‘We
love
our
firms!’
The
summer
of
2024
was
pretty
exciting
for
summer
associates
—
after
all,
summer
programs
now
seem
to
be
back
to
the
days
of
yore,
sparing
no
expense
to
impress
would-be
associates
with
fun
times
and
fun
work,
too.
From
setting
sail
for
luxurious
yacht
parties
to
attending
the
NBA
draft
to
seeing
Hamilton
from
orchestra
seats,
this
year’s
summer
associate
experience
did
not
disappoint.
But
what
matters
most
to
summer
associates,
and
which
firms
did
they
like
best?
This
year’s
crop
of
summers
were
impressed
not
just
by
their
extravagant
outings,
but
by
the
quality
of
the
real
work
they
were
able
to
do,
and
the
bird’s-eye
view
they
got
of
life
behind
the
scenes
at
their
firms.
Here
are
some
of
the
details
from
the
American
Lawyer:
Asked
what
the
most
memorable
part
of
the
experience
was,
far
more
summers
gushed
about
the
real
legal
work
they
did
and
the
mentorship
they
got
along
the
way.
A
Debevoise
&
Plimpton
summer
said
their
most
memorable
experience
was
“royally
screwing
up
an
assignment
and
getting
some
of
the
best,
most
constructive
feedback
I
have
ever
gotten,”
the
associate
said.
“That
alone
endeared
me
to
the
firm
and
firm-life.
Showed
me
it
was
a
place
I
can
grow
in.”Summers
also
remarked
on
firm
culture
and
work-life
balance.
Contrary
to
what
they’d
heard
in
law
school,
this
year’s
summer
associates
encountered
partners
who
achieve
a
healthy
balance
between
work,
family
life
and
hobbies.
“People
were
genuinely
happy
to
work
here
because
discussions
often
encompassed
non-work
topics
(e.g.,
hobbies,
travel
plans,
etc.),”
said
an
O’Melveny
&
Myers
summer.
With
an
average
weekly
pay
of
$4,543,
summers
were
indeed
quite
happy
with
their
firms,
with
the
median
firm
scoring
4.865
out
of
5
for
summer
associate
satisfaction.
Before
we
get
to
the
rankings,
let’s
discuss
the
methodology
used
by
American
Lawyer.
Firms
were
ranked
by
their
average
scores
based
on
the
following
categories:
partner
access
and
mentorship,
interactions
with
other
associates,
interesting
legal
work,
firms’
alignment
with
their
own
stated
goals
and
self-image,
and
whether
summers
were
concerned
with
their
mental
health
or
well-being
as
an
attorney.
Without
further
ado,
here
are
the
Top
10
firms:
-
Paul
Hastings -
Clifford
Chance -
Morgan
Lewis -
Baker
McKenzie -
Duane
Morris -
A&O
Shearman -
Fenwick
&
West - Cadwalader
-
Proskauer
Rose -
Blank
Rome
Click
here
to
see
the
full
list.
Congratulations
to
all
of
the
firms
that
earned
the
respect
and
appreciation
of
their
summer
associates.
Wine,
Dine
and
Grind
(Through
the
Weekend):
Summer
Associates
Thirst
For
Experience
in
‘Real
Matters’
[American
Lawyer]
Staci
Zaretsky is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
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and
Threads
or
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on
LinkedIn.