Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr has approximately 1,100 attorneys across 12 offices worldwide. It took its current form in a 2004 merger.
$225,000
Market base, no firm announcement (as of Sep 2026)
Not reported: Partnership Track.
Openings
2L Summer 2028 · Class of 2029Open
Opens
Open nowDeadline
Not announced
Checked 11h ago
Materials: Cover Letter · Writing Sample · Law School Transcript · Undergrad TranscriptLaw transcript must include first term grades.
3L / Entry-LevelOpening Soon
Fall 2027 start
Washington, DC
Opens
Not announcedDeadline
Not announced
About Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
WilmerHale works at the intersection of business and government, with clients in finance, life sciences, and technology. Its published matters and analysis span litigation, regulation, antitrust, and intellectual property. The firm's materials show how changes in public policy and legal doctrine can affect the operation of businesses in those sectors.
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Its work includes patent appeals and analysis of Federal Circuit decisions, as well as antitrust questions involving information sharing and emerging technologies. Published representations also include media litigation, such as the defense of The New York Times in Sarah Palin's libel case alongside co-counsel. These examples connect specialized subject matter with broader issues of advocacy and regulation.
For students, WilmerHale's practice offers several routes into business-government work. A matter may involve defending conduct in court, interpreting an agency's requirements, or protecting intellectual property. The firm's public practice materials make those connections visible while showing the different legal skills needed for each kind of engagement.
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 |
|---|---|---|
Banking & Finance | Colorado | Band 1 |
FCPA | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Financial Services Regulation: Broker Dealer (Compliance & Enforcement) | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Intellectual Property | Massachusetts | Band 1 |
Life Sciences | Massachusetts | Band 1 |
Life Sciences | Nationwide | Band 1 |
Litigation: General Commercial | Massachusetts | Band 1 |
Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations | District of Columbia | Band 1 |
Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government InvestigationsThe Elite | New York | Band 1 |
National Security | Nationwide | Band 1 |
72 reported ranking rows
Rankings
Request a CorrectionLatest published editions. Each links to its source.
Size and Standing
- $1.6B gross revenueAm Law 100, $1.6B gross revenue: #38 (opens in a new tab)
- Lawyers in 4 countriesGlobal 200, Lawyers in 4 countries: #45 (opens in a new tab)
- 983 attorneysNLJ 500, 983 attorneys: #56 (opens in a new tab)
- PrestigeVault Law 100, Prestige: #25 (opens in a new tab)
Associate Life
- Score 87.9The A-List, Score 87.9: #6 (opens in a new tab)
- Score 3.77 of 5Midlevel Associates Survey, Score 3.77 of 5: #60 (opens in a new tab)
- Best city resultMidlevel Survey, Boston, Best city result: #8 (opens in a new tab)
- VaultMost Selective Law Firms, Vault: #15 (opens in a new tab)
- VaultPro Bono, Vault: #19 (opens in a new tab)
Vault Practice Rankings
- Government Relations: #4 (opens in a new tab)
- White Collar Defense & Internal Investigations: #4 (opens in a new tab)
- Intellectual Property: #10 (opens in a new tab)
- Appellate Litigation: #12 (opens in a new tab)
- Life Sciences: #13 (opens in a new tab)
- Privacy & Data Security: #13 (opens in a new tab)
- Antitrust: #14 (opens in a new tab)
- General Commercial Litigation: #14 (opens in a new tab)
Inclusion
WilmerHale offers inclusive affinity groups, mentoring programs, regular feedback and skills-based learning, and says everyone matters and every attorney gets the opportunity to succeed. A Director of Inclusion and Opportunity leads the effort.
Pro Bono
- Average Hours Per Attorney
- 141 hoursAm Law pro bono rank #5Source
How pro bono work is assigned
WilmerHale was the charter signatory of the Pro Bono Institute's Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge in 1992, and its lawyers staff the WilmerHale Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School, which has assisted more than 20,000 people. The firm dedicates annual financial support to law and bar organizations and encourages board and committee service.
More about Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
Callback interviews are a three-hour visit with four to six lawyers for about 30 minutes each, and out-of-town students are reimbursed for interview travel. Each office lists partner hiring chairs. The firm's Career Advancement Program pairs lawyers with partner mentors and sets competencies by level, and WilmerHale was an inaugural signatory of the ABA Well-Being Pledge.