Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
Davis Polk & Wardwell has approximately 1,000 attorneys across 12 offices worldwide. Founded in 1849.
$225,000
Market base, no firm announcement (as of Sep 2026)
Not reported: Partnership Track.
Openings
2L Summer 2028 · Class of 2029Open
rolling
New York, Washington, DC, Los Angeles
Opens
Open nowDeadline
Not announced
Checked 1d ago
Materials: Cover Letter · Law School Transcript · Undergrad TranscriptThe cover letter names your preferred practice department. The undergraduate transcript must be official.
1L Summer 2028 · Class of 2030Opening Soon
Opens
Expected early OctoberDeadline
Not announced
About Davis Polk & Wardwell
Davis Polk advises on corporate transactions, financing and disputes, with financial institutions forming a particularly visible part of its practice. Its work for banks and other financial businesses connects transactional questions with the regulatory requirements that shape how those businesses raise capital and combine with one another.
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In capital markets, the firm represents financial-sector issuers and underwriters on debt, equity, preferred stock and other securities. Its published practice materials identify regulatory capital, liquidity and related requirements as part of that work. Capital-markets and tax lawyers work with financial-institutions specialists on these transactions, illustrating the interaction between commercial structure and regulation.
Its financial-institutions M&A practice similarly combines knowledge of business combinations with banking and financial regulation, drawing on the firm's M&A and restructuring lawyers. Davis Polk also identifies pro bono service and community involvement as continuing institutional commitments. The firm's financial-services work offers a concrete example of how several legal disciplines contribute to the same business decision.
Practice Strength by Market
Every band below appears on this firm’s Chambers USA 2026 profile, checked September 26, 2026. Where Chambers splits a table into The Elite and Highly Regarded, every Elite firm ranks above every Highly Regarded firm.
| Practice | Market | Recognition, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
Antitrust | New York | Band 1 |
Banking & Finance | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Banking & Finance | New York | Band 1 |
Bankruptcy/RestructuringThe Elite | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Bankruptcy/RestructuringThe Elite | New York | Band 1 |
Capital Markets: Convertible Debt | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Capital Markets: Debt & Equity | California | Band 1 |
Capital Markets: Equity: Issuer Counsel | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Capital Markets: Equity: Manager Counsel | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Capital Markets: High-Yield Debt | Nationwide | Band 1 |
61 reported ranking rows
- About 10 Cornell students track this firm.
Rankings
Request a CorrectionLatest published editions. Each links to its source.
Size and Standing
- $3.2B gross revenueAm Law 100, $3.2B gross revenue: #14 (opens in a new tab)
- Lawyers in 7 countriesGlobal 200, Lawyers in 7 countries: #17 (opens in a new tab)
- 1,237 attorneysNLJ 500, 1,237 attorneys: #36 (opens in a new tab)
- PrestigeVault Law 100, Prestige: #7 (opens in a new tab)
Vault Practice Rankings
- Banking & Financial Services: #2 (opens in a new tab)
- Securities/Capital Markets: #2 (opens in a new tab)
- Bankruptcy/Restructuring: #4 (opens in a new tab)
- Project Finance: #4 (opens in a new tab)
- General Corporate Practice: #6 (opens in a new tab)
- Tax Law: #6 (opens in a new tab)
- Mergers & Acquisitions: #7 (opens in a new tab)
- Securities Litigation: #8 (opens in a new tab)
Practice Areas
Each year Davis Polk picks two or three associates to step away from practice as full-time Summer Program Coordinators who distribute assignments by interest. The firm describes "an open and flexible assignment system which means you can dig deep into an area of particular interest if you want, or you can work on assignments from multiple practice areas throughout the duration of the summer program."
Inclusion
Davis Polk says it hosts or sponsors more than 80 events a year focused on building community and promoting an inclusive work environment, backed by a learning and development strategy for business professionals and lawyers at every level.
Pro Bono
- Summers Can Take Pro Bono
- YesSource
- Average Hours Per Attorney
- 46.3 hoursAm Law pro bono rank #73
How pro bono work is assigned
Summer associates work on amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court, trials, and transactions and advice for nonprofits and small businesses, on existing matters and on new matters the firm accepts specifically for the summer program. In New York, select summer associates can take two-week externships at local public interest organizations, decided in the spring. A dedicated pro bono team is led by a Chief Pro Bono Counsel.
More about Davis Polk & Wardwell
Each summer associate is matched with a partner mentor and an associate liaison (usually a first- or second-year associate), with formal feedback at midsummer and exit reviews. The firm runs over 25 practice overview and professional development sessions plus a multiday Corporate Immersion deal simulation. Most summer associates sit in New York; the firm also runs summer programs in Los Angeles, Northern California and Washington DC.