• Law Students & Associates
• Professional Staff

practicing at richards layton

Richards Layton offers attorneys the unique opportunity to work on globally significant matters at a firm that feels more like a small town.  With a partner to associate ratio of about 1:1, our junior attorneys receive personal attention, intellectual challenge, and early responsibility.  As recognized by Law360 and major ranking directories, the firm stands out in almost every major Delaware litigation venue.  And by standing out in Delaware, the home of corporate law, the firm stands out nationwide.

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• On-Campus Interviews
  Samantha Stern

  Hiring Manager

  T 302.651.7520

  We conduct on-campus interviews at several law schools and participate in multiple job fairs each year. Please check back in the spring for a list of specific dates. In the interim, please contact Samantha Stern, Hiring Manager, at stern@rlf.com with questions.

• Professional Development

  The firm’s prominent lawyers and clients—along with our training system and collaborative environment—provide an extraordinary opportunity for professional and personal development.  Richards Layton maintains training initiatives designed to advance associates’ legal skills and knowledge in general and practice-specific ways.  A formal mentoring program complements this training to help junior associates develop relationships and seek guidance as their careers develop.

  In addition to a formal mentor, associates have a director within their department who coordinates their work.  These pairings are changed annually so that associates can form close working relationships with several directors at different stages of their careers.  The firm’s investment in associate professional development is supported by an unmatched benefits package and a starting salary of $190,000, which provides nearly twice the buying power than in other metropolitan regions.

• Summer Program

  We select our summer associates carefully, with the expectation that each summer associate will succeed and become a full-time associate of our firm upon graduation. Summer associates rank their practice area preferences prior to their arrival in May. Midway through the summer, everyone changes departments. During each rotation, a summer associate is paired with a director and an associate. These assigning attorneys are mainly responsible for coordinating and assigning work. First-year associates serve as “buddies” to the summer associates, informally assisting in their orientation to the firm and to life in Delaware.

  Summer associates are routinely given the same level of work and responsibility as full-time associates. Informal seminars, luncheons, and weekly social events introduce summer associates to the firm as well as to all that Wilmington and the surrounding areas have to offer.

  2022 Summer Program

  We hosted 18 summer associates, 12 2Ls and 6 1Ls, from the following law schools: Cornell, Emory, George Washington, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Penn State-University Park, Penn State-Dickinson, Pittsburgh, Temple, Tulane, University of North Carolina, University of Virginia, Vanderbilt, and Villanova.

  Volunteering is a tradition in our summer associate program. This year, our summer associates spent three fun evenings preparing and serving dinner at the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware.

  

  

  2021 Summer Program

  While our 10-week summer program went forward virtually, we were delighted to host our 16 summer associates for a few days of in-person activities in Wilmington, Delaware at the halfway point of our program. Among other things, the summer associates visited the Delaware beaches, took a tour of our office space, and got to meet with several attorneys at the firm during various social activities.

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  

  
  
• How to apply

  Please see the “Current Opportunities” section below and submit your materials to our application portal. Please contact Samantha Stern, Hiring Manager, at stern@rlf.com with questions.

  All new summer associate and attorney hires must be legally entitled to work in the U.S. and not now or in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status.

  For more information about the firm and recent hiring data, please view our current NALP form.

  Legal Recruiters: The firm does not accept unsolicited resumes from legal recruiters.

• Current Opportunities

  1L Summer Associate in 2024

  Richards, Layton & Finger is accepting applications from first-year law students for its 2024 summer associate class. Please find more information here.

  First year summer associate positions at Richards Layton are highly competitive. To be considered for the program, a student must:

  • Be enrolled full time in an ABA-accredited law school with an anticipated graduation date of 2026.
  • Have superior legal research and writing skills.
  • Possess excellent academic credentials and demonstrated leadership skills.
  • Be legally entitled to work in the U.S. and not now or in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status.
  • Have a sincere interest in Delaware law and practicing law with our firm upon graduation.

  In addition, as a member of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, the firm participates in the 1L LCLD Scholars program. If you would like to be considered for the LCLD Scholars program, please indicate that in your cover letter. All 1L law students are eligible to participate in the firm’s 1L LCLD Scholars program, and students who are members of groups that have been historically underrepresented in the legal profession are encouraged to apply.

  To apply, please submit your resume, cover letter, law school transcript, and writing sample to our application portal. In your cover letter, please address your interest in practicing law in Delaware and/or living in the Delaware area. We also invite you to discuss your experience with and/or commitment to diversity and inclusion, including in the legal profession.

  Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, but a final decision would not be made until the applicant’s law school transcript has been provided. If the transcript has not been released at the time you submit your other application materials, please provide your unofficial transcript when it becomes available.

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  Lateral Associate Inquiries

  We welcome resumes from all interested lateral associate applicants. Please upload your materials to our application portal and we will be in contact if a suitable position becomes available.

  All new summer associate and attorney hires must be legally entitled to work in the U.S. and not now or in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status.

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  Trusts & Estates Associate

  We are seeking a lawyer for our trusts and estates group. This position is a non-partnership track position that offers greater schedule predictability and commensurate billing expectations. Successful applicants are attorneys with at least 3 years of experience in estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax planning, including expertise in drafting sophisticated estate planning documents who wish to be a part of a sophisticated practice. Candidates should possess excellent oral and written communication skills. In addition, candidates should be self-motivated, be able to work in fast-paced, high energy environment, and be able to independently handle significant numbers of matters of varying complexity. An LLM degree in a tax-related discipline is preferred. DE bar is not required but a successful candidate will be required to take DE bar exam at the first opportunity. Relocation candidates, specifically those with ties to DE, are welcome to apply.

  All new attorney hires must be legally entitled to work in the U.S. and not now or in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status. Please submit cover letter, resume, transcript, writing sample and salary requirements to Samantha Stern, Hiring Manager, at stern@rlf.com or via U.S. Mail to Samantha Stern, Richards, Layton & Finger, 920 N King St., Wilmington, DE 19801.