Finnegan

• “Summer associates at Finnegan are very much treated as integral members of the team. They are given substantive work right away and sometimes even given client-facing opportunities.”
• “I was able to work with associates and partners on projects that included current cases where I feel I made valuable contributions. I learned on the job as they walked me through projects, which was a great learning experience.”
• “There was a lot of training programmed for us, which was very helpful. The substantive work assignments that I did were also helpful and a great learning experience.”
• “My experiences practicing at Finnegan as an associate have largely matched the expectations I developed while I was a summer associate. I still engage in lots of substantive work and have been given great opportunities to assume significant responsibilities and work with various people throughout the firm. The only thing my summer associate experience couldn't prepare me for is the sheer workload I would face, but I knew that going in.”

• “The firm does an excellent job of planning fun social events around DC with the standout event being a fishing trip in Chesapeake Bay. These social events are paired with numerous panels and speaker events that provide insights into the different practice groups, industry groups, and affinity groups at Finnegan. The summer associate program is designed to foster camaraderie among summer associates and instill in them a sense of firm citizenship and community. The program is quite effective at achieving both of these goals.”
• “There is certainly a ‘class’ of new associates/summer associates that provides a sense of community when it comes to experiencing new things at the firm. There are plenty of firm-organized social events and a number of opportunities for attorney-organized events.”
• “The fishing trip and the cocktail on the roof of the Watergate Hotel.”
• “Sailing trip in Chesapeake Bay, including fishing for rockfish, which were fileted on the boat, and we got to take home.”

Our Summer Associate Program is designed to expose law students to the field of intellectual property law and to provide an accurate idea of an associate's work at the firm. The 10-week summer program stresses professionalism, training, and professional development. Our summer associates have the opportunity to engage in a diverse mix of work, including: attending trials, appellate and motion hearings, depositions, and client meetings; researching and writing on various patent, trademark, copyright, procedural, and evidentiary issues; prosecuting patent and trademark applications; writing speeches and articles; working on pro bono matters; and presenting reviews of recent Federal Circuit decisions. Finnegan's summer program also offers regular social events and lunches so summer associates can network with each other and firm attorneys. Past summer events include: Casino Night ; Partner & Summer Associate Chesapeake Bay Fishing Trip; Paint Class; professional baseball games; The Nation’s Capital Segway Tour; The Watergate Hotel Cocktail Reception; brewery & winery tours; and a cooking class.