8 Tips to Impress as a Summer Associate: What Every Law Student Should Know

SUMMARY

In today's competitive job market, summer associates are an invaluable resource in helping law firms move forward. Summer associates provide an opportunity for firms to assess potential new hires while also providing the associates with invaluable experiences and exposure. To get the most out of the summer experience, there are some key words of wisdom to keep in mind.


First, networking is critical. Summer associates must take the opportunity to build relationships with partners, associates, and legal staff. This includes attending firm-sponsored events and social events, introducing yourself to the attorneys in the office, and making the most of your lunch breaks. Additionally, it is important to be prepared to take on assignments quickly and efficiently, as summer associates are often given immediate responsibility for legal tasks.

Second, demonstrate your enthusiasm for the firm and its practices. Develop an understanding of the firm's culture and get to know the staff. Try and work on projects in multiple practice areas if possible, as this will help you to develop skills and knowledge that can be applied to the practice areas you are interested in.

Third, get to know the other summer associates and build relationships with them. Not only will this help you make the most of the summer experience, but it will also give you a network of contacts and resources for the future.

Fourth, be open to feedback and take the initiative to ask questions. Your supervisors and mentors can tell you what is expected of you, and you should take the time to develop and fine tune your legal skills. Additionally, strive to be organized and thorough when completing assignments and review the rules of professional conduct when engaging in legal work.

Finally, take advantage of the resources available to you. The firm should provide summer associates with the tools and materials to be successful. Be sure to take advantage of the training and orientation programs, workshops, seminars, and other opportunities that are offered.

For a successful summer associate experience, it is important to remain focused, networking, demonstrating enthusiasm for the firm, developing relationships with the other summer associates, getting feedback, and taking advantage of the resources available. These words of wisdom will ensure that summer associates make the most of the opportunity and help them move forward in their legal careers.

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Summer Associates: Making the Most of Your Opportunity

As summer associates, you are likely overwhelmed by the barrage of information, the seemingly endless list of tasks, and the raging deadlines that accompany your assignment. It is important to take a step back and not let the excitement of the moment take away from your experience. With that in mind, here are some words of wisdom to make the most of your summer associate opportunity.
 

Be Proactive

It is in your best interest to be proactive in your summer associateship. Take the initiative to be the one who stands out and is willing to take on extra tasks. This will not only show your colleagues, partners, and team members that you are willing to work hard, it may very well open new doors of opportunity. Make sure to ask questions, seek out discussions, and dig in to get the most out of your experience.
 

Time Management is Key

Time management is key to success as a summer associate. It is likely that your summer experience will include a significant amount of work, including but not limited to research, writing, attending meetings, preparing presentations and so on. Prioritize your tasks and take into consideration any deadlines that have been assigned to you. This will help you get ahead and accomplish more in the time frame.
 

Network, Network, Network!

Your summer experience is the perfect time to establish relationships and build connections. Reach out to attorneys, other summer associates, and other professionals to get to know them and create meaningful relationships. Don't forget that the people you meet during your summer associateship might be your future colleagues or employers. Use this opportunity to make strong connections and build lasting relationships with those around you.
 

Stay Positive and Take Initiative

It's important to stay positive, as the summer associateship can be an overwhelming experience. Don't get bogged down by the stress or worry that your work is not up to par. Instead, take the initiative and approach tasks with a can-do attitude. Doing so will help you learn and grow and demonstrate to your colleagues and superiors that you have the willingness and initiative to go above and beyond.

Ronald Nye is a partner at Chicago's Winston & Strawn, the chair of his office's Summer Associate Committee, and a member of the firm-wide hiring committee. Here, he offers a few pointers for making the most of your summer stint.

