Akin Gump Lawyers Discuss Their Career Paths for Vault

Vault has published an interview with Akin Gump investment management counsel Kapil Pandit and litigation associate Lauren York on their experiences as summer associates and full-time lawyers at the firm, the knowledge gained from those experiences and the benefits of working at Akin Gump.

In the interview “Navigating Your Career Path: A Q&A with Associates at Akin Gump,” the lawyers spoke on the following topics:

• On choosing Akin Gump – Pandit noted that one of the most important factors for him about the firm was its commitment to diversity, saying, “Every firm emphasizes their commitment to diversity, but, once I started here, I truly saw it. There’s diversity in all levels of the firm—Kim [Koopersmith, chairperson], the management committee, the practice leaders from my own practice and different practices—and it’s not just the traditional sense of the term “diversity”; it’s actually diversity in people’s experiences.”
• On advice for incoming summer and first-year associates – York said, “One of the best things new associates or summer associates can do is to have a positive attitude, both with attorneys and the support staff. As first years, you may not have the skills or expertise some senior lawyers have, but you do have time. Making that time available to supervising attorneys and making it easy to work with you are very valuable...”
• On the firm’s useful training programs –York noted that the firm “conducted a week of training when I first came in that allowed us to get up to speed on the fundamentals of becoming a lawyer. The practice-specific training was helpful as far getting a big-picture view of the day-to-day, which is something that you are not going to get in law school.”
• On the firm’s impact – Pandit discussed the culture within his practice and finding work/life balance. He said, “I found the practice and the type of work I like doing. But I also found a practice that lets me have a balance with starting a family, and I’ve been able to work on all aspects of an investment management practice, so I don’t feel like I have cornered myself into one specific area. All of this will benefit me for a long-term career.”

To read the full interview, please click here.