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Join Us  Summer Associates
Overview
Garvey Schubert Barer hires bright, motivated and well-rounded law students with skills that will enhance the firm's capabilities. The firm prides itself on involving its summer associates in work assignments that are challenging, reflect the realities of practicing law, and provide value both to the summer associate and the client for whom the work is performed.
The goal of the Summer Associate Program is to give each student an accurate snapshot of life as an attorney at our firm. To this end, summer associates are not given "busy work." Instead, they are given meaningful assignments that differ little, if at all, from assignments given to first-year associates. Our summer associates assist with trial preparation and are directly involved in negotiating contracts with opposing counsel. They attend depositions, motions, and trials. We also include our summer associates in client cultivation - for example, by having them participate in seminars and in meetings with current and potential clients. The Summer Associate Program seeks to give each summer associate work assignments from as many different practice groups as possible; a typical summer associate might help research and draft a trial brief for the maritime group, negotiate and draft a contract on behalf of an athlete or recording artist, and be involved in the closing of a major merger or acquisition.
Garvey Schubert Barer's goal is to offer permanent employment to all second-year summer associates at the end of the summer. We do not want or expect our summer associates to compete against one another. Summer associates are told at the beginning of the summer that they will be judged only on their own work, and not by comparisons with their fellow summer associates. In fact, the only time summer associates compete with each other is during the interview process. Once an offer has been extended for a position as summer associate, the competition ends.
Program Structure
While summer associates are expected to handle multiple work assignments, they are assisted in this process by a summer associate coordinator who acts as gatekeeper. The coordinator, usually a mid- or senior level associate, assures that summer associates have enough work to do without being overwhelmed. The summer associate coordinator also ensures that each summer associate receives work assignments from as many different practice areas and attorneys as possible. If a summer associate expresses a preference for a particular practice area, the coordinator will seek to obtain meaningful and challenging assignments from attorneys practicing in that area. In this way, each summer associate is not only exposed to many different practice areas, but also works one-on-one with many different attorneys within the firm.
Each summer associate is assigned a "buddy" from the associate ranks. The buddy takes an active role during the summer in shepherding the summer associate through the program and is the "go to" person if the summer associate has questions about anything related or unrelated to the program. Buddies may provide guidance on issues ranging from a particular work assignment to firm culture to information about the new hot spots in Seattle, Portland, D.C., or New York.
In addition to receiving assignments from many different practice areas, the summer associates attend regular in-house luncheons. The chairs of the firm's different practice groups, as well as other attorneys in the firm, speak at these luncheons about their practices.
The firm's Summer Associate Program achieves a balance between work and social activities. Summer associates participate in many different social activities with lawyers and staff. These activities vary according to office and might include, among others, river rafting, a tugboat ride, and a trip to a winery. They will also receive lunch and dinner invitations from many different attorneys throughout the summer. We do not, however, try to fill every spare moment of a summer associate's life with work and social activities. The firm recognizes that many students, especially those from out-of-town schools, would like to spend time relaxing with their family and friends or getting to know the city.
Our Summer Associate Program requires our attorneys to provide feedback regarding the summer associate's work throughout the summer, rather than waiting until the end of the summer. After each work assignment is completed, the assigning attorney prepares an evaluation. The attorney is encouraged to inform the summer associate of the substance of his or her evaluation, and a copy of the completed written evaluation is provided to the summer associate. The summer associate coordinator also discusses each evaluation with the summer associate. At the end of the summer, each summer associate receives a formal evaluation based upon the individual evaluations prepared throughout the summer.
This process ensures that each summer associate is aware of his or her progress throughout the summer. Areas that need improvement are identified early on, so there is time to achieve that improvement before the end of the summer. Conversely, if the summer associates are doing well, as the vast majority do, they are assured of this many times throughout the summer to remove any anxiety attached to their performance. The firm's goal is to assure each second-year summer associate that he or she is on track to receive a permanent offer at the end of the summer (or to get that summer associate on track, if necessary) and to provide a real learning experience for its first-year summer associates.
Overall, our Summer Associate Program provides a meaningful and well-rounded experience that strives to give each summer associate a true taste of life as an attorney at the firm. In turn, the summer associates perform work that is of value to the firm's attorneys and clients. It is a rich and rewarding experience for all involved.
Anyone interested in Garvey Schubert Barer's Summer Associate Program should view our On Campus Recruiting page for contact information specific to each office.
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Travel and Reimbursement
