Sullivan & Cromwell 2028 screener and callback guide

For
2028 summer associates
Sources
15 cited

Got a Sullivan & Cromwell screener or callback for the 2028 summer associate program? Here is the format, who you meet, the questions to expect, from "Why S&C" to your writing sample, and how the offer works.

A law student in a dark suit in a callback interview with two lawyers across a conference table, shelves of bound law reports behind them.
S&C holds callbacks in person at its offices, with the option to interview virtually if you need to.

Key facts

  • Rounds: A short screener, then a callback made up of several interviews at S&C's offices.5,10
  • Screener: Usually 10 to 30 minutes with one or two lawyers. Expect it on video: Harvard's early-January program for 2028 jobs is virtual, as are other top schools' January programs.7,8,10,12,15
  • Callback: In S&C's offices, with a virtual option. You usually meet two partners, two associates and a hiring partner, and may have lunch with a group of lawyers.1,6
  • Who you meet: S&C runs fewer callbacks than many firms and pairs each candidate with lawyers who practice in the areas the candidate is interested in.5
  • Content: Conversations about your experience, interests and long-term goals. Expect "Why S&C" in some form from one or more interviewers.6,5
  • When: For summer 2028, S&C starts interviewing once first-semester transcripts are released and submitted, and school programs run from early January 2027.2,12,15
  • Offer: Generally 14 days to respond, more on request, and no exploding offers.1
  • Callback to offer: Across firms, 47% of callback interviews led to offers in the 2025 cycle (summer 2026).9

S&C interviews are conversations. The interviewers read your transcript and resume first, then use the time to learn what interests you, how you analyze issues and how you would work with others.5,8,6

What the Sullivan & Cromwell interview looks like

  1. The screener

    The first conversation is short, about 10 to 30 minutes with one or two lawyers. S&C's interviewers want to learn what you are interested in, what you want from a summer, how you analyze issues and how you would work with others, so they may ask you to expand on a job or even a hobby on your resume. For summer 2028, Harvard's program and other top schools' programs in early January 2027 are virtual.7,8,5,10,12,15

  2. The callback invitation

    If you are picked, the Legal Talent Office emails you a link to book your callback in its online appointment book. Book promptly: there are only so many slots each day. The evening before, you get an email with the day's details and the lawyers you will meet.1

  3. At the callback

    Callbacks are in person at S&C's offices, with a virtual option if you need it. You usually meet two partners, two associates and a hiring partner, each matched to the areas you said interest you, and you may have lunch with a group of lawyers. The interviews are substantive conversations about your experience, interests and long-term goals.1,6,5

  4. The questions repeat, on purpose

    Several interviewers may ask the same thing, often what the screener asked. Each one is hearing your answer for the first time, so give it in full every time. S&C aims for conversations that unfold naturally rather than a set script, so be ready to follow a tangent.7,5

  5. After the callback

    Offers generally give you 14 days to respond, with more time on request, and S&C does not make exploding offers. If you get one, the recruiting team can set up a second visit, and you are invited to offer receptions with partners, associates and summer associates.1

A callback day, step by step

Evening before Email
S&C sends the day's details and the list of lawyers you will meet. Read their bios.
Interviews About 20 to 30 min each
Usually two partners, two associates and a hiring partner, matched to your interests.
Lunch Sometimes
Depending on timing, lunch with a group of lawyers. It is still part of the interview.
Between slots A few minutes
Jot down a note on each conversation for your thank-you emails, but not during the interviews.
Afterward Within 24 hours
A separate thank-you email to each lawyer, and to the recruiting coordinator.

The interviewer mix, lunch and evening-before email come from S&C and its recruiting head. The interview length and the note-taking and thank-you advice are Intervyo's reading of law school callback guidance.1,6,7

Before your S&C callback

  • Book your slot as soon as the invitation arrives, since each day has a limited number.
  • Read the bios of the lawyers on the list S&C emails the evening before.
  • Have one clear answer to "Why S&C" built around the generalist model.
  • Know every line of your resume well enough to talk about it for two minutes.
  • Bring spare copies of your resume, transcript and writing sample in a folder.
  • Prepare two questions for each interviewer about their own work.
  • Treat lunch as part of the interview: order simply and skip alcohol.
  • Send a separate thank-you email to each interviewer within 24 hours.

The questions

Expect conversation. The questions fall into a few groups: why S&C and its generalist model, your resume and writing, how you handle hard situations, and which practice areas interest you.5,6,7

  • Motivation: Why S&C, why the generalist model, and why the office you applied to.
  • Resume: Any line on your resume, from a job before law school to a hobby.
  • Writing sample: What you wrote, the question it answers and why you argued it that way.
  • Behavioral: A challenge you faced, what you learned and how you work with others.
  • Practice area: Which areas of law interest you and what you want to try in the summer.

