Commercial Law
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett Application Guide
Wall Street elite and the preeminent legal advisor to private equity, known for market-defining buyouts, fund formations and complex credit work. Every stage of the process, the questions Simpson Thacher & Bartlett actually asks, and the prep that gets candidates through, in one place.
Practise for Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Start practising on Intervyo. Free tools, scored feedback, no payment.
- Resume Checker, scored against Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
- HireVue practice, AI-scored
- Live AI mock interviews with Vyo
- Psychometric tests in real formats
- Application Tracker
The firm
About Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
The business today
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is an elite global Wall Street law firm headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1884, it is one of the world's premier legal advisors, known for dominant positions in private equity, mergers and acquisitions, banking and credit, and private fund formation, alongside a powerhouse litigation department. Rather than chasing volume, the firm focuses on complex, multi-jurisdictional mandates where clients are relatively price-insensitive: mega-cap buyouts, cross-border public mergers, multi-billion-dollar credit facilities and systemic investigations.
The firm's footprint spans 11 offices across the US, Europe and Asia. In the US it operates out of New York (the primary hub), Palo Alto, Washington DC, Houston, Los Angeles and Boston; globally it maintains London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Sao Paulo and Brussels. It employs roughly 1,100 to 1,200 attorneys and routinely ranks among the most profitable firms in the world, with gross revenue around $2.1-2.3 billion and profits per equity partner consistently between $5.5 million and $6.4 million.
In the US market Simpson Thacher is part of the traditional Wall Street elite alongside Sullivan & Cromwell, Davis Polk and Cravath, but it uniquely staked its claim as the preeminent legal advisor to the private equity industry. Its direct competitors today are Kirkland & Ellis and Latham & Watkins for private equity and leveraged finance, and Paul Weiss, Skadden and Davis Polk for high-end M&A and litigation. It retains a prestigious, more traditional, lockstep-inflected modified-merit partnership that appeals to blue-chip institutional sponsors.
Recently the firm has defended and expanded its asset management and private equity franchise, opening a Boston office, growing infrastructure, energy-transition and private-credit practices, and selectively breaking its historic lockstep to introduce a multi-tier partner compensation scale that lets it retain high-profile laterals. Alden Millard serves as Chairman of the Executive Committee.
Why people apply to Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Elite status requires real trade-offs. The volume and velocity of deals translate into a high-intensity environment with unpredictable hours: late nights and weekend work are structural realities, not exceptions, and the corporate-weighted workflow is sensitive to macro cycles. Lean teams mean high self-reliance, with fewer layers of review between a junior's draft and the partner's desk.
The primary pull is the unmatched institutional client roster in alternative asset management and private equity. Simpson Thacher is long-standing primary outside counsel to Blackstone and regularly represents KKR, Carlyle, Hellman & Friedman, Silver Lake, BC Partners and Stonepeak. For a transactional junior, that means deal-sheet exposure to the structural, multi-billion-dollar buyouts, fund formations and cross-border transactions that set global market precedents: the gold standard of transactional training.
Career outcomes are exceptional. The Simpson Thacher name unlocks in-house roles at marquee sponsor clients (Blackstone, KKR, Carlyle), financial institutions, elite boutiques, federal clerkships and senior government posts. The pedigree acts as automatic verification of capability across the legal and financial ecosystem.
Culturally the firm is regarded as a collegial, understated "polite Wall Street" environment that lacks the sharp-edged friction found at some peers, while maintaining a rigorous standard of excellence and lean deal teams that hand juniors substantive responsibility early.
Divisions inside Simpson Thacher & Bartlett's Commercial Law
Private Equity / M&A
Day-to-day
The flagship corporate practice. Juniors manage data rooms, coordinate legal due diligence, draft ancillary documents (disclosure schedules, officer certificates, board resolutions) and run closing checklists on mega-cap buyouts, take-privates and carve-outs. New York is the epicenter; Palo Alto runs tech-focused M&A/PE and Houston drives energy and infrastructure.
Interview style
Genuine curiosity about how deals are constructed, basic capital-markets and PE structure literacy, and high attention to detail. For any deal you raise, know the buyer, the seller, the strategic rationale and the macro factors.
