Women partners have influence in the firm, such as Patricia Lewis in the international tax practice, who was the firm's president for the 1997 calendar year. In addition, three of the last five attorneys promoted to partner at the firm were women. There are not many minority attorneys at Caplin. The countertops are black marble, and there is a lot of stainless steel and gray. A five-member management committee, consisting of two permanent members and three rotating members, is in charge of all business matters.
Associates serve on some of the firm's key committees, including the recruiting committee.
Unlike many firms, associates are not a big profit center at Caplin. Bonuses can represent up to 20 percent of associate salaries, we were told. The firm does not have a minimum billable hour requirement, and there does not appear to be a great deal of emphasis on billable hours for new associates. One source claimed that the firm does not have a specific grade cutoff, but noted that the attorneys value superior academic achievement. Many of the partners were former Supreme Court clerks, presidents of their law reviews, or law school valedictorians.