Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher counts approximately 2,200 attorneys in 22 offices. Founded in 1890.
Not reported: Partnership Track.
Openings
1L Summer 2027 · Class of 2029Opening Soon
Los Angeles, San Francisco, Palo Alto, Houston, Dallas, Denver, Orange County
Opens
Nov 2, 2026Deadline
Feb 5, 2027
2L Summer 2028 · Class of 2029Opening Soon
New York, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Palo Alto, Houston, Dallas, Denver, Orange County
Opens
Nov 2, 2026Deadline
Feb 5, 2027
Gibson pays $225,000, the same as 159 of the 197 firms that publish pay.
Listed firms by announced first-year comp
| First-Year Comp | Firms |
|---|---|
| Above $225K | 18 |
| $225K | 159 |
| Below $225K | 20 |
Source: firm announcements. 197 listed firms publish a first-year figure.
About Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
Gibson Dunn's law student materials describe a practice covering litigation, appeals, and major business transactions. Summer associates can encounter work involving financing, mergers and acquisitions, public offerings, and real estate, alongside trial and appellate assignments. The firm's recruiting approach presents the summer program as an important route into its associate ranks.
A distinctive feature is the firm's free-market assignment system, which allows lawyers to develop working relationships and pursue practice interests. Its training materials include practical instruction in legal writing, depositions, and corporate and real estate transactions. These subjects reflect both the analytical and execution skills involved in client work.
The real estate examples include acquisitions, dispositions, financing, and joint ventures, showing how one practice can span several kinds of transaction. For students considering Gibson Dunn, the firm's combination of assignment flexibility and formal skills training is worth exploring at the office level, where available teams and matters shape the
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practical experience.
Rankings
Latest published editions. Each links to its source.
Size and Standing
- $4.2B gross revenueAm Law 100, $4.2B gross revenue: #4 (opens in a new tab)
- Lawyers in 10 countriesGlobal 200, Lawyers in 10 countries: #4 (opens in a new tab)
- 2,063 attorneysNLJ 500, 2,063 attorneys: #11 (opens in a new tab)
- PrestigeVault Law 100, Prestige: #8 (opens in a new tab)
Associate Life
- Score 88.6The A-List, Score 88.6: #5 (opens in a new tab)
- Score 4.68 of 5Midlevel Associates Survey, Score 4.68 of 5: #5 (opens in a new tab)
- Best city resultMidlevel Survey, Denver, Best city result: #1 (opens in a new tab)
- Vault Best to Work For: #5 (opens in a new tab)
- VaultBusiness Outlook, Vault: #1 (opens in a new tab)
- VaultSatisfaction, Vault: #4 (opens in a new tab)
- VaultCareer Outlook, Vault: #4 (opens in a new tab)
Pro Bono and Inclusion
- 117.0 hours per lawyerAm Law Pro Bono, 117.0 hours per lawyer: #8 (opens in a new tab)
- Women in Law Scorecard: #65 (opens in a new tab)
- LGBTQ+ Scorecard: #17 (opens in a new tab)
- 2023-24Mansfield, 2023-24: Certified (opens in a new tab)
- VaultInclusion, Vault: #3 (opens in a new tab)
- VaultLGBTQ+ Individuals, Vault: #3 (opens in a new tab)
- VaultPeople of Color, Vault: #3 (opens in a new tab)
Vault Practice Rankings
- Real Estate Law: #1 (opens in a new tab)
- Appellate Litigation: #2 (opens in a new tab)
- Government Relations: #3 (opens in a new tab)
- Labor & Employment Law: #5 (opens in a new tab)
- White Collar Defense & Internal Investigations: #5 (opens in a new tab)
- Antitrust: #6 (opens in a new tab)
- Bankruptcy/Restructuring: #6 (opens in a new tab)
- General Commercial Litigation: #7 (opens in a new tab)
Show All 21
- Energy, Oil, & Gas Law: #8 (opens in a new tab)
- Securities Litigation: #10 (opens in a new tab)
- Environmental Law: #11 (opens in a new tab)
- Privacy & Data Security: #11 (opens in a new tab)
- Tax Law: #11 (opens in a new tab)
- Media, Entertainment, & Sports: #12 (opens in a new tab)
- Emerging Companies & Venture Capital: #13 (opens in a new tab)
- Securities/Capital Markets: #14 (opens in a new tab)
- General Corporate Practice: #15 (opens in a new tab)
- Mergers & Acquisitions: #15 (opens in a new tab)
- Private Equity: #16 (opens in a new tab)
- International Practice: #19 (opens in a new tab)
- Banking & Financial Services: #22 (opens in a new tab)
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.
