Career Paths describes the progression of attorneys through stages of their careers.  Our goal is to retain the best and brightest legal talent, and offer our attorneys meaningful feedback on their professional progress and career flexibility consistent with the firm's goals and our clients' needs.    

Perkins Coie is proud and supportive of the long tenure of many of our professionals.  Our attorney positions include:  

  • Associate: Associate is a position for early-career attorneys; after six years of credited practice, associates are eligible for promotion to counsel.  Associates may also move to a senior attorney role after six years of practice.
  • Counsel: Counsel is a partnership-track position for attorneys with at least six years of legal experience.  Our counsel attorneys enjoy advanced training and development opportunities.  After two years as counsel, attorneys may be eligible for consideration for promotion to partner or senior counsel.
  • Senior Counsel: Senior counsel is a long-term senior position with the firm.  Although some attorneys join the firm as senior counsel, or were previously promoted to senior counsel with an understanding that they would be eligible for consideration for promotion to partner at a future date, senior counsel is not generally a partnership-track position.
  • Senior Attorney: Senior attorney is a non-partnership track position used on a limited basis for attorneys who have at least six years of legal experience.

The firm has a well-established flexible promotion track policy to suit different circumstances. Attorneys often practice for more than the minimum number of years before promotion.