Extreme difficultyBanking and Credit
Day-to-day
Operating hand-in-hand with PE, the team represents arrangers and underwriters or sponsors and borrowers in complex debt financings: leveraged finance, syndicated loans, asset-based lending and private credit. Juniors draft and organize security and guarantee agreements, review credit agreements, handle lien searches, compile closing binders and track funds flows. Concentrated in New York, with leveraged and infrastructure lending through Houston and London.
Interview style
Highly technical group that values attention to detail and ease with complex commercial structures; expect commercial-awareness questions on how leveraged finance is moving through the market.
High difficultyCapital Markets
Day-to-day
Advises issuers and underwriters on equity and debt offerings: IPOs, high-yield, investment-grade debt and convertibles. Juniors draft sections of registration statements and prospectuses, run diligence and management calls, draft comfort letters and coordinate SEC filings. Large presences in New York and Palo Alto (tech/biotech IPOs), with London and Hong Kong for cross-border work.
Interview style
Structural and process-driven; the bar is high organization and the ability to manage multiple moving regulatory parts simultaneously.
High difficultyPrivate Funds
Day-to-day
A global titan that advises sponsors on the structuring, formation, marketing and operation of PE, real estate, credit, infrastructure and venture funds. Juniors review and draft PPMs, subscription booklets and LPAs and track side-letter negotiations with institutional investors. Anchored in New York with growth in Boston and Palo Alto.
Interview style
Extremely selective. Arguably the top private funds practice in the world; show genuine interest in early institutional exposure to fund sponsors.
Extreme difficultyLitigation
Day-to-day
Handles high-stakes commercial litigation, securities class actions, antitrust, insurance coverage and white-collar defense and government investigations. Juniors spend hours on research, drafting memos, document review, deposition prep and motions to dismiss or summary judgment briefs. Headquartered in New York with regulatory teams in DC and benches in Palo Alto and LA.
Interview style
Academically selective; favors clerkship credentials, Law Review and top-tier writing. Expect to defend your writing sample under pushback and to reason through analytical hypotheticals.
High difficultyRestructuring and Bankruptcy
Day-to-day
Handles large-scale restructurings, Chapter 11 reorganizations, out-of-court workouts and distressed acquisitions for debtors, creditors or sponsors holding distressed assets. Juniors draft bankruptcy motions, first-day declarations and objection responses and coordinate claims reconciliation. Mostly New York, collaborating with Credit and Litigation.
Interview style
Cyclical and competitive; values an adaptable mindset comfortable with both transactional mechanics and litigation proceedings.
Moderate-high difficultyTry it now
Score your Resume against Simpson Thacher & Bartlett's screen
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett talent acquisition screens thousands of Resumes per cycle. Most are read in under 30 seconds. The candidates who get to interview have Resumes that signal commercial relevance fast, in the format Simpson Thacher & Bartlett expects.
What Simpson Thacher & Bartlett looks for in a Resume
Quantified impact
Numbers in every bullet: deal size, team size, percentage uplift, revenue managed. "Led a team" is filler, "led a 6-person team that delivered £400k of revenue" is a signal.
Named firms and deals
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett recruiters skim for brand names they recognise. Name your prior internships, the deals you observed, the clients you worked on. Specifics beat generic descriptions.
Industry-relevant language
Use the vocabulary of the commercial law world: DCF, comps, LBO, league tables, deal flow. Generic "analysed data" reads as not-yet-in-the-industry; the right terms read as ready.
Tight, structured layout
One page max. Reverse-chronological. Three to five bullets per role. No long paragraphs, no dense blocks. The skim test decides the read.
Try it on your own Resume
Free, no card. We score on the five dimensions above and tell you what to fix.
Drop your CV here
PDF, DOCX, or paste below
Free, no card required. Your CV stays private.
The application
How Simpson Thacher & Bartlett hires
4 stages, real interview questions, the criteria that decide it, and the moves that separate offers from rejections.
