Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP

Overview

Cravath is one of the premier U.S. law firms with a more-than-two-century heritage and a reputation for handling transformational corporate work and high-stakes litigation. The firm deliberately focuses on quality over scale and seeks to be the firm of choice for clients’ most challenging legal issues, significant business transactions and critical disputes. Cravath maintains a compact global footprint (offices in New York, London and Washington, D.C.) while delivering international coverage through its London and U.S. offices and a network of long-standing partnerships with leading law firms worldwide. The firm is particularly market-leading in cross-border M&A, capital markets, complex financings, dispute resolution and investigations.

• Headquarters: New York
• Founded: 1819
• Offices: 3

Values & Culture

Practice Areas

• Corporate & M&A
• Competition & Antitrust
• Capital Markets
• Banking & Finance
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Intellectual Property
• Insolvency & Restructuring
• Tax
• ESG & Sustainability
• Environment & Planning
• Data Protection & Privacy
• Financial Services & Regulation
• Private Equity & Venture Capital
• Investment Funds
• Media & Entertainment
• Technology & Digital
• Sports Law
• Pensions

Geographic Focus: Each practice area has a strong international focus; more than one third of the firm’s clients are based outside the United States. Cravath operates from key financial centres (New York, London and Washington, D.C.) and supports cross-border matters through its London contingent of U.S. lawyers and a global network of partner firms that provide local coverage, secondees and collaborative training.

Training Contract

Training at Cravath is structured around a rotation system: associates rotate through multiple practice areas (seats) to develop a broad and transferable skill set. The Cravath model emphasises early, substantive responsibility under close partner supervision, supplemented by the Firm’s internal CLE training system and individual mentoring. Rotations are designed to foster practical proficiency in new practice areas while maintaining continuity of partner-led training.

• Academic Requirements: The Firm seeks law students with an established record of success and proven talent; it recruits from a wide variety of backgrounds and schools.

Seat Options

• Corporate & M&A
• Competition & Antitrust
• Capital Markets
• Banking & Finance
• CFIUS and National Security
• Corporate Governance & Board Advisory
• Cybersecurity & Data Privacy
• Derivatives
• Emerging and Founder-Led Companies
• Environmental
• ESG & Sustainability
• Financial Institutions Group
• Financial Restructuring & Reorganization
• Investment Management and Funds
• IP and Strategic Tech Transactions
• Private Equity & Venture Capital
• Structured Finance & Securitization
• Venture Capital & Growth Equity
• Dispute Resolution & Litigation
• Appellate
• Arbitration (Domestic and International)
• Bankruptcy Litigation
• Class Action Defense
• FCPA and Anti-Corruption
• General Commercial Disputes
• Intellectual Property Litigation
• Investigations & Regulatory Enforcement
• M&A Litigation
• Mass Torts & Product Liability
• Professional Liability
• Securities Litigation
• Trials
• Tax
• Executive Compensation & Benefits
• Trusts & Estates
• Pro Bono

Mentorship

The Firm operates a formal mentoring programme: each associate is assigned a partner mentor and also works with an assigned partner on substantive matters. The mentoring structure provides both substantive and pastoral support, with partners described as approachable and dedicating time to candid discussions. Associates also benefit from extensive internal CLE and partner-led training.

Apply on the Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP website →

Programmes & Schemes

Notable Matters

What Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP Looks For

Key Competencies

• Intelligence
• Creativity
• Energy
• Dedication
• Commitment to excellence
• Commercial awareness
• Teamwork
• Resilience
• Attention to detail
• Ability to handle early responsibility

Evidence Signals

• Substantive internships or summer associate experience
• High academic achievement and strong law-school credentials
• Pro bono or public-interest work showing commitment to service
• Experience or interest in capital markets, M&A, complex litigation or financial services
• International experience or language skills for cross-border matters
• Tech/legal-tech interest or e-discovery experience for litigation roles

Benefits & Wellbeing

• Medical, dental, vision care and life insurance for eligible lawyers, spouses and children
• Four weeks of vacation each year
• Short- and long-term disability benefits
• Family Building/Planning Benefits including reimbursement for adoption and surrogacy expenses
• Fertility benefits (including cryopreservation) through the Firm’s group medical insurance plan
• Twelve weeks paid child care leave following birth, adoption or foster care placement
• 401(k) contributions eligibility and firm contribution to the 401(k) Plan
• Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA)
• Firm-paid memberships for employees and their families to concierge-type primary care providers
• Business travel and accident insurance
• Pre-tax Mass Transit Benefits and Pre-tax Parking Benefits
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Three on-site lactation suites and reimbursement of milk-delivery service for nursing mothers traveling on Firm business
• Subsidised corporate gym memberships and Citi Bike / Capital BikeShare memberships
• Annual bar association membership dues and biennial registration paid
• Firm pays for bar review course and bar examination fees (for lawyers)
• Generous relocation package, a starting bonus and an interest-free loan to incoming associates
• On-site cafeteria, barista, marketplace and on-tap beverage bar
• ID Theft Protection Benefits, Bank-at-work program, Meditation Benefits
• On-site Wellness Checkups/Exams and on-site flu shots
• Student loan refinancing
• Discounts for home (including renters) and/or auto insurance and pet insurance
• Discount for defensive driving courses
• Will preparation and estate resolution services

