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You can thank this firm for the unrestricted Internet Those who like their litigation tough and their Internet uncensored will appreciate Jenner & Block. Since 1912, the firm has developed a reputation as one of Chicago's top firms, up for just about any challenge. Jenner even helped defeat the ill-fated (and ill-conceived) Communications Decency Act, struck down by the Supreme Court in 1997. Corporations such as American Airlines, Dell Computer, General Dynamics, GE Capital, MCIWorldcom, Motorola, Sara Lee and Tenneco turn to J&B for litigation and transactional work. The firm has offices in Chicago (HQ), Lake Forest, IL, and Washington DC. No shying away from complex litigation Of Jenner & Block's 400 attorneys, over half are litigators, and the firm, forgoing modesty, proudly recognizes itself as "one of the nation's preeminent litigation firms," capable of handling the "most complex and challenging" civil and criminal cases. A glance at some of Jenner's recent engagements shows that, in fact, the firm places its money where its mouth is. The firm offers a wide variety of expertise, including: complex commercial litigation; securities and antitrust matters; white collar crime and internal investigations; and civil rights cases. A sure indicator of Jenner's litigation capabilities is provided by the firm's ability to navigate the byzantine complexities of telecommunications law, particularly the Telecommunications Act of 1996. In March 1999, for example, Jenner litigators went before the Seventh Circuit on behalf of client MCI Telecommunications. There, they successfully argued that defendant Illinois Commerce Commission and its members subjected themselves to federal jurisdiction when they arranged for telephone interconnection agreements between long-distance companies and local carriers. But the fun doesn't stop with telecom. Jenner has been retained by Sara Lee on all matters, including class action litigation, arising out of nationwide recall of food products. American Airlines turned to Jenner to defend it in airplane crash litigation. In the great state of Illinois, Commonwealth Edison chose the firm to represent it in all matters related to a series of Chicago-area power outages, and the City of Chicago retained the firm to litigate hundreds of commercial claims stemming from the great Chicago flood. Transactional work too The firm also offers a significant transactional practice that features practice groups such as Associations, Bankruptcy, Securities, Estate Planning & Probate, Government Contracts, Health care, Real Estate, Tax, and Patent & Technology law. Notably, the firm's Association practice group represents over 250 national trade associations, professional societies, and non-profit groups. Jenner's corporate client list ranges from "multinational corporations to small family-owned business and individuals." A notable source of business has been General Dynamics. In July 1999, Jenner helped the defense giant acquire three units of GTE Corp. for $1.05 billion. L.A.'s O'Melveny & Myers sat across the table on the deal.
Elite schools, but no elitism For recruiting purposes, J&B targets the following schools: Boalt, University of Chicago, Columbia, Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, Howard, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, John Marshall, Loyola, Michigan, North Carolina, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Stanford, Texas, Virginia, Washington University, William & Mary, Wisconsin, and Yale. As the above list indicates, Jenner & Block sets its standards high, a proposition supported by many insiders. "This is a very competitive firm says one contact, who notes the presence of many attorneys from Michigan, Harvard, and Northwestern. Others, however, stress the importance of other factors. A litigator explains: "Jenner is very selective in its hiring decisions, but does not get caught up in law school elitism. The firm recruits top students from a variety of schools, and the mix of associates' backgrounds and life experiences is quite rich." An ERISA contact agrees, noting that "anyone can have a good resume, but personality and the ability to interact is very important." Note also that the firm's litigation focus will inform the hiring process. The firm even explicitly states that it look for those with a "firm commitment to the fair administration of justice."
Be who you are at Jenner Many J&B attorneys point out the firm's emphasis on individuality. "Jenner is a very down-to-earth place, and people are very diverse," a litigator observes, adding: "You can be who you are, whoever you are, as long as you do your work well." A colleague agrees that the firm is "relatively non-hierarchical," and "respectful of alternative political and social positions." "Individuality is not just tolerated," states an attorney in Trusts and Estates, "it's appreciated. As long as you do your work well, you are accepted for who you are." Still another litigator declares that "Jenner is full of strong personalities, most of whom would hate to be described as fitting into any particular "corporate culture." A colleague finds that the firm's "attorneys are not made from cookie cutters. They are real, interesting, intelligent people with great stories and ideas." Waxing on the Jenner & Block's culture, one ERISA attorney notes that "This is a litigator's firm." "We've got a superb litigation practice," that contact adds, "and that mentality tends to dominate firm culture." Other comments support the above sentiment. A litigator calls the firm "hard working, aggressive, involved in national bar activities, concerned with pro bono obligations." Another insists that "the unifying principle here is a devotion to law as a profession and public service (as opposed to a business)." Hours: "respectful of limits" Our contacts at J&B report weekly hours regimes as low as 22 hours (part time) and as high as 70 hours per week. Most, however, fall within the 50 to 55 range. "I bill approximately 40-45 hours a week," states a litigator. "As in any litigation practice, my hours are cyclical," another reports, adding: "Sometimes I work long hours, other days I leave at 5:00 p.m. However, Jenner does not place a premium on 'face time' and the people here know the importance of a balanced life." A colleague reveals: "I've found the hype about incredibly long hours at large Chicago firms to be false here. While there are occasional grueling stretches, most of the time I leave work in plenty of time to get dinner at home and have most or all of weekends free." Attorneys in other departments play down the hours burden. A contact in T&E reports: "My supervising partners actually stress the importance of having a life outside of the firm! They have families too, and are involved parents. Very refreshing attitude." A Labor and Employment attorney agrees, and somewhat skittishly offers: "Contrary to rumors that some of the firm's competitors have circulated, Jenner & Block is not a 'sweatshop.'" Some contacts insist on the need to just say no. "Any firm will work you to death if you let them," an ERISA contact opines, who nevertheless insists: "I've always put limits on how much I will let work interfere with my family life, and the firm has always been respectful of those limits."
Linda Maremont Manager of Legal Recruitment (312) 923-2616 (312) 840-7616 More Company Profiles For more career information, go to Vault.com ©2000, Vault.com Inc
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