The process, stage by stage
- 1
Application / OCI Bid
Pre-OCI direct applications open as early as May and peak in June-July; formal 2L OCI bidding follows in early July.Apply directly via the firm portal the moment 1L spring grades post. A large share of the class is filled pre-OCI, so do not wait for OCI dates.
- 2
Screening / First-Round Interview
June through early August; invites arrive on a rolling basis within days.A single 20-30 minute live interview (Zoom/FloRecruit or on-campus). Have a tight why-Simpson answer and be able to explain every resume line.
- 3
Callback (Superday)
July through mid-August; the definitive evaluative stage.Four to five back-to-back interviews plus a non-evaluative associate lunch. Hold consistent energy across the whole day; every interviewer has a vote.
- 4
Offer
Offers via partner phone call within 24 hours to about a week of the callback.Decisions are fast and centralized through the hiring committee. The 2L summer-to-full-time conversion rate is historically near 100%.
What Simpson Thacher & Bartlett asks at each round
Screening (First Round)
- Why Simpson Thacher over our peer firms in the V10?
- Why are you targeting this specific geographic market, and what ties do you have here?
- Walk me through your resume.
- Tell me about a time you managed multiple competing deadlines.
- What is a recent transaction or business trend you have been following?
Callback (Superday)
- Why Simpson Thacher, given peer firms offer identical Cravath-scale pay and similar deals?
- Tell me about a time you managed a project with stakeholders who had competing interests.
- Walk me through one matter or framework you analyzed during your 1L summer.
- You will work for multiple partners who each think their matter is highest priority. How do you manage that?
- What challenges does a private equity client face running a roll-up in the current market?
Behavioral
- Tell me about a time you received tough constructive feedback and how you implemented it.
- Describe a situation where you worked with someone whose style was completely different from yours.
- Tell me about a mistake you made and how you handled it.
- Describe a time you took initiative to lead or fix something without being asked.
Commercial Awareness
- How do shifting interest rates affect our private equity and banking clients?
- Who do you view as our primary competitors, and what differentiates us?
- If a client wants to acquire a competitor, what regulatory and antitrust hurdles should we advise on?
- Why do corporations use private equity funds rather than traditional banking capital right now?
What Simpson Thacher & Bartlett looks for
Elite academic record
A high bar: at T14 schools a GPA around 3.4-3.5 or top half; outside the T14, top 5-10% of the class, Dean's List, or main Law Review. Journal membership signals proofreading and written analytical baseline.
Authentic firm and market alignment
Concrete knowledge of Simpson Thacher's dominance in private equity, funds and credit, and its institutional clients (Blackstone, KKR, Silver Lake). A why-Simpson answer that could fit any peer firm is an automatic ding.
Professional presence
Poise and clear communication, confidence without arrogance, ready to interact directly with sophisticated private equity executives and general counsels early.
Polished intellectual humility
A track record of elite performance paired with a collaborative, unpretentious demeanor. The firm prizes a low-ego, collegial "polite Wall Street" culture.
Grit and resilience
Concrete evidence of managing heavy workloads, competing deadlines and volatile timelines with a solutions-oriented mindset.
Commercial awareness
Thinking like a business advisor, not just an academic researcher: tying macro factors (rates, regulation, dry powder) to transaction volume and the firm's core practices.
The edge: what separates offers from rejections
Specific moves most applicants skip. None of them need talent, only preparation.
- 01Make why-Simpson specific: private equity, funds and credit dominance plus marquee sponsor clients, not generic prestige
- 02Be able to discuss every line on your resume and writing sample with complete authority
- 03Show genuine commercial awareness: tie rates, regulation and dry powder to the firm's core practices
- 04Hold consistent energy and professionalism across every callback round and the associate lunch
- 05Calibrate your questions to each interviewer's seniority and practice group
Prep, stage by stage
Drill each Simpson Thacher & Bartlett round
Dedicated pages for the four rounds Simpson Thacher & Bartlett runs. Practise each one free on Intervyo.
Online Assessment
Real format, calibrated to Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.
HireVue
Real Simpson Thacher & Bartlett questions, identical timer, scored on six competencies.
Live Interview
Conversational mocks tuned to Simpson Thacher & Bartlett's style, with follow-ups.
