Experienced Attorneys

OUR APPROACH

At Bass, Berry & Sims, we prioritize attorney development and foster a people-first culture. When it comes to seeking attorneys for open positions, we look for candidates with quality backgrounds both academically and professionally, as well as exceptional interpersonal skills. We aim to cultivate the growth of each individual who becomes part of our firm and endeavor to meet both the goals of each attorney and the needs of our clients. The experienced attorneys who join our firm are integral to the firm’s ability to provide excellent client service. They meaningfully contribute to every practice area, team and industry group within the firm with many of our key leadership positions being held by former lateral attorneys.

We recruit and maintain a talented and diverse team of attorneys within our offices. Embracing diversity and inclusion strengthens who we are as a firm and enhances the services we can provide to our clients. To this end, we have devoted substantial recruitment efforts to attracting and developing industry-leading attorneys who will bring a wide variety of backgrounds and life experiences to our team.

Bass, Berry & Sims has a welcoming, respectful and collaborative culture that fosters success in our lateral attorneys. Much of our firm’s leadership joined us through our lateral recruiting program, including our current managing partner, members of our executive committee and practice group chairs. Our experienced talent team professionals strive to make your recruitment process and transition to the firm as smooth as possible. As you move through the interview process you will meet with a cross-section of attorneys, firm and practice group leaders, and key business professionals from diverse backgrounds. We focus on providing you with insightful information regarding our practice, firm culture and our role in the broader communities we serve. We provide best in the industry integration and development to our lateral attorneys of all levels to ensure your seamless integration into your specific practice group as well as other areas within the firm.

To view and apply for open positions, please click here to submit your application.

In accordance with the NALSC Code of Ethics, candidates shall be referred only with prior authorization of Bass, Berry & Sims. Posting of positions on this website or other third party sites does not authorize search firms or other third parties to directly solicit candidates on the firm’s behalf. We will not accept submissions from search firms with which we do not have an established contract. Once contracted, our Attorney Talent Management team will provide the search firm with a login and specific instructions for our recruiting portal, ViDesktop. Please contact our Attorney Talent Management team at attorneyrecruiting@bassberry.com for contract inquiries and more information on our process for search firms.

We prefer excellent academic achievement in law school and prior legal experience. With respect to judicial clerks, please note that we do not accept judicial clerk resumes from search firms and will not pay a fee for judicial clerk submissions. For information about our law student and judicial clerk hiring, please click here.

OUR PEOPLE FIRST CULTURE

We are committed to developing our people both professionally and personally. As a part of that commitment, we offer comprehensive healthcare and benefits programs as well as a 401k program with a competitive employer match.

Our flexible, hybrid working policy does not require a certain number or percentage of days in the office. We provide many amenities in our offices including catered lunches, a barista, paid on-site parking, and a telecommuting stipend to support effective remote work. In addition, our sabbatical program gives eligible attorneys one month off to truly unplug. We have a robust wellness program and offer access to an Employee Assistance Program and a telehealth provider.

Parents receive generous leave and can take advantage of benefits related to starting and raising a family as well as college savings plans. We also offer domestic partner benefits.

Our attorneys appreciate an array of professional benefits, such as reimbursement for bar and civic organizations, continuing legal education and licensing fees.

Diversity & Inclusion

We recognize diversity is more than a “right now” challenge. Real change requires a long-term commitment. We believe embracing diversity strengthens who we are as a firm and enhances the service we provide to our clients and the communities where we live and work.

Led by this conviction, we are willing to confront challenges that are unique to our firm and within the larger legal industry - and go beyond surface-level methods to create lasting change.

JUDICIAL CLERKS

We prioritize the value of judicial clerkships in preparing attorneys for the practice of law, particularly within our litigation practice group. Many of our lawyers served as judicial clerks for appellate and trial judges in both federal and state courts.

The firm will provide a $20,000 bonus for a federal clerkship (U.S. District Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals or the U.S. Supreme Court) lasting at least 12 months and give credit for both compensation and seniority purposes.

For two separate federal clerkships, where at least one is with a federal appeals court, the firm will provide a $30,000 bonus and give credit for both compensation and seniority purposes.

The bonus will be paid to all qualified judicial clerks accepting employment with the firm regardless of the practice group to which they are assigned.

To view and apply for open positions for judicial clerks, email Katie McDaniel.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The professional development program at Bass, Berry & Sims is designed to advance the substantive knowledge, professional skills and client service for all attorneys. Our approach is development-oriented, and we aim to help attorneys at all levels to advance through empowerment and tailored resources.

Our firm’s Core Competencies are the foundation of the professional development program. These competencies identify the material skills and abilities that all our attorneys need in order to achieve long-term sustainable success. We use these competencies as a platform from which to promote the development of attorneys, ensure superior client service, and sustain the firm’s culture of excellence. We draw on these competencies to form a framework for recruiting and evaluating attorneys, for developing and planning training programs, and for facilitating each attorney’s ability to seek out the experiences necessary to fully develop in his/her area of practice.

Upon joining the firm, first year associates and lateral associates are guided through an orientation and integration program that is customized to their experience level and interests. New attorneys at the firm join one of our practice groups and receive support, direction and assignments from group leadership.

Associates are paired with more experienced associates and supervising members to help them navigate opportunities and achieve their potential. Supervising members play a key role in development, meeting with associates quarterly to provide coaching and performance feedback. At the end of the year, the supervising members summarize the feedback and review it with each associate, setting the agenda for the next year’s growth.

In addition to on-the-job training, the firm hosts various annual learning opportunities adapted specifically to associates, including the following:

An eight-week substantive training program for junior associates.
An immersive, two-day program aimed at helping our mid-level associates better appreciate the intersection of law and business. Learn more about the program here.
An interactive client service academy for senior associates.

Associates are also invited to join client-facing webinars and have access to high-quality research tools and external continuing legal education opportunities.

We are proud of our track-record for advancing associates and helping them meet their career goals. We invite attorneys to become members of our firm based on a number of factors, including development of our core competencies, substantive legal skills, professional skills and client service.

We continue supporting attorneys with a similar suite of professional development efforts throughout their careers. For example, we host a two-year program for new members to provide in-depth knowledge and skills about firm management and legal industry development so they can best help further the mission of the firm and to become productive firm leaders. Members also have access to individual coaching, leadership development programs and advanced professional skills trainings.