Entry Level Associates
We are looking for intelligent, energetic and conscientious associates who want to practice law in the Rockford area and who we believe will fit in with our firm culture. Our goal is for our entry level associates to become senior associates and then partners of our firm.
Who We Are
We are one of the Rockford areas’s leading law firms. We engage in a diverse range of practice areas and work with our clients to address their sophisticated legal issues and endeavor to produce efficient, favorable results. Providing outstanding service to our clients through maintaining quality personnel is one of Holmstrom & Kennedy’s core values.
Holmstrom & Kennedy recognizes that the firm's success is ultimately dependent upon our ability to recruit and retain attorneys who have the potential to attain professional and personal accomplishments on par with our current attorneys, and to provide new associates with training that fosters their professional development, commitment and loyalty to the firm. We believe that each attorney in the firm is part of the team, and that the team prospers when we all work together. At the same time, it is our goal to provide each attorney the freedom to develop and pursue his or her practice, and the ability to develop a career that is economically rewarding and professionally challenging.
We believe that Holmstrom & Kennedy enjoys a reputation of providing high quality legal services, while adhering to the highest ethical standards of our profession. It is our goal to maintain that reputation with our clients, with our peers and within our community. Adherence to these priorities, values and commitments will ensure Holmstrom & Kennedy's future and continued growth. We believe the firm's culture and values are the foundation of our success.
Life as an Associate in the Firm
If you already have a good idea of what type of law you want to practice, we will give you as much work as possible in that area, while still giving you the opportunity to explore other areas of practice. If you have not yet decided exactly where you want to concentrate your practice, we will expose you to as many of our practice areas as you are interested in exploring. It is our mission to help you grow and develop into an exceptional attorney.
Because of the size of our firm, you will have the unique opportunity to develop client relationships and take the lead in cases or on projects, while still having experienced and talented senior attorneys to turn to for assistance and guidance. You will also be given freedom to develop your own practice area and explore cutting edge issues in the law. For example, one of our associates took the initiative to develop a new practice area with the firm’s support and that practice area is now thriving.
All of our associates are paired with a mentor who will follow your progress and answer any questions that you have. We strongly believe that ongoing training and mentoring of associates is crucial to the growth of our associates, both as professionals and individuals. We have bi-weekly transactional group meetings where recent developments and relevant topics are presented and discussed. In addition, all of our attorneys have an open door policy so that you can turn to anyone to ask questions and obtain feedback. We think of ourselves as a team and value everyone’s opinion.
Holmstrom & Kennedy also encourages its attorneys to present papers, author articles, teach and give lectures. Each attorney is urged to continue their CLE training beyond the basic Illinois requirements.
Our lawyers recognize that, in a law firm with a substantial and varied clientele, the practice of law is not a 9 to 5 proposition. On the other hand, we firmly believe in life outside the law, which includes a personal life and a commitment to the community in which one resides and works. In years past, we had a minimum billable hours requirement of 1,600 to 1,800 hours. We retain those hourly standards as guidelines but have eliminated them as minimum requirements out of concern that a rigid requirement unduly emphasizes a single indicator of performance to the potential detriment of both our clients and the firm.
We offer competitive benefits and compensation. Benefits include medical, dental, life, disability and personal liability (umbrella) insurance, 401(K) and maternity and parental leave. We also reimburse our associates’ bar review fees, bar membership fees, moving expenses and continuing legal education fees.
Work/Life Balance
The Rockford area offers a wide array of parks, golf courses, museums, musical venues and restaurants, and our attorneys take full advantage of all that Rockford and Northern Illinois has to offer. Our billable hour requirements are much lower, and our commuting times much shorter, than our neighbors in Chicago, Madison and Milwaukee, so we often enjoy get-togethers after work and golf outings in the summer. We attend national, state and county bar association events, provide pro bono services, participate in seminars, serve on community boards and attend our children’s sporting events. We believe in quality of work over just quantity, and that a good life balance is key to consistently producing high quality work.
Holmstrom & Kennedy maintains a friendly, informal, relaxed, yet professional atmosphere. Employees, not just attorneys, benefit from this atmosphere. Many firm events are attended by attorneys, staff and their families, which are all part of our firm culture and affect the quality of the very substantial parts of the lives that our attorneys and staff spend at the workplace.
Apply to Our Firm
Our attorneys choose to practice law at Holmstrom & Kennedy and raise their families in the Rockford area for a reason. Our firm offers an attractive alternative to lawyers who are looking for a challenging and sophisticated legal practice, without the disadvantages attendant to a large city/large firm environment. We strongly encourage you to apply so that you can experience everything we have to offer.
On-Campus Recruiting Schedule
Kristine Pihl Youman, our recruiting partner, is not planning to interview on-campus in 2012 for entry level associates.
Mail or E-mail Cover Letters and Resumes
Please feel free to apply to us directly by sending a cover letter, resume and copy of your law school transcript to:
Kristine Pihl Youman
Recruiting Partner
Holmstrom & Kennedy, P.C.
800 N. Church Street
P.O. Box 589
Rockford, IL 61105
Phone: 815.962.7071
E-mail: kyouman@holmstromlaw.com