Scroll sideways to see recognition.
| Practice | Market | Recognition, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
Accountant and Auditor Liability | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Antitrust | California | Band 1 |
Antitrust | District of Columbia | Band 1 |
Antitrust | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Antitrust: Cartel | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Appellate Law | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Artificial Intelligence | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Corporate Crime & InvestigationsThe Elite | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Corporate Governance | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Corporate/M&A & Private Equity | District of Columbia | Band 1 |
Energy: Oil & Gas (Transactional) | Nationwide | Band 1 |
False Claims Act | Nationwide | Band 1 |
FCPA | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Insurance: Insurer | California | Band 1 |
Intellectual Property | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Intellectual Property: Patent | New York | Band 1 |
Intellectual Property: Trade Secrets | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Labor & EmploymentThe Elite | California | Band 1 |
Labor & Employment | District of Columbia | Band 1 |
Law Firm Defense | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Litigation: Appellate | California | Band 1 |
Litigation: General CommercialThe Elite | California | Band 1 |
Litigation: General CommercialThe Elite | District of Columbia | Band 1 |
Litigation: General CommercialThe Elite | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Litigation: General CommercialThe Elite | New York | Band 1 |
Litigation: General Commercial | Texas: Dallas, Fort Worth & Surrounds | Band 1 |
Litigation: Securities | California | Band 1 |
Litigation: Securities | District of Columbia | Band 1 |
Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations | California | Band 1 |
Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations | Colorado | Band 1 |
Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations | District of Columbia | Band 1 |
Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government InvestigationsThe Elite | New York | Band 1 |
Media & Entertainment: Litigation | California | Band 1 |
Outsourcing | California | Band 1 |
Outsourcing | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Outsourcing | New York | Band 1 |
Privacy & Data Security: Litigation | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Product Liability: Toxic Torts | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Projects: PPP | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Real Estate | California: Northern | Band 1 |
Real Estate | California: Southern | Band 1 |
Real Estate | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Real Estate: Mainly Corporate & Finance | New York | Band 1 |
Real Estate: Mainly Dirt | New York | Band 1 |
Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use | California | Band 1 |
Securities: Litigation | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Securities: Regulation: Advisory | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Tax | California: Southern | Band 1 |
Antitrust | Texas | Band 2 |
Banking & Finance | California | Band 2 |
Capital Markets: Debt & Equity | Texas | Band 2 |
Corporate/M&AThe Elite | California: Los Angeles & Surrounds | Band 2 |
Corporate/M&AThe Elite | Texas | Band 2 |
Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation | California: Los Angeles & Surrounds | Band 2 |
Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation | California: San Francisco, Silicon Valley & Surrounds | Band 2 |
Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation | Texas: Dallas, Fort Worth & Surrounds | Band 2 |
Energy & Natural Resources | Colorado | Band 2 |
Environment | District of Columbia | Band 2 |
Financial Services Regulation: Banking (Enforcement & Investigations) | Nationwide | Band 2 |
Labor & Employment | Nationwide | Band 2 |
Leisure & Hospitality | Nationwide | Band 2 |
Life Sciences: Corporate/Commercial | California | Band 2 |
Litigation: General Commercial | Colorado | Band 2 |
Litigation: Securities | New York | Band 2 |
Media & Entertainment: Corporate | New York | Band 2 |
Media & Entertainment: Litigation | New York | Band 2 |
Media & Entertainment: Transactional | California | Band 2 |
Private Equity: Buyouts: Mid-Market | Nationwide | Band 2 |
Private Equity: Fund Formation | Nationwide | Band 2 |
Retail: Corporate & Transactional | Nationwide | Band 2 |
Securities: Regulation: Enforcement | Nationwide | Band 2 |
Tax | New York | Band 2 |
Tax | Texas | Band 2 |
Tax: Controversy | Nationwide | Band 2 |
Tax: Corporate & Finance | Nationwide | Band 2 |
Transportation: Rail (for Railroads) | Nationwide | Band 2 |
Banking & Finance | Nationwide | Band 3 |
Bankruptcy/Restructuring | California | Band 3 |
Bankruptcy/RestructuringThe Elite | Nationwide | Band 3 |
Bankruptcy/RestructuringThe Elite | New York | Band 3 |
Capital Markets: Debt & Equity | California | Band 3 |
Capital Markets: Investment Grade Debt: Issuer Counsel | Nationwide | Band 3 |
Corporate/M&A | Colorado | Band 3 |
Corporate/M&AThe Elite | Nationwide | Band 3 |
Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation | Nationwide | Band 3 |
Energy: Electricity (Transactional) | Nationwide | Band 3 |
