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Culture & Engagement

A Firmwide Commitment

At Vinson & Elkins, we are committed to providing meaningful, challenging work and creating opportunities for personal growth, professional development, and advancement for every attorney and business professional.

As our firm — and the legal profession — continues to grow more diverse, we recognize the strength that comes from the unique backgrounds, perspectives, and talents our colleagues bring to the table.

We strive to foster a welcoming, collaborative culture that values how we work together — both on teams and in our day-to-day interactions. Our goal is to ensure every individual feels valued, connected, and supported in their work, because belonging connects us and empowers us to succeed together.

Our efforts focus on attracting, developing, retaining, and promoting the best talent. We strive to actively blend diversity into all aspects of firm life — our structures, processes, programs, initiatives, and conversations — through intentional relationship building; allyship; education and training; and outreach and collaboration with clients, law schools, and the community.

Talent Lead Partners are embedded within practice groups in each office. They actively monitor work opportunities, facilitate constructive feedback, and oversee associate development. Each practice group also has a representative who sits on our Practice Group Talent Team, which is responsible for developing practice group action plans for the experience, development, and retention of all our associates.

Our affinity groups offer an opportunity for anyone to join in order to build a stronger sense of community across practices and offices, provide mentoring opportunities, and facilitate business development efforts. Our affinity groups include Asian & Middle Eastern, Black, Hispanic/Latinx, LGBTQ+, Military & Veterans, Women of Color, and Working Parents.

V&E provides numerous scholarships and internships to support the next generation of legal talent. The firm is the founding sponsor of The University of Texas School of Law Pipeline Program and also partners with external organizations that offer meaningful career-building opportunities. Learn more about V&E’s scholarships here.

V&E offers a variety of programs, resources, benefits, and initiatives to advance our lawyer’s careers while maintaining a fulfilling personal life. Below are a few examples:

  • Gender-Neutral Parental Leave – Up to 18 weeks of fully paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child.
  • New Parent Mentoring Program – All expecting parents (male and female) are offered an experienced mentor to help guide them through personal and professional considerations related to being a new parent.
  • Post-Family Leave Phase-In – A three-month phase-in period is encouraged to help primary caregiver transition back into work.
  • Flexible Work Arrangements and Remote Work – Lawyers are able to propose a formal reduced-hours schedule, and all lawyers have the ability to work remotely when needed to balance client and personal commitments.
  • Family-Friendly Events – Each year across our offices, we have several events – including client events – geared toward families and children.
  • Back-Up Child and Elder Care – V&E offers subsidized back-up child and elder care providers – in-home, and through nearby facilities.

Key Contacts

Senior Director of Human Resources
Grace Gibson-Venner
Senior Culture & Engagement Manager
Helena Harris

  • Scholarships

    The firm is actively involved in a variety of external programs and offers V&E-sponsored financial support for students from high school seniors to rising second-year law students in the U.S.

    Learn More

  • Recruitment & Outreach

    Vinson & Elkins maintains a culture that nurtures diverse interests, backgrounds, and perspectives that enables us to develop exceptional attorneys. Our participation in diversity-focused career fairs and recruiting programs allows us to identify top notch legal talent.

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