Wellbeing

Employee Assistance Program, meditation benefits, on-site wellness checkups/exams, on-site flu shots, firm-supported concierge primary care memberships and wellness programming.

Awards & Recognition

• Vault Law 100 — Ranked No. 1 for Most Prestigious Law Firms (Vault Law 100 ranking announced April 2026 for 2027 list)
• Chambers USA — Ranked in top tier for 2026 across corporate, litigation and tax practice areas (2026)
• Legal 500 United States — Ranked Top Tier across 14 practice areas (2026)
• IFLR1000 — Banking & Finance Team of the Year and Banking & Finance Deal of the Year (2020)
• ILASA — Gold Awards (Best USA Law Firm: Independent Corporate Law Firm and Competition & Commercial Law) (2018) and Best US Firm Awards for Commercial Litigation and Investigations practices (2022)
• Financial Times — Innovation in Legal Expertise: Expanding Clients’ Business Award (2015)
• Law360 — Benefits Practice Group of the Year (2019)
• Numerous pro bono awards and recognitions from Legal Aid Society, VOLS, Lawyers Alliance for New York, NLADA, Office of the Appellate Defender and others (2014–2024)

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The Firm aims to recruit from the widest possible talent pool and to foster a supportive, inclusive environment where lawyers can bring their unique backgrounds and feel a sense of belonging. Diversity efforts are spearheaded by the Diversity Committee with full partnership support. The Firm maintains external partnerships and outreach programmes to expand access to legal careers.

• Diversity Committee
• Recruiting & Student Outreach
• Affinity Groups
• Women’s Initiative
• Work/Life Programming
• External Partnerships
• Policy
• Cravath Scholars (Fisk University)
• Lawyer Re-entry Program

Pro Bono

Pro bono is a cornerstone of Cravath’s practice. The Firm brings full resources to pro bono matters, encouraging associates and summer associates to take on pro bono clients under partner supervision. The Firm’s Pro Bono Committee is chaired by Antony Ryan; Head Pro Bono Counsel is Nishan Bhaumik and Senior Pro Bono Manager is Aviania Iliadis. Signature initiatives include the Incarcerated Survivors' Initiative and long-standing partnerships with Lawyers Alliance for New York, Volunteers of Legal Service (VOLS), The Legal Aid Society and others. The Firm has received multiple pro bono awards (

Innovation

Cravath engages with emerging technologies through firm-led thought leadership, external collaborations and practice-focused innovation. Partners and practice leaders contribute to reports on distributed ledger technology and speak regularly on AI, e-discovery and legaltech topics. The litigation group has dedicated leadership for data analytics and e-discovery and the firm supports associate involvement in technology-focused matters and events.

• Collaboration on 'The Impact of Distributed Ledger Technology in Global Capital Markets' report (GFMA / BCG collaboration)
• Leadership in data analytics and e-discovery (Scott Reents; Relativity AI recognition)
• Participation and speaking on AI, cybersecurity, and legal technology panels and roundtables

Quick Application Angles

• Demonstrate familiarity with the Cravath rotation system and emphasize readiness for early substantive responsibility — cite examples where you took ownership on complex tasks.
• Show commercial awareness of the firm’s recent headline work (e.g., major M&A, capital markets and large financings such as the Paramount $110bn situation, Kenvue/Kimberly‑Clark, Axalta/AkzoNobel) and explain how your experience or perspective would add value to those practices.
• Highlight pro bono engagement or public-interest work and, if applicable, interest in the Firm’s long-standing pro bono initiatives (e.g., Incarcerated Survivors’ Initiative, Lawyers Alliance partnerships).
• If applying to litigation or e-discovery roles, reference the Firm’s active engagement with AI/data analytics and Relativity recognition — give concrete examples of technology use or data-driven projects you’ve contributed to.
• For campus or outreach applications, reference Cravath Scholars or other recruiting outreach programmes and explain how those programmes align with your background or ambitions.