Fractional Law Firm CMO’s Post

Summer Associates, listen up! As you wrap up your #lawfirm gig and head back to #lawschool, take a moment to ensure you end the summer on a high note. Here are two easy to incorporate tips that will help you stand out, leaving a lasting impression, and stay connected for the long run! Fractional Law Firm CMO Katherine Wilson, JD 💡 #legalmarketing #summerassociate #gratitude #linkedin

Congratulations! You have done all the work to get great grades and networked successfully, and now, you have accepted an offer to be a Summer Associate. I remember the feeling myself, and after the excitement wore off, I was only left with overwhelming questions. What can I do to be the best summer associate possible and receive an offer to come back to the firm? What strategies should I follow, and what are some things I should avoid? Especially as a first-generation law student, these questions remained unanswered. Now, having completed Summer Associate positions at two AM Law 100 firms, this episode seeks to answer these questions, as Johannes Alvarez-Rivero runs through the best tips and tricks for summer associates to leave a great impression on the firm they work at and easy to miss mistakes that should be avoided. The discussion is a aggregation of advice provided by a number of students inside and outside of Chicago law schools, all who have completed Summer Associate positions at a vast variety of law firms. 

Law students, Take a hard look at the partners and senior attorneys in the firms/offices where you work this summer as an intern. Look at their work life with a critical eye. Do you want the work life they have? How many people stay at the firm for a long time? Do they enjoy the work? Make your list and ask yourself these questions. Why? Because, in all likelihood, the firm isn't going to change dramatically. If you work at a firm that requires high billable hours, even for partners, they will likely stay in that model. Be open to changing your mind about what you want to do. Law school does not expose law students to an abundance of practice areas. It's ok to change your mind about what you want to do. You are going to law school for you, not for someone else's idea of what you should do. #lawstudents

☀️It's week two of our popular Summer Associate Instagram Takeover! Today, we head to the Washington, D.C. office to meet up with Marlee Sonico (Georgetown University Law Center, Class of '25), Kaitlin Fontana (The George Washington University Law School, Class of '25), and Anya Karaman (William & Mary Law School, Class of '25). Head on over to our Instagram stories to see what a day in the life of a Cozen O'Connor #SummerAssociate. And, if you're interested in applying to the program, the application period for 2Ls for summer 2025 just opened on June 1. Learn more about how to apply via the link in our comments. #lawfirm #amlaw100 #summerintern #lawstudentlife

New lawyers and summer associates should try to expose themselves to as many practice areas as they can. Finding a niche is important, but you need to know what area suits you first. And that comes from seeing as much as you can. Even new lawyers who have to hang out their own shingles can associate with more experienced counsel to see how it’s done in an unfamiliar area of law without stumbling through. And at a larger firm, you can always advocate to work with someone in an unfamiliar area who you can learn from. But at a certain point the real benefit can come from focusing — that’s when you really begin to add value for clients. And it’s best if the choice of specialty is born of exposure to a broad range of experiences rather than chance. #lawstudents

This is excellent, and I echo Christine Pirri, SPHR (she/her) in the universal application of this. I would add (and I apologize if I missed this), that in general terms, for mid-size and larger organizations, your job is to make you boss look good to their boss; and up the chain that goes. Good managers will share that positive view with their teams, and they will use that to help you advance your career. If you have a manager who isn’t doing that, seek out a senior member of the firm and ask if they can be a mentor and/or career advocate. (You can even do the latter *with* a good manager.) Caveat: Making your manager look good should not come at the cost of a false reputation or sacrificing your values. Take blame when it’s deserved, and only then — but never point the finger unless it’s actually necessary to move forward.

The first legal document I ever drafted doesn't look like it was made by someone who had no clue what he was doing. On my first day as a summer associate, I drafted a protective order governing the exchange of confidential documents. It's the first of 16,000+ documents in our system saved under my name over the last 11 years. And it's a dang good protective order. Not because law school taught me anything about discovery or protective orders. But because I copied a protective order one of my colleagues had used on another case. Not reinventing the wheel is a powerful tool for aspiring and new lawyers. But there's also a danger. You could use the same protective order for 11 years without understanding certain provisions, until something comes up and you have to understand them the hard way. The better way is: "don't reinvent the wheel" while at the same time get training from the lawyers who invented that wheel. Senior lawyers, when you assign a task to your summer associate, provide some basics and context. When you get their draft, discuss it with them. If you don't, your summer associate should ask you to. The long view requires being both efficient and training-minded.

We recognize the immense value of mentorship in shaping the careers of law students and enhancing the experiences of our summer associates. That's why during our Summer Associate Program, we pair our summers with both a partner mentor and an associate mentor, to foster a supportive and growth-oriented environment. In their blog for Vault, Andrea Yang and Brooke Ross share more about how our summer associates are supported through mentorship and also include practical tips for law students and summer associates on how to get the best out of their mentor relationships. Read the full blog here: https://lnkd.in/g2RXHFuj #lawstudents #summerassociates #futurelawyers #MBSummertoRemember

We want to give a BIG thank you to Richard Zheng, our amazing intern, for his dedication and hard work over the past year! As he gets ready to embark on his next chapter, law school in the Fall, we couldn't be more proud of all that he has accomplished during his time with us in the Buffalo office supporting multiple Practice Groups throughout our footprint. We can’t wait to see all that he’ll accomplish in this next chapter. #FutureLawyer #TeamAppreciation #NewYorkLaw

Law 360 showcased the Brewer firm in its article, “Small Firms Put Unique Spin on Summer Associate Programs.” The article notes how the Brewer summer program provides participants with real-life experience, networking opportunities, and social activities. Firm partner Will Brewer says, “We had the law clerks and even the college interns working on substantive stuff, preparing for depositions, attending depositions, taking notes in meetings, going to court if that arises," he said. "We're just trying to give them a good experience, not just watching but also contributing to the end product and really working on the case." https://lnkd.in/g2G_kExg