The firm recently instituted a salary freeze, and 2009 salaries will remain at 2008 levels.  Lateral Link Members report the firm is generally a follower with respect to bonus amounts.  Bonus amounts are determined by a combination of billable hours and reviews.  Associates may choose either a 1,950-billable-hour track or an 1,800-billable-hour track, with correspondingly smaller (or no) bonus amounts.

In addition to new-associate training, Fenwick provides formal training in the form of its Fenwick University program, which provides comprehensive training for third-, fifth-, and seventh-year associates, and requires a commitment from associates to attend training sessions.  However, Lateral Link Members express some displeasure with the availability of training opportunities at the firm, saying it is "lacking" and "needs improvement."  The firm also has a formal mentoring program, but Lateral Link Members report that few attorneys take advantage of it.  The firm employs a free-market system of work assignment, and associates are encouraged to seek assignments from several partners in areas in which they are interested.  The firm has been repeatedly ranked by MultiCultural Magazine as one of the top 100 law firms for women and diversity and has received a ranking from Minority Law Journal as one of the top five most diverse law firms in the United States.  The firm is committed to environmentally sustainable practices, and its Mountain View office was the first law firm certified by Santa Clara County as an environmentally sustainable "Green Business."  In May 2009, the firm laid off several staff and attorneys.  Lateral Link Members are worried about their career prospects, complaining of the "poor communication" between associates and management.

Associates at the firm may choose between two billable hours tracks:  1,950 hours for full bonus eligibility or 1,800 hours.

Although some Lateral Link Members say there is no real pressure to put in face time as long as the work is done, others disagree, saying face time is "important, especially now."  The firm provides four weeks of annual vacation, which automatically rolls over, but one Lateral Link Member reports that "everyone is too scared" to take vacation in the current economic climate.  According to Lateral Link Members, it is common to work on holidays and weekends, but the work can usually be done from home.

Although there is no pro bono requirement, the firm recommends that associates perform a minimum of 100 hours of pro bono work annually.  The firm allegedly places no cap on the number of pro bono hours that will be credited towards billables and bonuses, but some Lateral Link Members report only being credited for a maximum of 50 pro bono hours.  Over 70% of associates at the firm perform, on average, 26 hours of pro bono work each annually. 

There is one partnership track at Fenwick, averaging eight years to eligibility.  Lateral Link Members are evenly split between those who think partnership is a "long shot" and those who think it is an attainable goal with hard work. 

Benefits at the firm include monthly happy hours, backup childcare, auto and home insurance assistance, participation in an investment partnership fund that invests in select clients, and the possibility of using the firm's condos in Hawaii.

Fenwick & West offers a Diversity and Public Interest Summer Associate Fellowship.  Summer associates will work for eight weeks at the firm and then work for a public interest organization that focuses on serving the legal needs of a diverse population.  The free-market approach is introduced in the firm's summer program, where summer associates are encouraged to explore areas of interest across all practice areas and are offered a combination of substantive hands-on experience and weekly seminars and clinics.  Fenwick & West offered half of its newest class of associates $60,000 in "walk-away" money, in addition to a bar stipend, to pursue other employment opportunities.  The firm made offers to just under half of its 2009 summer associates, although it did provide a letter to those who did not receive offers explaining that the reasons were purely economic.