Summer Associates Program

At WolfBlock, we view our summer program as one of the most important aspects of our hiring and recruitment effort. The summer associates program is available primarily to law students who have completed their second year of law school or to recent graduates who expect to do judicial clerkships after their graduation.

The primary goal of the summer program is to provide a two-way learning and evaluation experience. For the student, it offers first-hand exposure to our lawyers, our clients and our practice. For the firm, it provides an opportunity to assess the skills of prospective associates.

Generally, our summer associates rotate for three weeks or more in each of several departments of their choice. In these departments, they work on a variety of legal matters and practical issues. Work assignments are reviewed by a senior partner to ensure variety and consistency, as well as to offer exposure to the summer associate to a large number of attorneys. Through attendance at trials, negotiations, settlements and commercial transactions, we provide summer associates with exposure to the diverse styles and talents of our lawyers, our practice, and the practical aspects of being a lawyer at WolfBlock. We want summer associates to be exposed not only to research assignments, and the cases to which the research relates, but also to what we do day to day. They are also exposed to our training and development programs and to our pro bono work.

Our evaluation system provides continual monitoring and feedback on the progress of each summer associate, and provides assurance that we have a fair and comprehensive basis for evaluating his or her performance. Each summer associate is assigned an advisor who ensures that the associate receives a thorough evaluation, and has an immediate work partner for guidance and support. The firm also encourages (i.e. through a lunch program, cultural events, and informal social outings) associates to serve as mentors to the summer associates.

The Summer Associates Committee monitors the timeliness and completeness of evaluations, and provides a formal mid-summer evaluation session to each summer associate.

The Summer Associates Committee and the summer associates meet for lunch every week during the program to review events at the firm, any concerns, and the specific assignments handled by each summer associate during that week. The goal of these meetings is to provide a check on assignments to make sure they are "appropriate," to aid any summer associate who might need help or direction to resolve the assignments, to ensure that each summer associate's workload is balanced and manageable, and to expose all associates to what the firm is doing beyond their individual experience.

Each of the firm's departments or practice areas organizes at least one substantive training session during the summer. The training not only provides the summer associate with practical tips and a basic understanding of specific laws and/or practice areas, but also exposes all the summer associates to the types of matters each department or group handles.

Other opportunities for interaction with our lawyers abound. We organize a substantial number of formal and informal, educational, social, cultural and athletic activities to encourage the summer associates and our attorneys to get to know one another in a less structured environment.

When we hire a summer associate at WolfBlock, it is our expectation that the summer associate will prove to us that he or she is capable of becoming a successful lawyer at WolfBlock. We hire with the expectation of success. In recent years, almost all of our summer associates have received offers to join us after law school or after their clerkships.