New York partners Ona Wang and Scott Weiser co-authored an article, "Secrets Of Success For Today’s Summer Associates," which was published as the exclusive guest column in the June 1, 2009, edition of all Law360 newsletters.
According to Wang and Weiser, "Being a successful summer associate requires a mixture of professionalism, enthusiasm and excellent work. The experience is not only about getting the offer; it is also about preparing to become a successful full-time associate after law school. To really thrive, a summer associate needs to effectively navigate the complex business and social experiment that is a law firm in 2009."
Their article goes on to highlight several "best practices" that summer associates should consider in order to get the most out of the 2L summer, including:
Wang and Weiser conclude: "Ideally, not only should a summer associate should make it easy for a firm to picture her as a satisfied and productive long-term employee, she should be able to picture herself pursuing a fulfilling and intellectually challenging career at the firm. As a result, firms do care if the summer associate expresses appropriate enthusiasm in the firm as a long-term career choice. A summer associate should make it clear that she is interested not just in being a lawyer, but in being a lawyer at that particular firm. Consider also letting a firm know which practice areas are of most interest. The 2L summer is often called the 'summer-long interview,' and for good reason, as an integral part of the process is for attorneys and staff to evaluate whether the summer associate is a good 'fit' for the firm."
To read the full article (courtesy of Law360), please click here.