What is expected of summer associates?
Summer associates work on projects assigned by various lawyers in the office through summer associate work assignment coordinators. After a project is assigned, summer associates communicate directly with the assigning lawyer. Summer associates are expected to work and act like lawyers in the office.
What is a typical day?
Summer associates usually arrive between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. and work until 5:00 or 6:00 p.m., depending on their office and practice team. There are ongoing lawyer training programs that all summer associates are encouraged to attend. The majority of a summer associate's time is spent working on projects for various lawyers and attending "out-of-library" events such as depositions, closings, etc. There is also a schedule of social events designed to permit the summer associates to get to know as many lawyers in the office as possible and to acquaint out-of-towners with the city.
What’s the average length of stay for summer associates?
A typical summer is 6 to 12 weeks.
Do you allow split summers?
Split summers are determined on a case-by-case basis, but are not recommended in some locations. We find it difficult to get to know the summer associate and for the summer associate to get to know us, if they are not here for the full program.
How does BakerHostetler view judicial clerkships?
Judicial clerkships following graduation are encouraged. Judicial clerks are considered for offers of full-time employment based on the judge's rules for having job assurances during the clerkship.
What are the summer associate projects really like?
Summer associate projects are real work assignments for actual BakerHostetler clients. There are no “make-work” projects. The vast majority of work is billable, and some projects (e.g., assisting in the preparation of a presentation, seminar or article) are non-billable.
Where do assignments come from and how are projects obtained?
Summer associates receive work two ways: (1) directly from lawyers; and/or (2) from work assignment coordinators. Attorneys submit work assignment requests through an internal portal and the work assignment coordinator assigns the projects to the summer associates. The role of the work assignment coordinator is to monitor the workload of each summer associate so that there is work/life balance and assignments are varied. We ask for practice area interests prior to the start of the summer and try to match available work with expressed interests as much as possible.