regarded lawyers in a variety of practice areas throughout Cleary. Counsel are compensated on a combined salary and bonus basis.
• Senior Attorney: Senior attorneys play important roles in many of our practice areas. Time commitments, flexible work schedules, and compensation for senior attorneys are determined on an individualized basis.