Careers
Our Professional Development
Our comprehensive talent management approach helps our community realize its full potential.
Experienced Lawyers and Judicial Clerks
Discover Dechert
Why you should make the Dechert decision
Making a lateral move is an important decision. Although there are many firms to consider, Dechert offers opportunities that are distinctive and compelling, and provides lawyers both the experiences they need to become experts in their field and a culture that emphasizes a commitment to excellence and collaboration. Our lawyers enjoy working with one another, and it shows. That makes a difference.
We offer exciting opportunities to take your career to the next level
You’re likely to encounter some of your biggest career opportunities and challenges here at Dechert.
Our approach is to judiciously present our people with assignments that draw out their strengths and stretch their boundaries. As a top firm for financial services and high-stakes litigation, our clients are leaders in their industries.
We advise a broad range of financial institutions and private investors on complex transactional and regulatory matters, as well as many of the world’s leading global corporations and other entities on a broad array of issues and disputes. We pursue our clients’ goals with multidisciplinary global practice teams, led by some of the most acclaimed lawyers in their fields.
Accordingly, we recruit lawyers who want to challenge themselves through complex, cutting-edge legal work in a highly collaborative environment. Here, our people are trusted and empowered to do their very best work.
We encourage and train our people to be agents of change
At Dechert, we strive to foster a culture of innovative thinking and excellence in service to our clients.
Innovation@Dechert
Innovation is an essential part of who we are and how we work so we have established management practices, adopted motivational tactics, and invested in resources that position our community to be innovative by:
- Having the autonomy to decide how to best carry out challenging work, giving our people a sense of purpose.
- Creating an environment that encourages creativity and supports new ways of doing things.
- Recognizing our people for their innovative ideas, share their stories and award their accomplishments.
Learn more about Innovation@Dechert.
We offer a clear path to partnership
We understand that good communication about goals, performance and progress are essential to your growth and to the firm’s success.
Dechert’s career path model helps us achieve the strategic goal of elevating more new partners each year. All Dechert lawyers are designated a career level based on several critical skills as well as the substantive legal skills required in their practice areas. Practice group leaders meet individually every year with lawyers to discuss the group’s expectations and the lawyer’s career options and promotion prospects.
We offer a strategic business planning and development program designed to help our associates prepare for the Partnership Promotion Committee process. To ensure a smooth transition into partnership, the firm holds a New Partner Orientation for our newly elected partners and provides ongoing partner development sessions for them throughout their first year, including specific new partner programming.
While we hope everyone will enjoy a long career here, we understand that associates, from those who wish to become partners to those aiming to go in-house, need resources and to feel comfortable leveraging the incredible network we offer. Whatever path you choose, we have resources designed to help.
Our job board is a resource to make you aware of external opportunities. We host partner panel discussions aimed at demystifying the path to promotion, and alumni panel discussions with former Dechert associates who have gone on to work in a range of careers. Our alumni spotlight feature in our weekly newsletter highlights the satisfying career paths Dechert alumni have found.
Learn more about our Global Critical Skills Institute and partner development programs.
We’re committed to supporting and developing our elite talent
We provide all our lawyers with work experience, training and mentoring to foster growth and development, and allow them to take on even greater responsibility.
Training at Dechert
From day one, we help you get a running start by matching you with an ambassador who provides introductions and gets you familiar with the ways of the firm. Subsequently, you work with a practice group director who is dedicated to helping you find your place within your relevant practice area.
Our Talent team helps build individual development plans, supports public speaking opportunities, and encourages participation in networking events. We hold reunions with our extensive network of alumni, many of whom are valued clients and professional contacts.
Learn more about our professional development opportunities.
We support a healthy integration of work and personal life
No one can achieve their fullest potential – or deliver exceptional client service – without taking the time to invest in and rejuvenate themselves.
Dechert promotes a healthy integration of work and personal life through our THRIVE@Dechert framework, which focuses on physical, mental, emotional and financial well-being.
We offer competitive benefits and support our people with a generous and equitable parental leave policy, so all parents can devote that time to being caregivers for their families. Our policy is aligned with our inclusive, supportive and collaborative culture.
Dechert’s associates have a hand in shaping our culture. Our Global Associates Committee represents all our lawyers by giving them a voice in workplace priorities and a way to suggest new initiatives to firm leadership. Every quarter, our leadership joins all global associates for a highly interactive session to share firm information and discuss associates’ perspectives on key developments and issues at the firm.
Our people are encouraged to share their best ideas, collaborate, infuse every relationship with caring, respect and trust, and pursue and support a meaningful work-life balance.
We value different backgrounds and perspectives
Dechert is consistently recognized as one of the world's best places to work, a champion of DEI and a model of social responsibility.
Our commitment is demonstrated by action. As a firm, we have a responsibility to create processes and programs that attract a diverse group of people to Dechert, and more importantly, empower them to succeed and thrive.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Dechert
Our partners have been participating in quarterly interactive sessions on inclusive leadership since 2018, and training has since expanded to all associates and business service professionals. Topics include affinity bias, attribution bias, covering, in and out groups, priming, unconscious bias and inclusive leadership in times of crisis.
Another vital aspect of our work is our diversity liaison partners (DLPs) initiative. DLPs around the world ensure that mentoring, assignment opportunities, substantive training and support are provided to the firm’s women and diverse lawyers wherever they work. These partners, along with practice group management, take part in focused training that explores the science behind implicit bias, countermeasure strategies and the attorney lifecycle (recruiting, mentoring, work allocation and evaluations).
Learn more about our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
How to Apply
Note to Recruitment Agencies
Recruitment agencies should feel free to enquire about openings and opportunities. However, we will not accept candidate introductions from any recruitment agency unless a fee agreement is in effect prior to the introduction. In accordance to our fee agreement, all submissions should be made directly to a member of our Lateral Recruiting Department. Resumes sent to Dechert LLP lawyers will not be accepted or considered valid submissions. Additionally, in the U.S., we do not accept search firm submissions for candidates who are in law school or who are post-clerk candidates without previous law firm experience. Please contacts us at emea.recruiting@dechertcareers.com (EMEA) or recruiting@dechertcareers.com (U.S.) for more information
Why our lawyers made the Dechert decision
Associate
Rachel Rosenberg
PhiladelphiaWorking at Dechert has not only given me the chance to work on highly sophisticated litigation, but also to collaborate directly with clients on the strategic issues that shape the litigation. The pro bono work Dechert actively supports and encourages has also afforded me invaluable opportunities to work one-on-one with clients."
Learn More
Explore our programs for attorney advancement and engagement, as well as testimonials from our laterals.
Recruitment Privacy Policies
Note to all U.S. Applicants
Dechert participates in the E-Verify program. For additional information on this program, click on the E-Verify Program link above.