Covington FAQs

If you still have questions about life at the firm, find the answers here!

What are the firm's hiring criteria?

Covington seeks talented and motivated individuals who share the firm’s well-known commitment to excellence. The firm assesses candidates for associate positions based on an overall evaluation of their background and strengths. This evaluation includes, but is by no means limited to, academic distinction in law school and undergraduate education. Covington also looks for lawyers with strong motivation and initiative, the ability to take on responsibility, and enthusiasm for private law practice. The firm has long been committed to the highest standards of the profession and public service, and they look actively for new lawyers to continue in that tradition.

Why does Covington request references?

Covington’s goal in speaking with an applicant's references is to develop a more complete and detailed understanding of the candidate and his or her qualifications. Thorough inquiries of an applicant’s references are a distinctive and crucial element of the firm's hiring process for potential associates. This allows the firm to look beyond the candidate's paper record or relatively brief campus interview. Covington asks every candidate for an associate position to provide two to three references who can speak to the candidate's qualifications, including analytical and writing ability, judgement, maturity, and collegiality.

What sort of guidance does the firm offer to associates in the development of their careers?

Covington believes that the working relationship between partners and associates is the most important element in associate development. The firm keeps the staffing of cases and projects as lean as practicable, consistent with effective representation of their clients. As a result, associates confer regularly with the partners with whom they work and have vast opportunities to learn and grow through such relationships.

In addition to providing feedback on an ongoing basis, annually each partner prepares formal written reviews of associates' work. Associates also receive a mid-year review during their first year at the firm. The principal purposes of this review process are to assist in identifying the associate's special skills and opportunities for improvement and to discuss with the associate his or her professional development goals. Beginning in the fifth year after the associate's law school graduation, the review process focuses principally on the associate's prospects for partnership.

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