• 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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• Current Opportunities

  Associate – Corporate Litigation and Court of Chancery Practice
  The Richards, Layton & Finger Corporate Litigation Practice is seeking a highly qualified associate with a minimum of 2 years of experience in corporate litigation and/or Court of Chancery litigation to join our Firm. Superior academics and excellent writing and oral communication skills are required.

  Delaware bar admission is not required, but if a successful candidate is not admitted in Delaware, they will be required to take the Delaware bar exam at the first opportunity.

  To apply, please upload your resume, cover letter, and law school transcript here.  Contact Samantha Stern, Hiring Manager, at stern@rlf.com with questions.

  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.

  Note to third-party legal recruiters: a fee agreement must be signed before a resume can be presented to the Firm. Please contact Samantha Stern with blind candidate descriptions.

  About our Corporate Litigation Practice and the Firm
  Richards, Layton & Finger, Delaware’s largest law firm, has been committed from its founding to helping sophisticated clients navigate complex issues and the intricacies of Delaware law. Our corporate litigation practice is considered “the gold standard in Delaware” Chambers USA for its extensive breadth and depth of experience and high-level insight into the procedures and practices of the Court of Chancery. Our team has been involved in many of the landmark corporate cases in the Court of Chancery and Delaware Supreme Court, and we have been at the forefront of litigation involving Delaware limited liability companies and Delaware limited partnerships. From the largest publicly-traded companies to private or family-held corporations, Delaware corporations turn to us for representation in high-stakes and complex corporate disputes involving fiduciary duty claims, mergers and acquisition disputes, corporate governance and control disputes, and statutory appraisals, among others.

  The Firm offers a competitive salary and bonus, retirement plan contribution, and fully funded health care insurance coverage for all associates and their dependents. Beyond this robust total compensation package, the Firm invests in each associate by providing professional development, mentoring, and opportunities for growth.

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  2L Summer Associate in 2026 (Class of 2027)

  Richards, Layton & Finger is accepting applications from second-year law students for its 2026 summer associate class. 2L law students do junior associate-level work across many litigation and transactional practice areas.

  To apply, please submit your resume, cover letter, law school transcript (when available), and writing sample here.

  Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. You are welcome to apply before your second semester law school transcript is available. If the transcript has not been released at the time you submit your other application materials, you will receive an email that will include a Flo Recruit link that can be used to add your transcript to your application.

  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.

  Please contact Samantha Stern, Hiring Manager, at stern@rlf.com with questions.

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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.

• 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, many of which are listed below. Please check with your Office of Career Services for more information. You can also contact Samantha Stern, Hiring Manager, at stern@rlf.com with questions.

  School
  Columbia Law School
  Cornell Law School
  Delaware Diversity Job Fair
  Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law
  Duke University School of Law
  Georgetown University Law Center
  George Mason University – Antonin Scalia Law School
  The George Washington University Law School
  Howard University School of Law
  The University of Iowa College of Law
  University of Maryland School of Law
  University of Michigan Law School
  Notre Dame Law School
  University of North Carolina School of Law
  University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
  Penn State Dickinson Law
  Penn State Law
  Southeastern Law School Consortium
  Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law
  Tulane University School of Law (New York Interview Program)
  Vanderbilt Law School
  Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law
  University of Virginia School of Law
  Wake Forest University School of Law
  Washington and Lee University School of Law
  Widener University Delaware Law School
  William & Mary Law School

• 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 $210,000, 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.

  2024 Summer Program

  In 2024, we hosted 10 summer associates, 9 2Ls and 1 1L, from the following law schools: Boston University, George Mason, Georgetown University, University of Maryland, University of Miami, Penn State – Dickinson, Penn State – University Park, Temple University, Villanova, and Widener University.

  Below are some photos from our 2024 summer program:

  

  

  

  2023 Summer Program

  We hosted 14 summer associates, 12 2Ls and 2 1Ls, from the following law schools: Emory, George Mason, George Washington, University of Maryland, University of Pennsylvania, Penn State – University Park, Penn State – Dickinson, University of Pittsburgh, Tulane, Villanova, University of Virginia, Wake Forest, Washington University in St. Louis, and William & Mary.

  Volunteering is a tradition in our summer associate program. This year, our summer associates prepared and served lunch at the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware.

         

      

• 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.