Your Path to Joining Cooley
Your journey starts here.
Your legal career is just beginning – and Cooley is here to help you navigate it. As recruiting season kicks off, we’ve got the key dates, resources and insights to guide your path, whether you’re exploring 1L summer options or planning beyond law school. Get to know Cooley’s dynamic practice groups and discover if we’re the right fit for you.
As you consider the opportunities that lie ahead, we encourage you to ask yourself questions that will help shape your path, such as:
- What kind of law do I want to practice? Do I see myself in the courtroom or the boardroom? Do I have specific skills or a background that makes me better suited for business- or litigation-focused work?
- Where do I want to practice and why? Do I want to work in a big city, or do I prefer a more suburban environment?
- Is a potential employer aligned with my values around diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and pro bono work? Learn more about Cooley’s DEI and pro bono initiatives.
Recruiting timeline
| September – November 2025 |
We look forward to getting to know you at events throughout the fall, hosted either at our US offices or on campus through your law school or student organizations. Whether you’re concentrating on litigation or corporate work, diving into a focused area like regulatory, intellectual property or cyber/data/privacy, or still exploring your interests – meet us where your passions and our people intersect. |
| November 15, 2025 |
First-year law students who are interested in participating in our 1L Diversity Fellowship or 1L Patent Summer Program are welcome to submit applications beginning on November 15, 2025. Interviews will take place on a rolling basis. |
| December 2025 – January 2026 |
During winter break, several of our US offices will host “Home for the Holidays” receptions. We invite you to join us and take the opportunity to meet our lawyers. Invitations will be distributed via your law school and student organizations. At this stage, we look forward to sharing more information about our direct application. |
| January – February 2026 |
Once you’re back on campus, we look forward to connecting with you at additional events. Our legal talent team is always happy to help facilitate introductions based on your practice group interests and geographic preferences. Law students interested in participating in our 2027 summer associate program are encouraged to apply through Cooley Direct and our 2L Diversity Fellowship. |
| February 2026 – onward |
Screening and callback interviews will take place on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply when the application opens, even if you don’t yet have a complete transcript. You can follow up with your final transcript once it becomes available. |
Below are resources to help guide you as you get to know Cooley and navigate the recruitment process.
Our practices (and the offices that recruit for them)
From our 19 offices across the US, Europe and Asia, Cooley partners with clients on transformative deals, complex IP and regulatory matters, and high-stakes litigation. We are leaders in tech and life sciences venture capital, as well as in cyber/data/privacy, intellectual property, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, and patent counseling and prosecution – excellence that is recognized year after year across multiple platforms and publications. We pride ourselves on our culture, our unyielding dedication to DEI and our commitment to giving back to our communities.
We offer a range of dedicated practice groups that we actively recruit summer associates to join. Please note, however, that availability within these groups varies by office and is determined based on practice group needs, which can change from year to year. We encourage you to continue engaging with our lawyers and members of our legal talent team to share your interests and learn more about our practices. When our Cooley Direct application opens, it will include updated information about which practice group opportunities are available in each office.