The 20 Most Prestigious Law Firms In America

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz kept its iron grip on the top slot in Vault's annual ranking of America's most prestigious law firms.

The only notable changes in the top ten was Sullivan & Cromwell retaking the No. 3 spot from Skadden.

Vault's ranking is based on a survey of nearly 17,000 law associates, featuring comments and analysis about each firm. With their permission, we've highlighted the top firms here.

#20 White & Case

1,900 employees

New York City headquarters

Uppers

• “International work and opportunities”
• “People don't get worked to death”
• “Good relationships with senior associates and partners”

Downers

• “Lack of transparency”
• “Unpredictable hours”
• “Slim partnership prospects”

The Buzz

• “Great international practice”
• “Good work product”
• “Slightly impersonal”
• “Too big”

Read the full report at Vault.

#19 Jones Day

2,400 employees

Washington, D.C. headquarters

Uppers

• "Team atmosphere"
• "Stability of the firm and its client base"
• "Attempt at work/life balance"

Downers

• "It's sometimes difficult to navigate the red tape at such a large firm"
• "No transparency regarding compensation"
• "The firm can be cheap in certain ways"

The Buzz

• "Huge"
• "International"
• "Opaque"
• "Fratty"

Read the full report at Vault.

#18 Sidley Austin LLP

1,693 employees

Chicago headquarters

Uppers

• "Extremely pleasant place to work"
• "Reasonable hours requirements"
• "Commitment to diversity"

Downers

• "Work flow can be unpredictable and a little unevenly distributed"
• "Lack of transparency in bonus system"
• "Biglaw is Biglaw"

The Buzz

• "Obama worked there!"
• "Great in Chicago"
• "Hard-working"
• "Conservative"

Read the full report at Vault.