Superday
Hours of back-to-back interviews. Full-day rehearsal.
Pay & culture
Working at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
What they pay
Graduate
$225,000 first-year base on the prevailing Cravath scale (some 2026 sources cite a higher scale starting at $235,000)
Internship
Summer associates are paid pro-rata at the first-year scale; the 1L Diversity Fellowship adds a stipend of $25,000 or more
Perks
| Company | Comp | Hours / week | Exit options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kirkland & Ellis | Cravath scale (~$225k first-year) | ~1,900-2,300 billable/yr | PE sponsors, in-house (very strong) |
| Paul, Weiss | Cravath scale (~$225k first-year) | ~1,900-2,300 billable/yr | PE sponsors, government, in-house (very strong) |
| Davis Polk | Cravath scale (~$225k first-year) | ~1,900-2,300 billable/yr | In-house, banks, boutiques (strong) |
| Latham & Watkins | Cravath scale (~$225k first-year) | ~1,900-2,300 billable/yr | PE sponsors, in-house (very strong) |
What working at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett is like
- Wall Street elite alongside Sullivan & Cromwell, Davis Polk and Cravath
- The preeminent legal advisor to private equity (primary counsel to Blackstone; KKR, Carlyle, Silver Lake, H&F)
- Collegial, collaborative, understated "polite Wall Street" culture
- Lean staffing: often one partner, one mid-level and one junior on a deal
- Demanding hours: ~1,900-2,300 billable per year with sharp transaction peaks
- Four days in office (Mon-Thu), Friday remote-optional
- No harsh up-or-out; misaligned associates are counseled out softly to in-house roles
- 11 offices globally; US hub in New York with Palo Alto, DC, Houston, LA and Boston
Timeline
When Simpson Thacher & Bartlett programmes open and close
By programme. Use these dates to plan applications across the cycle and submit early on rolling lines.
| Programme | Opens | Closes | Assessment | Offers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1L Summer Associate / Diversity Fellowship | November 1 | Late December to early January | January through February | January-February | Highly competitive; requires stellar 1L first-semester grades. Fellowship adds a stipend of $25,000+. |
| Pre-OCI / Direct 2L Recruiting | May 15 | June through July (before law school OCI) | - | Rolling (June-July) | The primary avenue where modern elite firms secure top talent. Apply as soon as 1L spring grades post. |
| 2L On-Campus Interviews (OCI) | Early July | Late July to early August | - | Early August | Timelines match individual law school schedules. |
| 3L & Post-Clerkship Hiring | July 1 | August through September | - | Rolling | Highly dependent on practice-group demand and clerkship calendars. |
FAQ
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett application questions
How is Simpson Thacher different from its elite peers?
It is part of the traditional Wall Street elite, but it uniquely staked its claim as the preeminent legal advisor to private equity, acting as primary outside counsel to Blackstone and regularly representing KKR, Carlyle, Silver Lake and other marquee sponsors. Versus Kirkland & Ellis (high volume, decentralized internal market, non-equity track) it offers a more predictable central allocation and a more collegial culture; versus Paul Weiss (aggressive laterals, prominent litigation) it offers a more understated institutional Wall Street profile with a historic funds footprint; versus Davis Polk (banks and clean corporate governance) it leans directly into alternative asset managers and leveraged finance. If you want a career tied directly to private pools of capital, Simpson is the choice.
What does the full US recruiting process look like?
The core engine is the 2L summer associate pipeline, supplemented by a hyper-selective 1L diversity track. The funnel is application or OCI bid, then a single 20-30 minute live screening interview, then a callback (superday) of four to five back-to-back interviews plus a non-evaluative associate lunch, then an offer. There is no HireVue and no online assessment. The market has shifted aggressively early, so direct pre-OCI applications in May and June are the primary avenue; roughly 15-20% of applicants reach a screener, about 20-30% of those reach a callback, and callback-to-offer runs about 35-50%.
What is compensation at Simpson Thacher?
