The Cravath System

What has come to be known as the “Cravath System” is our model for developing talent, incentivizing collaboration and client service, and building long-term relationships of trust.

Our partners come from the ranks of our own associates. We recruit the most promising students from a diverse array of excellent law schools, and we provide our associates with rigorous and expansive training.

Our system of rotating associates at all levels of seniority through different practice areas within their department until they are considered for partnership builds their knowledge base and fosters a nimbleness in mastering new things. This generalist approach to training produces creative and innovative lawyers and consistency of quality across our platform.

We incentivize teamwork because complex legal matters require the expertise, effort and collaborative problem-solving of a team of skilled individuals. This extends to our approach to compensation in which our lawyers are rewarded for the success of the firm as a whole. The result is a client-centric mindset that encourages investment in building firmwide client relationships that are premised on a deep understanding of each client’s business and objectives.

Our approach promotes the highest level of client service, excellence in lawyering and a collegial and inclusive workplace.

We believe that maintaining a true partnership of the most talented and broadly trained lawyers remains the most effective manner of handling our clients’ legal issues, business transactions and disputes.