If you’re at the top of your class, we’re very interested in speaking with you.

There’s more to being an associate here, however. Simpson Thacher is home to a genuinely interesting group of colleagues with a broad range of backgrounds, accomplishments and interests both during and outside of their workdays.

We've compiled a list of some of the individuals whose varied interests demonstrate the tremendous diversity of personalities that is the heart of the Firm.

Our Lawyers are Fearless

It takes courage to handle the most complex and high-profile deals and disputes of this decade.  Fortunately, Our Lawyers are an intrepid lot:  one of us used to swim with the sharks (the 16’ variety), while another has extensive training in counter-abduction techniques.  

Whether we are preparing for trial or negotiating a deal, one of our most important jobs is getting the facts right.  Our Lawyers are expert investigators:  we have on staff a former Deputy U.S. Marshal who apprehended fugitives; a former FBI agent; a former project manager who demilitarized chemical weapons plants in Russia; and a former investigator of police misconduct for the Civilian Review Board.  Compared to what they used to do, practicing law really isn’t hard at all . . .

Every good lawyer needs a healthy competitive streak.  Our high-achieving associate body includes a former semi-pro basketball player; a high jump competitor in the Junior Olympics; a Top 40 woman chess player; a world championship boat race competitor; a black belt karate master; competitors in a scrappy lawyer's ice hockey league; and the first person ever to achieve a documented sub-60 second time on the computer game, “Minesweeper.”

Creativity is the key to good lawyering.  So it should come as no surprise that our associates include a former Indie film producer; a two-time Juno Award winner in Canada’s Music Awards; the founder of an independent recording label; and a former professional pianist who, as a law student, published an article that has been cited in a Supreme Court concurring opinion.  (Note to prospective applicants:  This year we’re actively seeking Academy Award winners.)

We teach Our Lawyers the art of performing in the courtroom and the boardroom.  But some of us already have more than enough theatrical flair.  We count among our ranks a former video jockey from MTV Korea, a competitive ballroom dancer and a one-time soap opera heartthrob.

Our recognized in-house legal writing program could make a Supreme Court clerk out of just about anyone.  But some of us were born with a gift for the written word.  Our collective writing credits include Broadway plays, a best-selling children’s book; a dictionary of pirate lingo; and one very scintillating textbook on the Brazilian financial markets.  One of us even served as editor-in-chief of Alaska’s most widely-read weekly paper before practicing law at Simpson.

Simpson Thacher associates are a dependable bunch:  One of us correctly answered the $50,000 lifeline call from a friend in the hotseat on Who Wants to be a Millionaire!

Many of our associates have scaled peaks from Mt. Rainer to Machu Picchu.  One even ran a ski lift at Aspen.

Our globe-trotting lawyers have backpacked around the world and pedaled across the country.  We can even read maps (one associate placed 7th in the National Geographic Bee).

The accomplished associates at Simpson have previously taught law in China; Spanish in Singapore; English in Kazakhstan; and — by far the most challenging — rock climbing in Manhattan.

Now we all know that there’s nothing more interesting than being an associate at Simpson Thacher.  But some of Our Lawyers did try their hand at other professions before seeing the light.  Our list of past careers includes: inner-city priest; vice-president of California NOW; tasting coordinator for Wine & Spirits magazine; Poland-based Peace Corps volunteer; policy fellow for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus; and nanny to the children of James Carville and Mary Matalin.

One of the firm’s most deeply honored traditions is a strong commitment to pro bono work and we could not be prouder of the public service efforts of many of Our Lawyers.  To offer just a few examples, one of our associates founded a community-based social justice organization; another is a volunteer pilot for Angel Flight, an organization that provides transportation to medical care for families from remote areas; one chairs UP@7, a church discussion group for young professionals; and another co-founded a fundraising arm for a cancer support organization.