Miller & Chevalier
Overview
Founded in 1920, Miller & Chevalier is a Washington, DC-based boutique law firm specialising in matters that intersect with the U.S. federal government. The firm focuses its work on targeted practice areas — notably Tax, ERISA/Employee Benefits, International (including export controls and sanctions), White Collar Defense, Government Contracts and complex Litigation — and combines former senior government officials and agency insiders with trial and technical legal expertise. Despite a compact headquarter footprint, the firm maintains a prominent international practice (particularly across Latin America) and has been repeatedly ranked by Chambers, Legal 500 and U.S. News & Best Lawyers for its core practices. Miller & Chevalier emphasises collegiality, professional development and hands-on responsibility for junior lawyers while sustaining a long-standing pro bono and community commitment.
- Headquarters: Washington, DC, 900 16th Street NW
- Founded: 1920
- Offices: 1
Values & Culture
Practice Areas
- Tax
- Dispute Resolution & Litigation
- White Collar Crime
- Pensions
- Regulatory & Compliance
- Fraud & Investigations
- Competition & Antitrust
- International Arbitration
- Financial Services & Regulation
- Public Law
Geographic Focus: Headquartered in Washington, DC, the firm is positioned as an "inside the Beltway" practice that handles matters with a federal-government focus across the globe. It has a particularly deep footprint advising on Latin America-related investigations and compliance work, conducts cross-border export controls and sanctions work across Europe and Asia, and handles international tax and customs/import trade matters for multinational clients. The firm partners with clients worldwide while operating a
Training Contract
Mentorship
The firm operates a holistic sponsoring and mentoring programme overseen by a Lawyer Development Committee (LDC). The LDC, comprised of Members from primary practice areas, implements development and advancement initiatives. Associates receive regular firm-wide training and may request Real-Time Feedback on assignments; the firm also uses centralized workload reporting to help ensure equitable assignment distribution.
Programmes & Schemes
The firm's summer programme typically recruits three to five highly qualified law students (2Ls) with demonstrated interest in one or more of the firm's core practice areas. The summer programme is a primary pipeline for entry-level associate hiring; the firm participates in on-campus interviewing (OCI) at selected law schools and conducts on-site events for students.
- Places: 3-5
Miller & Chevalier engages directly with law schools through OCI, guest lectures, panels, and by organising firm events for students. The firm encourages students at schools it does not visit to send letters and resumes to recruiting@milchev.com and notes that it generally fills summer positions from its summer programme candidates.
Notable Matters
Longstanding national litigation counsel for Blue Cross/Blue Shield entities that administer the Service Benefit Plan (the largest FEHBA plan, nearly five million participants). The firm has handled matters at all levels of federal and state courts, including Supreme Court filings and appeals, and a wide range of complex benefits disputes, subrogation, class actions and preemption issues arising under FEHBA and ERISA.
Pensions
Represented amicus Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association before the U.S. Supreme Court arguing that Vermont's all-payer database collection law was preempted by ERISA; involvement in a high-profile preemption and data-collection dispute with national implications for health plans.
Pensions
Filed amicus briefing before the U.S. Supreme Court on the availability of ERISA Section 502(a)(3) equitable relief for reimbursement/subrogation claims; the Court's decision aligned with the position supported by the firm's amicus brief.
Pensions
Conducted internal investigations and compliance remediation for multinational companies operating in Latin America, including work tied to Lava Jato-related inquiries and disclosures to the DOJ and SEC, and designing compliance programmes and training for regional operations. Firm counsel have served as monitors in FCPA enforcement settlements in the region.
Fraud & Investigations
Representation in significant ERISA appellate matters across numerous federal circuits (illustrative matters include appeals in the Seventh, Ninth, Tenth and D.C. Circuits) involving preemption, benefits denials, fiduciary breach claims and PBGC-related litigation; the team litigates at trial and appellate levels and advises on litigation strategy for complex benefits disputes.
