Williams & Connolly LLP
Williams & Connolly counts approximately 422 attorneys in 1 office. Founded in 1967.
Not reported: Partnership Track.
Openings
3L / Entry-LevelOpen
2027 Associate (+1 more role)
Washington, DC
Opens
Opened Sep 1Deadline
Oct 1, 2027
Checked 1d ago
2L Summer 2028 · Class of 2029Opening Soon
Washington, DC
Opens
Expected late fall 2026Deadline
Not announced
2L Summer 2027 · Class of 2028Closed
Washington, DC
Opens
Closed this cycleDeadline
Not announced
Closed
Williams pays $260,000. Of the 197 firms that publish pay, 1 pays more and 195 pay less.
Listed firms by announced first-year comp
| First-Year Comp | Firms |
|---|---|
| Above $260K | 1 |
| $260K | 1 |
| Below $260K | 195 |
Source: firm announcements. 197 listed firms publish a first-year figure.
About Williams & Connolly
Williams & Connolly concentrates on litigation, with a practice that includes trial work, Supreme Court advocacy, and appeals. Its published matters and lawyer materials show work involving life sciences, patents, arbitration, and other contested business issues. Appellate advocacy is a particularly visible part of the firm's public identity.
The Supreme Court and appellate practice includes lawyers with experience in government and judicial clerkships. Its work spans different substantive areas, including product liability and intellectual property, demonstrating how appellate procedure and legal analysis can apply across industries. These matters require close attention to the record, the governing law, and the consequences of the legal rule being argued.
The firm also publishes examples of pro bono representation, including work with the International Refugee Assistance Project. For students, Williams & Connolly offers a concentrated view of advocacy at different stages of a dispute, from trial-related issues to appellate review, within a firm centered
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on contentious practice.
Rankings
Latest published editions. Each links to its source.
Size and Standing
Associate Life
Pro Bono and Inclusion
- 102.7 hours per lawyerAm Law Pro Bono, 102.7 hours per lawyer: #17 (opens in a new tab)
- Women in Law Scorecard: #131 (opens in a new tab)
- LGBTQ+ Scorecard: #33 (opens in a new tab)
- 2023-24Mansfield, 2023-24: Certified Plus (opens in a new tab)
- VaultPeople with Disabilities, Vault: #12 (opens in a new tab)
- VaultInclusion, Vault: #15 (opens in a new tab)
- VaultLGBTQ+ Individuals, Vault: #18 (opens in a new tab)
Vault Practice Rankings
- Appellate Litigation: #1 (opens in a new tab)
- White Collar Defense & Internal Investigations: #2 (opens in a new tab)
- General Commercial Litigation: #6 (opens in a new tab)
- Antitrust: #8 (opens in a new tab)
- Products Liability: #11 (opens in a new tab)
- Securities Litigation: #14 (opens in a new tab)
- Intellectual Property: #21 (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 |
Appellate Law | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Law Firm Defense | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Litigation: General CommercialThe Elite | District of Columbia | Band 1 |
Litigation: Securities | District of Columbia | Band 1 |
Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations | District of Columbia | Band 1 |
Media & Entertainment | District of Columbia | Band 1 |
Product Liability & Mass TortsThe Elite | Nationwide | Band 1 |
First Amendment Litigation | Nationwide | Band 2 |
Intellectual Property: Litigation | District of Columbia | Band 2 |
Intellectual Property: Patent Trial and Appeal Board | Nationwide | Band 2 |
Antitrust: Cartel | Nationwide | Band 3 |
Corporate Crime & InvestigationsThe Elite | Nationwide | Band 3 |
False Claims Act | Nationwide | Band 3 |
Financial Services Regulation: Banking (Enforcement & Investigations) | Nationwide | Band 3 |
Intellectual Property | Nationwide | Band 3 |
Intellectual Property: Appellate | Nationwide | Band 3 |
Litigation: General CommercialThe Elite | Nationwide | Band 3 |
Antitrust | District of Columbia | Band 4 |
Antitrust | Nationwide | Band 4 |
Food & Beverages: Regulatory & Litigation | Nationwide | Band 4 |
Securities: Litigation | Nationwide | Band 4 |
FCPA | Nationwide | Band 5 |
Healthcare | District of Columbia | Band 5 |
Life Sciences | Nationwide | Band 5 |
25 reported ranking rows
Facts verified by BigLaw Bear, narrative by the firm. Figures carry a source link where we hold one; prose is Williams & Connolly’s own.
Firm Highlights
Summer Program
Inclusion
Williams & Connolly's Diversity & Inclusion Committee, chaired by partners Malachi Jones and Suzanne Salgado, develops and monitors initiatives for all attorneys. The firm is Mansfield Rule certified and offers a $25,000 Summer Associate Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship open to all 2L applicants.
Pro Bono
- Average Hours Per Attorney
- 102.7 hoursAm Law pro bono rank #17
How pro bono work is assigned
Most Williams & Connolly pro bono matters are direct representations of individuals in criminal, civil or administrative proceedings. Through its partnership with the Maryland Office of the Public Defender, firm attorneys have handled over 160 criminal cases and associates over 170 appeals. The firm reports tens of thousands of pro bono hours a year and does not accept direct requests for representation.
More about Williams & Connolly
The 2028 summer program is open to students who will have completed their second year of law school by that summer; the firm lists no 1L program. The Hiring Committee, chaired by Katherine Trefz, meets after each school's screening interviews, and callbacks are five to six lawyers. The summer 2028 recruiting schedule is posted in the fall.
Schools Williams & Connolly Hires From
2 schools name Williams & Connolly on its own employer or placement pages. These lists are not exhaustive.