2022 DIVERSITY DATABASE UNDERWRITER Covington & Burling

• “The summer program had very regular trainings and programs. I found work assignments to be genuinely substantive and exciting, and I felt very included as part of the team in the matters I worked on.”
• “The work was substantive, and the firm is committed to ensuring summers receive feedback on every assignment. The firm also does a good job of managing workloads.”
• “Summer associates are given one assignment at a time, which allows associates to focus on doing quality work without the stress of juggling competing time demands/teams.  Work seems fairly average as to substance.”
• “We had the option to select the types of assignments/groups we wanted to work with (to an extent), and were given roughly one assignment per week. It was a good system that let you try new areas, and also somewhat tailor your experience.”

• “I was in the 2020 summer class, which was fully remote, but the firm made a strong effort to provide good remote programming, and to ensure we all felt connected using mentorship circles, regular chats, etc.”
• “The summer associate program at Covington was mostly remote in 2021. I was grateful that Covington was up front about this as early as February. There were remote social events that were as good as remote social events could be. As the summer continued, and the city opened up more, the firm permitted us to get lunches with attorneys, which was a welcome opportunity to get to know more people at the firm.”
• “My summer program was remote due to COVID-19, but we had opportunities for in-person lunches. I had a one-on-one lunch with a partner who lived in the same area as me, as well as group lunches that always included partners, associates, and summer associates. We also had well-attended virtual social events that included a yoga class and chocolate tasting. There was great camaraderie among our summer associate class. We had weekly lunches via Zoom so that we could get to know each other and build community.”
• “Our summer program was virtual. The firm did its best to plan fun virtual activities.  We had a few of these every week, which were well attended. We had in-person lunches with members of the firm toward the end of the summer.  It was difficult to meet people, but the firm certainly did its best given the circumstances.”

• "My experience as an associate is on track with what was presented to me, and I have actually been pleasantly surprised by some of the meaningful work I have been doing, including lots of drafting work, conducting interviews, and even in-court stand-up experience in a pro bono matter.”
• “I've been able to do exactly the kind of work I expected I could do, and much of the same work I did as a summer associate. I think, on the whole, there is more of the humdrum type of assignments, but only because that can't be avoided. It hasn't been excessive; indeed, I've been surprised at how little of it I've had to do.”
• “I would say the summer associate experience was an appropriate precursor to working at the law firm. I have not had the experience of trying to move/change groups or work, but it seems, as when I was a summer associate, there is an equal emphasis on exploring while you can to determine your area of specialty.”
• “My experience as a summer associate provided accurate expectations of working as an associate.  I have been able to practice in the practices that I experienced as a summer associate, and the nature of the work has accorded with my expectations.”

• “Making cake pops, because wow, those things were good. Even when the ingredients were shipped through the mail.”
• “Dinner parties at partners' homes, salsa dancing class, happy hours.”
• “I enjoyed the weekly meetings we had with a group of summer associates, facilitated by a senior associate at the firm, where we could share the kinds of assignments we were working on, and generally get to know each other better.”
• “We did an at-home/virtual yoga event which I really enjoyed, and a virtual paint ‘n’ sip.”

Through our summer associate program, we provide a select and diverse group of law students from around the country the opportunity to participate actively in a broad and exciting range of legal matters. Summer associates are immersed into our practice and exposed to Covington’s enduring cultural values—the values that shape our delivery of the highest quality service to our clients and our service to the public interest through extensive dynamic and precedent-setting pro bono legal work.