The Legal Cheek View
Looking for a training contract with a twist? Jones Day’s “walk the floor” approach might be for you. With its idiosyncratic approach to the traditional training structure, one of JD’s biggest selling points is its non-rotational training programme. Rather than rookies being passed around four different practice groups for six months a turn, Jones Day’s new recruits walk the floors and use their own initiative to take on work that interests them from specific partners or departments across the firm. As the firm itself admits, this structure gives new recruits a “heightened responsibility” to mould their own experience.
Most trainees seem to relish this, often praising the “top-notch” on-the-job training and guidance provided through the non-rotational system. There are “weekly ‘continuum’ sessions” during the first year of the TC bringing an element of structure, but the programme is geared towards those who want control over their own development. Our insiders did point out that this system “only works with buy-in from across the firm” but as half of JD’s partners are former trainees, most understand the system and are happy to “take responsibility for teaching the trainees they work with”. As one LC spy puts it: “The non-rotational system is extremely demanding, but that yields equal rewards. We are given a disproportionate amount of responsibility, and have the opportunity to develop an unparalleled depth of experience in certain practice areas; this is particularly relevant in contentious practice areas, where we have the opportunity to see cases through to their conclusion rather than being rotated off.”
We’re also told there’s “highly stimulating, exciting work” and a “great variety of cases, matters and deals” up for grabs, across a range of practice areas. The relatively lean team structures means the occasional admin task but this is more than balanced out by the “great scope to get involved in more complex work”. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s the most proactive trainees that catch the proverbial worm at JD: “When you get put on a deal or matter, the work is interesting but you have to work your way up to that type of work and prove yourself throughout” said one sage insider.
Prove yourself, however, and you’ll find that Jones Day is no stranger to big-name clients. The London office has advised on a breadth of work — from billion-euro bond issuances for the Kingdom of Morocco, to selling Premier League football clubs, all the way to debating pre- and post-Brexit case law limitations in the Court of Appeal — and that’s in the past few months alone.
The clientele isn’t the only thing that’s big about JD. The firm doesn’t disclose its financial figures publicly, but online estimates unconnected to the firm put its revenue at an impressive $3 billion (£2.2 billion), with profit per equity partner (PEP) reportedly around $1.6 million (£1.2 million).
An Ohio native, not everyone realises that Jones Day’s substantial presence in London dates back to UK legacy firm Gouldens, which was gobbled up by JD in 2003, during a rapid period of growth for the American giant whose own roots started in Cleveland. As a result, the Tudor Street office — located off the Strand and just a short walk from the barristers’ chambers of Temple — retains a certain English charm. “Nice office. Temple is a great location: smarter and quieter than the rest of the City, near the old barristers’ chambers and easy to commute” was the quant review of one current rookie. “The office layout is nice and the glass windows make everyone feel more approachable, could do with more general spaces” was the art-deco advice from another. Whilst the vibes are certainly more “cosy and small” than “impressive”, one massive upside, according to the trainees we spoke to, was that new recruits share office-spaces with each other rather than their higher-ups. There’s also talks of a big refurb to improve the feng shui.
And it’s a good thing too, given that all lawyers are encouraged to attend the office five days a week as part of the firm’s commitment to support its training and culture. We’re told that trainees can request to WFH in advance — with a valid reason — but naturally this means that there’s no budget or equipment provided for agile-working.
Hours at Jones Day come on the slightly longer side of the City spectrum. One trainee reports: “the non-rotational system means that you manage your own time, and therefore wanting to ensure a consistent stream of billable work as a trainee means that you often bite off more than you can comfortably chew. However, it also means you get to try a variety of things in a short period of time, and I would say this issue is likely more of a first-year issue, before you start settling into your preferred departments. The overall atmosphere at the firm is not one that demands poor work/life balance, and people will check in when you are online late a lot”. Another concurs, saying that while “hours in the week are long, there is a lot of respect for weekends and holidays”. While busy days with late nights are to be expected, the lack of a face-time culture at the firm also means that 4pm finishes in quiet periods are actively encouraged. To put it bluntly, the work-life balance at Jones Day “comes with the territory”, as one trainee says. And with NQ rates of £165,000, juniors are well compensated for their time.
Another silver lining is that all these late nights are also a great bonding exercise, and trainees at JD are very well supported by their peers. “Everyone looks out for each other and there’s a real sense of being ‘in it together’” was the consensus from the rookies we spoke to. The non-rotational system does add an extra layer of competition as, according to one “everyone wants the best piece of work or wants to be on the most lucrative deals”. This is felt more strongly at the beginning, as the “popular departments get a lot of demand for work” but people eventually “fall naturally into the departments they gel best with,” according to one LC insider. Overall, it seems the trainee-only office system – and of course the week-long trip to Washington DC at the start of the training contract – fosters a “tight knit group” who “help one another with advice and know-how when necessary.”
Peer approachability is matched by superiors as well — bar the “few odd people who tend to stick out”. One spy observes that “superiors are generally very approachable, both for advice and to get involved on various work matters. The firm very much has an open-door policy in this regard.” Another told us that “everyone has adopted a ‘no stupid question’ rule, and whether or not that is a genuine belief, that is definitely the approach that is followed”.
The social life at Jones Day is said to be quite lively, with spontaneous pub trips complementing a “varied social calendar” — including a recent fancy-dress themed dragon boat race on the Thames.
The legal tech offering at JD has improved significantly over the last couple years. Previous complaints of it taking “about ten years to get tech approved by Washington” are no more, as the firm is said to be “increasingly adopting more legal tech that helps the lawyers perform the roles, with accompanying training sessions taking place for these as well.” AI is said to be a “real focus point in the London office at the moment” with the firm already rolling out platforms like Harvey for its front-line lawyers.
While client and international secondments don’t seem to be available for trainees, associates have plenty of opportunities. In-office perks include a solid benefits package: private healthcare, a cycle-to-work scheme, a season ticket loan, free barista-made coffee, dinner expenses covered after 7pm, and a taxi home if working past 9pm. The stand out freebie is the on-site gym, which “makes it easier to get some exercise during the week”, although one buff trainee tells us that it is “not a place if you are serious about fitness”. That said, we hear improvements are on the way as part of the office refurbishment — including a new, upscale yoga studio.