Which division question you get

General Practice (corporate)
Expect "Why S&C" and whether the generalist, multi-disciplinary model appeals to you. Corporate associates spend their first 24 months unassigned across sub-groups.5,4
Litigation
If you name litigation, you meet litigators. Bring spare copies of your writing sample, since it can come up.5,7,11
Tax and Estates & Personal
You do not have to commit now: summer associates try a variety of work and pick one of the four groups at the end of the summer.4
Washington, D.C. officeBest guess
Expect questions on why D.C. and on regulatory or government-facing work, alongside the usual "Why S&C".

The Washington, D.C. line is our best guess from the office's focus on litigation, financial regulation and government investigations.

Example questions and how to answer them

Motivation"Why Sullivan & Cromwell?"5,4
  1. 1Lead with the generalist model and why it suits you: training across matters before you pick a group.
  2. 2Give one specific: lean staffing, early responsibility, or a matter you read about.
  3. 3Tie it to your own story: a job, a class or a project that points here.
  4. 4Close on the office and what you want from the summer.

Tip: S&C's recruiting team says to expect this in some form from one or more interviewers. Keep it to about a minute and make it different from what you would say to any other firm.

Example answer, written by Intervyo (not a real candidate)

Intervyo example.

I want to start as a generalist. Before law school I spent two years at a bank seeing deals from the business side, and I liked how one problem touched financing, regulation and disclosure at once. S&C trains its corporate associates across those areas for their first two years instead of placing them in one group on day one, which is how I want to learn.

The lean staffing matters to me too: I would rather be the most junior person on a small team doing real work than one of many. And I want to be in New York, where most of S&C's lawyers and summer associates are.

Resume"Walk me through your resume."7,8
  1. 1Start where you are now: your law school and what you are focused on.
  2. 2Pick two or three entries in order, one sentence each on what you did.
  3. 3Link each step to the next, so the story leads to law and to S&C.
  4. 4Finish in under two minutes and leave hooks the interviewer can pick up.

Tip: Everything on your resume is fair game. Interviewers want what you learned and the challenges you faced, not just the bullet points.

Writing sample"Walk me through the argument in your writing sample."11,7
  1. 1Say what the document is and the question it answers, in one sentence.
  2. 2Give your conclusion first, then the two or three steps of reasoning.
  3. 3Name the strongest point against you and how you dealt with it.
  4. 4Say what you would change now, which shows judgment rather than weakness.

Example answer, written by Intervyo (not a real candidate)

Intervyo example.

It is a 12-page objective memo from my legal writing class on whether an arbitration clause in an online sale bound the buyer under New York law. My conclusion was that it likely did, because the checkout page required the buyer to click "I agree" next to a visible link to the terms.

The hardest point was a case refusing to enforce a clause hidden in a browse-wrap link. I distinguished it on how the terms were shown. If I wrote it again, I would spend less space on the background and more on that case.

Behavioral"Tell me about a challenging experience and what you learned from it."6,7
  1. 1Set the scene in two sentences: where you were and what was at stake.
  2. 2Say what you did yourself, step by step.
  3. 3Give the result, good or bad.
  4. 4End on what you took from it and how you work differently now.

Tip: Interviewers look for people who respond well to hard situations, solve problems and take criticism. Pick a story where you changed something.

Practice area"Which practice areas interest you?"8,4,5
  1. 1Name one or two areas and the reason, from a class or a job.
  2. 2Show you are open: S&C summer associates try several groups before choosing.
  3. 3Ask the interviewer how they came to their own practice.

Tip: S&C matches your callback interviewers to the interests you give, so say what you actually want to try.

More Sullivan & Cromwell interview questions

Motivation

  • “Why S&C?”5

  • “Does the generalist, multi-disciplinary approach appeal to you?”5

    Wording ours, from S&C's recruiting team

  • “Why are you interested in our firm?”8

  • “Why this office?”8

    Best guess

    Firms want to know you are serious about the office

Resume

  • “Tell me more about this job on your resume.”5

    Wording ours

  • “Tell me about this hobby on your resume.”5

    Wording ours

  • “What did you learn from that experience, and what challenges did you face?”7

Behavioral

  • “Tell me about a challenging experience in law school or another job.”6

    A common opener across firms, from another firm's interviewer

  • “Can you talk about your experience and what you took from it?”6

    Wording ours, from a Skadden associate

Practice area and goals

  • “What area of the law are you most interested in?”8

  • “What are your long-term career goals?”6

    Wording ours; callbacks focus on long-term objectives

General fit

  • “General fit questions and open-ended discussion.”10

    New York, 2013

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How long to hear back after the interview

S&C runs fewer callbacks than many firms, books them through an online appointment book and gives offers a 14-day response window. Across firms, 47% of callbacks led to offers in the 2025 cycle.5,1,9

  1. Sep 2011 (summer 2012)

    OCI, Michigan Law

    Interviewers were asked to name the lawyers S&C should line up for each candidate's callback, and how to shape the schedule.13

  2. Sep 2013 (summer 2014)

    Summer associate, New York

    A screener of about 20 minutes at school, then five 1-on-1 interviews at S&C's offices. Less than a month from start to finish.10

  3. 2025 (summer 2026)

    All firms, NALP survey

    47% of callback interviews led to offers. May 2025 was the busiest offer month, and 85% of offers went out before July.9

  4. 2025 (summer 2025 class)

    S&C summer program

    159 of 159 2L summer associates received full-time offers.14

  5. Jan 8 to 13, 2027 (summer 2028)

    Harvard Early Interview Program

    Virtual screeners for private sector employers, for the Class of 2029's 2L summer jobs.12

Response times vary by firm more than by candidate. If two weeks pass after a callback with no word and no timeline from the firm, a short follow-up email is reasonable.7

Best guessFor summer 2028, expect S&C screeners from January 2027 as fall grades land, with callbacks soon after. Book your callback as early as you can, because offers go out on a rolling basis.