Dispute Resolution & Litigation
What Miller & Chevalier Looks For
Key Competencies
- Excellence
- Collegiality
- Teamwork
- Entrepreneurial spirit
- Commercial awareness
- Government and regulatory experience (former agency experience highly valued)
- Substantive technical legal skills in the firm's core areas (tax, ERISA/employee benefits, international trade/sanctions, white‑collar)
- Strong written and oral advocacy skills
- Language skills and regional experience for Latin America (Spanish/Portuguese)
Evidence Signals
- OCI / participation in the firm's Summer Program or on‑campus events
- Internships or prior experience with U.S. government agencies or regulators
- Relevant compliance, investigations or international law experience (especially Latin America, export controls, sanctions, customs)
- Pro bono experience and community service
- Publications, podcasts or commentary in the firm's subject areas (tax, ERISA, sanctions, FCPA)
Benefits & Wellbeing
- Full and highly competitive benefits package for employees (details provided during interview)
- Sit/stand workstations for all desks
- Collaboration areas and beverage pantries on each floor
- Hybrid schedule for staff: nine days per month in the office (staff posting)
- Legal Administrative Assistant salary range cited for a staff role: $75,000 to $95,000 (example from staff recruitment posting)
- Regular in‑house training and outside educational resources for staff and lawyers
- Centralised workload reporting and a Real‑Time Feedback system for associates
Wellbeing
The Miller & Chevalier Chartered Charitable Foundation (established 1929) supports local health, welfare and minority organisations; the firm runs community service programmes (Denim for Charity; Holiday Charity Fund; School Supply Drive; Salvation Army Angel Tree; disaster relief) and encourages participation in charity events. The firm emphasises professional development and maintaining full lives both inside and outside work.
Awards & Recognition
- Chambers USA — multiple practice and individual rankings (2026)
- Chambers Latin America — Band One firm and individual rankings (2022)
- Legal 500 United States — multiple practice rankings (2026)
- Legal 500 Latin America — Tier 1 International Firms: Compliance and Investigations (2022)
- U.S. News & World Report Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms" — multiple national and metropolitan rankings (2022)
- DC Bar Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year (2017)
- Daniel M. Gribbon Pro Bono Advocacy Award (2019)
- Law360 Pulse — Top Pro Bono ranking (date cited on site)
- Global Investigations Review — GIR 30 Top Global Investigations Practice and other GIR recognitions (historical listings)
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Miller & Chevalier is committed to attracting, retaining, and promoting outstanding individuals from diverse backgrounds and creating an equitable and inclusive workplace, where every employee has the opportunity to excel and participate fully.
- Community Committee (coordinates recruiting, professional development, community building, education and outreach)
- Miller & Chevalier Chartered Charitable Foundation (founded 1929)
- Pro Bono programmes and partnerships with Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia, Catholic Charities Legal Network, DC Bar Pro Bono Center
- Firm Pro Bono Committee and Pro Bono Counsel involvement (Pro Bono Counsel on Executive Committee of the Association of Pro Bono Counsel)
- Community service programmes (Denim for Charity; Holiday Charity Fund; School Supply Drive; Salvation Army Angel Tree; Disaster Relief)
Pro Bono
Each lawyer is expected to dedicate a portion of their work to pro bono matters; the firm has met the ABA Pro Bono Challenge for more than 20 years, has been recognised repeatedly in the DC Circuit Judicial Conference Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services '40 at 50' benchmark (including achieving 60%+ of attorneys contributing 50+ hours in 2016), contributed more than 13,000 pro bono hours in cited reporting, was a top five firm in the Legal Aid Society's 2020 "Making Justice Real" campaign, and has received multiple pro bono awards and honours (including recognition by the Chief Judge
Innovation
Quick Application Angles
- Lead with federal and regulatory relevance: emphasise any experience with U.S. agencies or statutes (IRS, DOL, PBGC, OFAC, BIS) and give concrete examples of when you navigated agency processes or regulation-driven disputes.
- If you have Latin America experience or language skills (Spanish/Portuguese), highlight them — the firm has a recognised Latin America investigations and compliance practice and routinely handles cross‑border FCPA matters.
- Demonstrate entrepreneurial drive and early responsibility: explain specific instances where you built or developed a project, clinic, or practice area and the measurable impact.
- Show commitment to public‑interest work and pro bono: cite relevant pro bono cases or community service, as the firm places strong emphasis on pro bono contributions and community engagement.
- Reference their recent work or rankings (ERISA Supreme Court matters, FCPA / Latin America recognitions, Chambers/Legal 500 listings) in a targeted way to show commercial awareness and fit.
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