START YOUR SUCCESS STORY AT V&E
Our strategy for success is simple. We hire the brightest lawyers who love practicing law and providing the highest level of service to clients, we support the development of their careers and practices, and reward our lawyers for their commitment to excellence. And we like to have fun!
“The firm is looking for smart, driven, self-motivated, socially adept individuals who work hard, enjoy the law, but also like having a life outside of work.”
Vault survey of associates
Join Us
We are proud of our strong reputation and 100-year history, but we don’t rest on legacy. Vinson & Elkins is recognized as a top-tier global law firm with roots in the energy industry, however our cutting-edge work today expands into other areas including thriving practices in M&A and private equity, banking/finance, technology, real estate, media, antitrust, complex litigation, intellectual property, environmental, tax, and regulatory. When you join V&E, you’ll work directly with lawyers who are passionate about the practice of law and who are leaders in their fields.
One of America's Top Corporate Law Firms,
Forbes Magazine
“This team has become a renewables powerhouse. The breadth and depth of expertise makes them formidable and ferocious, and commercially minded.”
The Legal 500 U.S. 2021
Recognized in 46 areas of law, including Commercial Litigation, Corporate/M&A, Capital Markets, Power & Renewables Projects, Employment/Labor, Environmental, Real Estate, and International Arbitration,
Chambers USA 2021
V&E’s robust training and development programs are designed to help you reach your full potential. Your development into an excellent lawyer is paramount at Vinson & Elkins. Lawyers at all levels take an active role in training and mentoring V&E’s next generation – it’s key to our culture and how we maintain our top-rated expertise.
- Formal mentors assist new lawyers with navigating firm culture and help establish relationships. V&E also encourages and facilitates various formal and informal mentor and sponsor pairings through our women’s and diversity initiatives.
- Onboarding programs ensure new hire and lateral attorneys are fully integrated into the practice and culture. Talent/Diversity Lead partners in each practice group are instrumental in assisting with work opportunities, building skills, and career growth.
- Practice Group Core Curricula, Benchmarks, and Individual Development Plans are formal tools that help associates track the learning path, gauge development, and assess what types of opportunities to seek at various stages.
Technical Skills Training
- 200+ live and virtual, in-house CLE presentations annually – Presented by our internal experts and external consultants; plus numerous online resources and webinars.
- External Training and Internal Workshops – Negotiation Skills, Depositions Skills, Trial Advocacy, Writing, and Financial Accounting to name a few.
Professional Skills Training
- Partners, Counsel, Senior Associates, and Clients Share Insights – Topics cover project management, effective mentoring and delegating, the partnership process, building inclusive teams, business development and the pitch process.
- External Experts Lead Sessions – Experts present on subject matters ranging from seeking feedback, building leadership skills and confidence, communications skills, and video presentation skills.
- One-on-One Career & Skills Coaching – Internal career coach available to all, plus one-on-one coaching on writing, communication/public speaking, leadership, etc.
“Partners at the firm have always treated me with respect and kindness, have taken time to get to know me, and to give guidance on projects and assignments."
Vault survey of associates
Who We Are
Building strong relationships is important, too. You won’t see closed doors at V&E – our welcoming and inclusive environment is part of our long-standing culture of openness and respect. We value differences as assets that enrich our firm and allow V&E to deliver the best service and solutions to our clients on their most sophisticated matters. With the support of leadership and allies, we strive to blend diversity and inclusion into our daily firm life.
Gold Standard Certification,
Women in Law Empowerment Forum 2021
Perfect Score for LGBTQ Workplace Equality,
Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index 2021
V&E’s diversity initiatives are led by firm leadership with the support of a Diversity & Inclusion Executive Committee and firm-wide Diversity Council; and our Women’s Initiative is chaired by a member of top leadership who focuses on retaining and promoting women. Supporting initiatives for the success of our women and diverse lawyers at V&E is a long-term strategy that ultimately ensures the success of all associates and of our firm.
V&E supports a variety of programs, benefits, and initiatives to help manage work and real life, such as generous paid parental leave (gender-neutral), new parent mentoring program, post-family leave phase-in for transitioning back to work, flexible work arrangements, remote work, family-friendly events, back-up child and elder care, and a number of mental and physical wellness programs.
In addition to the myriad internal initiatives and external organizations we support to ensure a more inclusive firm, V&E is committed to increasing diversity in the legal profession for years to come through our pipeline initiatives of numerous scholarships, fellowships, internships, mentoring, on-campus affinity group support, and sponsorships.
V&E lawyers are actively involved in diversity organizations including these and many others:
- Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) – Charter member
- Law Firm Antiracism Alliance – Charter member
- Lambda Legal – National sponsor
- ABA’s Judicial Internship Opportunity Program (JIOP)
- Sponsors for Educational Opportunities (SEO)
- Human Rights Campaign
- New York Bar Diversity Initiative
- Corporate Counsel Women of Color (CCWC)
- State Bar of Texas Minority Counsel Program (TMCP)
- The Center for Women in Law
- Women’s Bar Association of DC
- Asian American Bar Association
- South Asian Bar Association
- National LGBT Bar Association / Lavender Law Conference
Pro Bono
Giving back through pro bono work and community involvement is an equally important part of our culture. V&E lawyers donate more than 30,000 hours annually to pro bono activities, and countless more time on charitable and community support. Our pro bono work ranges from individual reunions of parents and children, to complex corporate governance of non-profit organizations serving our most vulnerable, to assisting our military and veterans with legal matters.
“[V&E] has a very strong commitment to pro bono work, and does an excellent job
of encouraging and recognizing attorneys who take on pro bono projects.
Vault survey of associates
Recognized as Pro Bono Leader by the American Bar Association
A summer of rich experiences. At V&E, Summer Associates have the opportunity to experience a variety of practice areas within our litigation, transactional, and tax departments. The Summer Associate Program includes a good mix of meaningful and substantive cases and deal work, direct partner and client contact, pro bono work, and social and affinity group activities so you can really get to know your future colleagues over the summer.
“The firm is very social and congenial, and lawyers often socialize together outside of work. The firm typically puts on several community-type events during the year.”
Vault survey of associates
Diversity Fellowships for 1Ls & 2Ls - $25,000
Apply online at www.velaw.com/fellowship
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