What happens after the interview

  1. Online application

    Resume, transcript and cover letter through S&C's Flo Recruit portal, then your fall 1L transcript.3,2

  2. Screener, then callbackYou are here

    This page. A short screener, then an in-office callback with partners and associates.5,6

  3. Offer

    Generally 14 days to respond, with second visits and offer receptions for students who want to meet more of the firm.1

Screener vs callback

The screener decides whether S&C wants to see more of you; the callback decides the offer. By the callback, the firm has already decided your credentials are what it wants, so fit and interest carry more weight.

Length

Screener

About 10 to 30 minutes.7,8,10

Callback

Several interviews of about 20 to 30 minutes, often half a day.7

Where

Screener

On video at school programs such as Harvard's in January 2027, or at school.12,15,10

Callback

In S&C's offices, with a virtual option.1

Who

Screener

One or two lawyers.8

Callback

Usually two partners, two associates and a hiring partner, matched to your interests.6,5

What they look at

Screener

Your interests, how you analyze issues and how you would work with others, plus your grades.5,8

Callback

Your experience, interests and long-term goals, and "Why S&C".6,5

Lunch

Screener

Not usually: a screener is one short interview.7

Callback

Sometimes, with a group of lawyers.6

2028 summer associate status

The 2028 summer program runs ten weeks and usually has at least two start dates, in May and June. Associate Development Partners assign work from the areas you say interest you, and you choose one of the four groups at the end.2,4

FAQ

What is the Sullivan & Cromwell callback like?

An in-office set of interviews, with a virtual option. You usually meet two partners, two associates and a hiring partner, matched to the areas that interest you, and may have lunch with a group of lawyers. The conversations focus on your experience, interests and long-term goals.1,6,5

How long is the S&C screener?

About 10 to 30 minutes, with one or two lawyers. It covers your interests, your resume and why S&C.7,10,8,5

What kind of questions does S&C ask?

Questions about your experience, your interests and how you think, in a conversation rather than a script. Expect questions on your resume and your writing sample, and be ready to talk through a legal issue you have worked on.6,5,7

Will S&C ask "Why S&C"?

Almost certainly. S&C's recruiting team says to expect it in some form from one or more interviewers, and to think about whether its generalist, multi-disciplinary model appeals to you.5

Do I need a writing sample for the S&C interview?

Bring one. Law school guides expect firms to ask for a writing sample during interviews, and suggest 5 to 10 pages with a cover sheet. Carry spare copies to the callback.11,7

How long do you have to accept an S&C offer?

Generally 14 days, and you can ask for more. S&C does not make exploding offers, and it offers second visits and receptions to help you decide.1

When are S&C interviews for summer 2028?

S&C starts interviewing once fall 1L transcripts are released and submitted, so from January 2027. School programs such as Harvard's Early Interview Program run on Jan 8 to 13, 2027.2,12,15

Interview at other firms

Sources

Firm pages first, then dated candidate reports. Last checked Nov 4, 2026.

  1. 1Sullivan & Cromwell: The S&C Recruitment Process
  2. 2Sullivan & Cromwell (Flo Recruit): 2028 2L Summer Associate Program
  3. 3Sullivan & Cromwell: Careers in New York
  4. 4Flo Recruit: Sullivan & Cromwell LLP firm profile (updated Sep 2026)
  5. 5Chambers Associate: Sullivan & Cromwell firm profile: Get Hired · prep site
  6. 6Chambers Associate: OCI advice from the interviewers · prep site
  7. 7University of Michigan Law School Office of Career Planning: Guide to Firm Callback Interviews · prep site
  8. 87Sage: What I Wish I Knew before BigLaw Recruiting 101 (Aug 2022) · prep site
  9. 9NALP: Law Student Recruiting Moves Earlier as Employer-Sponsored Hiring Expands, New Report Finds (Jan 2026) · press
  10. 10Candidate report on a public forum: Summer Associate interview, New York (Sep 2013)
  11. 11Yale Law School Career Development Office: Writing Samples, References & Transcripts · prep site
  12. 12Harvard Law School Office of Career Services: Recruiting Programs for Employers · prep site
  13. 13Above the Law: An Inside Look at Sullivan & Cromwell's Recruiting Process (Sep 2011) · press
  14. 14Vault: Sullivan & Cromwell LLP: Summer Law Program · prep site
  15. 15LSAC: The History of Big Law Recruitment Timelines (Jun 2026) · press

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