Environment | California | Band 3 |
First Amendment Litigation | Nationwide | Band 3 |
Intellectual Property: Litigation | District of Columbia | Band 3 |
Intellectual Property: Patent Litigation | California | Band 3 |
Intellectual Property: Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets | Texas | Band 3 |
International ArbitrationThe Elite | Nationwide | Band 3 |
International Trade: Export Controls & Economic SanctionsThe Elite | Nationwide | Band 3 |
Life Sciences | Nationwide | Band 3 |
Litigation: Appellate | Texas | Band 3 |
Litigation: General Commercial | Texas: Houston & Surrounds | Band 3 |
Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations | Texas | Band 3 |
Privacy & Data SecurityThe Elite | Nationwide | Band 3 |
Private Equity: Buyouts | California | Band 3 |
Private Equity: Buyouts | Texas | Band 3 |
Retail | Nationwide | Band 3 |
Sports Law | Nationwide | Band 3 |
Transportation: Road (Automotive) | Nationwide | Band 3 |
Antitrust | New York | Band 4 |
Banking & Finance | New York | Band 4 |
Banking & Finance | Texas | Band 4 |
Capital Markets: High-Yield Debt | Nationwide | Band 4 |
Capital Markets: Investment Grade Debt: Manager Counsel | Nationwide | Band 4 |
Climate Change | Nationwide | Band 4 |
Corporate/M&AThe Elite | California: San Francisco, Silicon Valley & Surrounds | Band 4 |
Corporate/M&AThe Elite | New York | Band 4 |
Derivatives | Nationwide | Band 4 |
Energy: Electricity (Regulatory & Litigation) | Nationwide | Band 4 |
Environment | Nationwide | Band 4 |
ERISA Litigation | Nationwide | Band 4 |
Food & Beverages: Regulatory & Litigation | Nationwide | Band 4 |
Government ContractsThe Elite | Nationwide | Band 4 |
Higher Education | Nationwide | Band 4 |
Intellectual Property | Texas | Band 4 |
Intellectual Property: Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets | California | Band 4 |
Labor & EmploymentThe Elite | New York | Band 4 |
Private Equity: Buyouts | New York | Band 4 |
Tax | District of Columbia | Band 4 |
Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite | District of Columbia | Band 4 |
Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation | District of Columbia | Band 5 |
Healthcare | District of Columbia | Band 5 |
Product Liability & Mass TortsHighly Regarded | Nationwide | Band 1 |
127 reported ranking rows
Facts verified by BigLaw Bear, narrative by the firm. Figures carry a source link where we hold one; prose is Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s own.
Firm Highlights
Summer Program
Program features
- Summer Pay
- $225,000Reported to Chambers Associate (Sep 2026)Source
- Total Summer Associates
- 156Reporting year not confirmedSource
- Program Length
- 10 weeksSource
- Early Interviewing
- YesApplications for the 2028 Summer Program (2L summer) are accepted November 2 through February 5 through the firm's Careers page. Students apply to one first-choice office only. Offices review applications mainly after first-semester grades, extend interview invitations on a rolling basis, and keep offers open for 14 days.Source
- Assigned Practice Areas
- No, free marketFree marketSource
- First Years Hired into a Practice
- NoSource
Practice Areas
Gibson Dunn runs a Free Market System of work allocation. The firm says it "does not arbitrarily impose practice areas but, rather, empowers lawyers to seek out work that interests them and mentors who inspire them." The summer program introduces the practice groups and the system itself, and summers take on litigation projects at the trial and appellate levels as well as corporate and real estate transactions.
Inclusion
Gibson Dunn supports over 15 active firmwide affinity groups plus local groups in each U.S. office and many international offices. The groups and their events are open to all lawyers regardless of background. The firm hosted more than 350 diversity and inclusion events in 2024.
Affinity groups
- Asian American Affinity Group
- Black Affinity Group
- Christian Bible Study Groups
- Disability Affinity Group
- First Generation Professionals Affinity Group
- Hispanic/Latino Affinity Group
- Jewish Affinity Group
- LGBTQ+ Affinity Group
- LGBTQ+ Women's/Non-Binary Affinity Group
- Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) Affinity Group
- Muslim Affinity Group
- Parenting Affinity Group
- Real Estate Attorneys of Color
- Sabbath-Observant Affinity Group
- South Asian Affinity Group
- Veterans @ Gibson Dunn
- Women's Affinity Group
- Women of Color Affinity Group
Pro Bono
How pro bono work is assigned
Gibson Dunn encourages lawyers to take on pro bono matters and clients they are personally passionate about under what it calls a "Big Tent" philosophy. The firm reports 240,000 plus pro bono hours, 750 plus new matters and 2,000 plus participating lawyers in 2025.
More about Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
The New York office does not plan to hire additional 1L students for its 2027 Summer Program. Firmwide, the IP Fellowship offers a 1L summer associate position focused on IP litigation in the office of the student's choice for students with a science background or USPTO eligibility. Summer associates are assigned to a single office for the whole program.
Schools Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher Hires From
7 schools name Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher on its own employer or placement pages. These lists are not exhaustive.