Laterals
We seek candidates with exceptional academic resumes and substantive experience, and attorneys whose interests and avocations add to the firm’s intellectual and social diversity. Many of our associates have worked as attorneys at some of the nation’s biggest law firms. We also have associates who have transitioned into private practice from careers at the Department of Justice or other public law offices.
A review of the accomplishments of our current roster of attorneys provides a revealing and excellent snapshot of the qualities that Farella looks for in its lateral attorney candidates. Our attorneys have strong academic credentials. Many have participated on their schools’ law reviews or moot courts, and an equal number have clerked for federal, state, and international courts. The academic resumes of our attorneys do not tell the whole story, however; we also look for attorneys with diverse backgrounds and varied interests. We have a championship race car driver, former members of the Peace Corps, and a few musicians among our attorneys. Our attorneys are leaders in their community serving as board members on the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, Meals on Wheels San Francisco, Centro Legal de la Raza, Bar Association of San Francisco, the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, and other nonprofit organizations. They also volunteer through programs such as the San Francisco High School Mock Trial Competition, Rebuilding Together, and the Special Olympics. For many of our attorneys, law is a second career following work in accounting, finance, engineering, marketing, journalism, and other professions.
“The people here are top-notch and think outside of the box. It isn’t simply a ‘take orders and execute’ group of people, but a ‘let me solve your problem and the other three problems I spotted on my own’ group of people.”
“The beauty of Farella Braun + Martel is that people here are whipsmart, but they don't show off. It's a down to earth collection of really bright people, and that creates a culture of collaboration and teamwork. One of the things that initially really impressed me was an e-mail a partner sent around letting the firm know of a great victory on a case. It included not only a summary of the work this firm had put into the case, but a thanks to everyone who had worked on the matter including attorneys, paralegals, secretaries and other staff members. You would never see that at my old firm. It just shows that people here stand shoulder to shoulder.”
“The people and the size of Farella Braun + Martel were a big part in making my transition as a lateral junior associate seamless. Joining a new firm at that stage in my career could have been a daunting experience, but I was greeted by a group of attorneys and staff who welcomed me as one of their own.”
