Recruiting

Introduction

For more than a century, Howard & Howard has been widely regarded as one of Michigan's premier law firms. Our clients value our ability to provide cutting edge legal work; our employees value our team atmosphere and innovative spirit. We value the opportunity to attract and retain great talent!

In an increasingly competitive global market, the most important resource for any organization is the people it hires. Over the years, Howard & Howard has developed a work environment that is conducive to the professional development and advancement of our attorneys and staff. Through creativity, results, practicality and solutions, Howard & Howard has been able to take nontraditional values and create an extraordinary organization.

Hiring Philosophy

At Howard & Howard, we believe that our success is due to our diverse group of attorneys with varying backgrounds, perspectives and experiences. Their common thread is a professional excellence and the desire to practice law in an environment that fosters creativity, collaboration and achievement.

The Firm believes in and supports a policy of nondiscrimination in all aspects of employment. Howard & Howard will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, age, height, weight, or disability.

Summer Associate Program

The Summer Associate program is one of the most important elements of the Firm's recruitment efforts and offers outstanding law students the opportunity to experience life as an associate at Howard & Howard. We encourage our summer associates to work with and get to know lawyers throughout the Firm by challenging them with real work assignments and providing prompt constructive feedback and evaluations.

We believe learning is a continuous process throughout the professional lawyer's career. We feel a responsibility to ensure that our summer program is an integral part of a student's legal development. The program is designed to provide summer associates with a professional experience similar to that of a first-year associate. Assignments are received from a variety of practice areas based on the summer associate's personal interests and the needs of the Firm. Each summer associate is matched with a mentor who provides guidance throughout the program and offers the opportunity to meet and develop relationships with shareholders and associates in formal and informal settings such as monthly Firm meetings, professional development seminars and workshops, and Firm sporting and social events.  One of our summer clerks wrote about his experience at our firm, which was published in his school paper, Columbia University Law School News, called "Dress rehearsal for the firm life ," by Toby White. Our summer associates receive a bi-monthly salary competitive with other firms in the Detroit Metropolitan area.

Intellectual Property Intern Program

Howard & Howard has a unique intern program for law school students concentrating in intellectual property law. The program description is outlined in Intellectual Property Intern Program.

New Associates

At Howard & Howard, we select our associates with an eye to the future, recognizing their value to our clients and our organization in the years to come. We look for individuals who are bright, personable and hardworking, and who understand the complexities of legal work, are able to analyze problems objectively and identify solutions creatively. We look for lawyers with the interpersonal skills to work on a team, but with the initiative and self-confidence to work alone.

Our associates demonstrate deep commitment to their own careers, to the Firm's standards and Strongly Held Beliefs, and to the vigorous representation of our clients' interests. In return, Howard & Howard provides an environment in which that commitment is supported and rewarded.

New associates joining Howard & Howard will receive an annual salary of $100,000, which includes a $5,000 signing bonus. Associates are also eligible for a discretionary bonus each year end, based on hours, efficiency, business development efforts and service as a mentor. The Firm is committed to providing one of the highest compensations among law firms in our market. In the second and subsequent years, compensation is generally a salary in excess of $100,000 with a bonus of up to $35,000 if 1,950 billable hours are attained.

Lateral Hires

Howard & Howard understands that the quality and experience of our lawyers are among our greatest strengths. We are committed to making a substantial investment in our lateral hires by fostering an environment in which they are seamlessly integrated into our Firm culture and supported in their continued quest for professional development and challenge.

Staff

Administrative and support staff are an integral component of Howard & Howard's success. We employ outstanding teams of administrative and support personnel to assist our lawyers in matters ranging from the complex to the routine across varied practice disciplines. Our clients benefit extensively from the enhanced legal resources that our staff provides.

Distinctive Features:

Howard & Howard prides itself on being innovative in both its approach to legal work and hiring practices. We believe this is what sets us apart from most other large firms:

• We hire associates with the expectation that they will become shareholders. The professional development and advancement of our lawyers reflect our measure of success as an organization. Typically, associates can expect to be considered for shareholder after five years with the Firm. However, there is no "lock step"; consequently, associates performing ahead of the curve may be considered sooner than five years.
• We have only one level of shareholder. All are paid with a similar merit-based compensation structure and receive rewards based on the profitability of the Firm.
• Participation by all attorneys in monthly Firm meetings where financial data and other information is shared with all -- even summer clerks.
• Compensation is very competitive and is based upon merit rather than seniority.
• Each new associate is appointed a mentor team, consisting of a Shareholder and an Associate. The team's role is to provide new associates with mentoring, guidance and on-going feedback as they progress in their professional career at Howard & Howard. Associates also receive detailed performance reviews twice a year.
• Associates are encouraged to experience many career paths before choosing a specialty. They are not prematurely slotted into a narrow practice area unless their previous experience warrants such a move.
• Howard & Howard's centralized (CEO-style) management has demonstrated its effectiveness versus the more traditional committee-style management method of decision making.
• We believe that legal work is serious business. We work hard and with great intensity. But we also believe that the work environment should be inspiring and fun! To that end, we take great pride in being an organization that's a fun place to be! A place where a professional's need for challenging work and job satisfaction is as important as personal desire to enjoy coming to work and feeling appreciated for your contribution.

What makes Howard & Howard distinctive? Our people do - their talent, their drive, their motivation, their values, their differences!