1 Be Yourself [For the Most Part]

We want to see how you conduct yourself and how you fit into the firm, whether it's the way you behave at social events or how you treat your secretary. Are you a team player? Are you considerate? Yes, you are an individual, and we want you to feel comfortable — but remember, your goal is to get a job offer. There's a happy medium between letting your hair down and conducting yourself in a manner that says, "I want an offer." Just because we have a casual dress code doesn't mean you can come to work wearing shorts and sandals. And if we serve alcohol at a firm function, be mindful of how much you're drinking. It's not a party with your friends. You're socializing with partners.

2 Party When You're Told

In a summer program, you're not going to get to work with as many people as you'd like to — or as we'd like you to. That's why we make a great effort to put together social programs, training, and other events that our lawyers are a part of. Take advantage. You'll have a chance to ask lawyers questions about what they do and their experiences with the firm. Attending these events shows enthusiasm. Nothing tells me you're disinterested more than your failure to participate.

3 Show Up

It may seem obvious, but we expect you to be here during normal business hours. Don't assume you can come in later or leave earlier than expected, even if it seems like there's nothing to do. The work schedule for summers isn't strenuous — it could be 9 to 5 in Chicago, or 10 to 6 in New York. When you're trying to get a job, you don't cut out early. Sure, some of our lawyers will leave early on a Friday afternoon to play a round of golf or go to a Cubs game. But they're also here a lot of evenings and sometimes on weekends. Don't take your cue from them. Why? Because they have jobs and you don't. (Yet.)

It doesn't hurt to take on extra projects. Part of what we're trying to gauge is how you'll handle the challenges of being a full-time associate, when you'll be juggling long-term and short-term projects. Ask your assigning attorney, "Can I pick up some short-term projects to fill the gaps during my long-term project?" You don't want to be working on the same thing for weeks on end — that doesn't show us what you can handle. If a project comes up on a Friday that entails weekend work — especially if it's in a practice area you're interested in — volunteer. This shows initiative.

4 Be Flexible

Maybe you want to do nothing but environmental work all summer. That's fine, but if an emergency comes up in, for example, bankruptcy, and we know you're free to handle it, we'll probably ask you to help. Your willingness shows you understand that we have to allocate resources appropriately within the firm. The benefit to you is that working in a new (to you) area makes you a better lawyer. It gives you the ability to be reactive to the markets, so when, for example, lending's down, you can step in and do securities because you once jumped into that area when you were needed.

5 Build a Portfolio

Aim to produce several pieces of written work by summer's end — ideally, a nice mix of research papers and memos of varying length. Oral projects don't leave me with anything tangible to pass around as evidence of your skill. Don't be shy about asking for the chance to work on a project that requires you to write if you're not offered the opportunity. Be proactive. Go to your assigning attorney, say you enjoy what you're doing, and mention that you'd gladly take on an assignment that requires you to write a five- to 10-page memo.

6 Check Your Work

Take pride in your work, regardless of its length and complexity and whom you're working for. Just because you're handing an assignment in to a junior associate doesn't mean you can be less careful with it. The golden rule: Assume that everything will be used in a case or a transaction. Write as if it's going straight to a partner. We look at your work, and it'll stand or fall on its own. Proofread. Spell check.

7 Ask Questions

Whenever you're unsure about any aspect of your summer position — a social dilemma that arose at a work event, an office issue you haven't encountered before — find the appropriate person and ask for help. If you're in danger of missing a deadline, check in with the lawyer you're working with and ask, "Is the deadline at all flexible?" (That said, only ask if you think you're not going to make the deadline.) I've been doing this long enough to know asking is better than presuming. We'll never fault a summer associate for asking a question.

8 Oh, Behave

Treat everyone professionally, from administrative staff to managing partners. We'll know if you're rude to your secretary or to junior associates. How do we know? We ask them. All these people support your practice and they're all pros, so exercise common courtesy. That includes, by the way, your fellow summer associates. You're not competing with them. We expect to extend offers to everyone in our summer class every year. Form a bond with them; it'll enhance your experience over the summer, and you'll build a set of friends that you'll work with if you return after law school.

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