The firm pays the market-leading Cravath scale across all US offices. The firm guide cites first-year base at $225,000 rising to $435,000 for eighth-years, with lockstep year-end bonuses from $20,000 to $115,000; some 2026 sources cite a higher scale starting at $235,000 and reaching $455,000. Federal clerks receive a $50,000-75,000 bonus plus full class-year credit. Base pay is identical across offices, though purchasing power differs: New York and Palo Alto are ultra-high-cost, while Houston and DC associates pull the same salary in more favorable markets.
What are the hours and the staffing model like?
Associates work hard, with average annual billable hours ranging roughly 1,900 to 2,300 depending on deal volume and practice group; corporate, capital markets and banking see the sharpest peaks at closings. The firm runs a lean staffing model: a typical deal may be staffed with just one partner, one mid-level and one junior associate. That hands juniors significant responsibility early, but demands high self-reliance, since there are fewer layers of review between a junior draft and the partner desk.
What are exit options from Simpson Thacher?
Exceptional and varied by group. Transactional associates most often move in-house to elite private equity sponsors (often the firm's own clients like Blackstone, KKR and Carlyle), financial institutions and private-credit funds, or to tech and biotech GC roles via Palo Alto and Boston. Litigation and white-collar associates feed the DOJ, elite US Attorney Offices, the SEC and the FTC, heavily sourced from DC for antitrust. Others lateral to premier litigation or M&A boutiques. The Simpson Thacher pedigree acts as automatic verification of capability for these coveted roles.
Can international students apply, and is there visa sponsorship?
Yes. The firm welcomes JD and LL.M. candidates at accredited US law schools and routinely sponsors international JD candidates for work authorization, using the 12-month OPT period under F-1 followed by entry into the annual H-1B lottery. International corporate candidates are frequently integrated into Capital Markets, M&A and Private Funds, where cross-border capability and language skills add value. All international applicants must pass a domestic state bar exam (typically New York or California).
How not to fail
Mistakes that cost candidates Simpson Thacher & Bartlett offers
Specific failure modes the firm screens out. None of these need talent to avoid, only awareness.
- 01Failing to define "why Simpson Thacher". A generic answer that applies to any large New York firm is a quick rejection. Speak specifically about private equity, funds or credit dominance and the marquee institutional sponsor clients.
- 02Displaying a lack of transactional interest. Interviewing for a corporate slot but unable to explain what a private equity fund does, or showing no comfort with basic financial concepts, fails the screen.
- 03Appearing arrogant or pretentious. The firm prizes a polite, collegial culture. Candidates who come across as overconfident or difficult to work with fail the airport test immediately.
- 04Inconsistent energy across the callback. Letting your energy drop during the fourth or fifth interview signals a lack of stamina and drive; every interviewer has a vote.
- 05Treating junior interviewers casually. Junior associates provide direct, formal feedback to the hiring committee. Code-switching between deferential with partners and dismissive with associates is a fatal, easily-caught flag.
- 06Applying too late in the cycle. Waiting for formal OCI timelines rather than applying via the pre-OCI portal in May or June can mean missing slots that fill early.
If you are rejected
What to do next
A rejection is not a verdict on your ability given the firm's selectivity. A 1L rejection carries no stigma for the 2L push; the firm expects candidates to reapply with a full year of grades. If rejected at 2L, you generally wait for the 3L or post-clerkship windows. Build the record and target peer firms on adjacent schedules.
Elite PE / transactional peers
Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins, Paul Weiss, Weil Gotshal, Milbank and Debevoise recruit similar profiles and maintain deep alternative-asset benches.
High-end M&A and capital markets
Davis Polk, Skadden and Cravath for a broader corporate platform.
Litigation routes
Premier litigation boutiques (Kaplan Hecker & Fink, Susman Godfrey, Selendy Gay) and a federal clerkship to strengthen a later application.
Practise free
Walk into Simpson Thacher & Bartlett prepared
Practise every stage on Intervyo with AI-scored feedback: HireVue, psychometrics, live mock interviews, and Resume. Free to start, no card required.
Start practising freeFree tools, upgrade any time
Intervyo is not affiliated with or endorsed by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. Process details are sourced from past applicants, the firm's published guidance and our own research; verify timings on the firm's official careers site before applying. Last updated July 2, 2026.
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Practise free