Ballard Spahr

• “The firm provides a robust training on overall firmwide practice. Distribution of work assignments is also very well managed. Given the limitations of having short-term employees, the effort to have summer associates do substantive work is commendable.”
• “My firm has an open assignment process where we can pull an assignment from a portal. The assignments are in a variety of practice groups. I really liked this because it allowed everyone to try new things, work with attorneys from across the country, and establish their own pace of work. The training was relevant to this as well. Overall, I had a fantastic experience.”
• “Ballard summer associates work on real matters. Ballard summer associates also have the opportunity to work across various practice areas. Busy work was not common during my summer experience. Trainings were not always valuable depending on the practice area that training is meant for. With that said, it is difficult to select one training for every summer associate when interests and practice areas are different. It was generally harder to get transactional assignments than litigation assignments by virtue of how the practice groups operate.”
• “I greatly appreciated the flexibility given to summer associates to choose assignments that they were interested in. I also know that the firm worked with my fellow summers who came in with a specific interest and then wanted to work in a different practice group by the end of the summer. Ballard made that happen for both of them and coordinated their full-time offer to place them into those groups.”

• “The firm plans wonderful activities that allow for social time both within the office as well as across offices. This includes activities with just summer associates, summer associates and junior associates, and with partners. I appreciate the variety of activities and the way that they plan activities that feel less formal when there are no partners, as well as activities where we can connect and network with partners so that we can get the best of both, while also planning activities where it is just the summers. My favorite summer event was the partner dinners because it allowed us to connect in a more casual manner with partners and junior associates.”
• “The firm puts in great efforts to organize events that cater to different interests. The desire to prioritize inclusivity and facilitate bonding among the class is great.”
• “I think Ballard does a great job of striking a balance of quality with quantity. Each event was carefully planned so that we could make the most of each one vs. having a ton of little events that were sparsely attended. My favorite event was a pickleball tournament at a partner's house.”
• “There were numerous fun events with different groups curated to allow us to meet everyone in both small and large settings. I became great friends with some of my fellow summer associates and still am. We went to a baseball game, had multiple dinners at partners houses, had too many lunches and happy hours to count, and even went to a concert with the other associates in my office (an event that was sponsored by the firm).”

• “The actual work is the same as I expected as working as a summer associate. Obviously, we get more responsibilities and have more hours now, but it feels the exact same as when I summered. They do a really good job at managing your expectations of what being an attorney at Ballard is like.”
• “A pleasant surprise has been how close the associates are with one another despite being from different practice groups. Obviously there is far more work when you are an associate, but the ramp-up period in the fall helped immensely with me not getting burnt out early and being able to get adjusted to firm life.”
• “I've been pleasantly surprised with the substantive work that I have been able to work on. As a second-year, I have been on deals where I have gotten to take the lead on drafting key terms, working directly with clients, etc.”
• “I do work a bit more than I thought I would, but other than that my experience is pretty on par with what I thought it would be. I have been pleased by the number of substantive assignments I have been given, even early on in my first year. I am also pleased at the amount of in-court experience I have had, as I did not think I would get to stand up in court at all as a first year, and now I do it monthly. ...”

Ballard Spahr’s summer associate program prepares law students for life as associates through hands-on legal work, professional development, and active engagement. The “choose your own adventure” model lets students tailor their experience to their interests with support from lawyers and business professionals. While some may focus on a specific practice area based on hiring needs, all have the flexibility to select assignments across multiple disciplines for broad exposure.

Summer associates receive substantive feedback through formal reviews and ongoing mentorship from partners and associates who are invested in their growth. Training sessions focus on practical skills like research, writing, communication, and transactional drafting, which are all essential skills for transitioning successfully into full-time practice. By empowering students to navigate different legal challenges within a supportive environment, Ballard ensures that each summer associate develops confidence, adaptability, strong work habits, and valuable relationships that support their success as they launch their legal careers.