2022 DIVERSITY DATABASE UNDERWRITER Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP

Training & Assignments

• “I was treated like a first-year associate. I drafted agreements and even had some limited client contact. My summer experience was substantively very rewarding, and I felt confident coming into my first year.”
• “The firm made every effort to assign summer associates substantive assignments during the summer, and to include beneficial observational opportunities. In support of ensuring each summer's success on assigned matters, the firm gave each summer full access to firm equipment and resources. Associates were beyond kind and worked hard to integrate summers into the assigned deal. Assigned work was value added to the deal.”
• “The assignment system was really well run and administered. There was plenty of opportunity to indicate areas of interest, and I was able to try out a variety of practice areas. The team makes sure to give a variety of assignments while also honoring everyone's chosen interests.”
• “...The way work was divided over the summer was excellent—we were all generalists during the summer, and projects were emailed out to the whole summer class. I missed out on an antitrust assignment that I emailed about just a little too late, and when I mentioned to the team that I really wanted to try out an antitrust assignment, they went to the practice group and found something for me.”

Social Opportunities

• “The social aspect of the summer program was amazing. We had daily events/dinners that ranged from happy hours to Soul Cycle. We also had summers-only events so we could create bonds without attorneys/partners being there.”
• “I had a fully virtual summer program, and Fried Frank did the best they could to facilitate camaraderie between summers, associates, and partners. Though it was an untraditional summer, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and felt connected to my classmates through the virtual events.”
• “All attorneys were very willing to talk and give advice. Considering that my summer was virtual, there were enough social events to get us engaged, but not too much where it felt overbearing. We were assigned summer buddies, which helped.”

Associate Experience vs. Summer Expectations

• “My experience has been exactly what I was told it would be during the summer program. I am pleasantly surprised at the variety of assignments within real estate that I have been given.”
• “The firm is up front with the differences between the summer program and expectations of an associate. No wool was put over anyone's eyes. The firm was beyond transparent and did more than an ample job in setting expectations of a summer versus an associate.”
• “I have no complaints. I was given the area I asked for (antitrust), the team is phenomenal, the tasks are advanced and intellectually challenging, and the mentorship is thoughtful and patient. The hours can be long, but they are much more manageable than what I hear from friends at other firms. I feel as though I got exactly what I thought I was signing up for, and I'm thrilled.”
• “I was not placed in the practice area I thought I would be, but was pleasantly surprised with the firm's willingness to accommodate switching groups a few months in. While much about firm culture remains changed in the wake of COVID, the firm is still friendly and professional.”

Favorite Summer Events

• “Yankees game and Whitney private viewing.”
• “Pink concert at Madison Square Garden.”
• “I am typically not a magic person, but the magic show was one of the more mind-blowing experiences I have ever had.”
• “One of my favorite summer events was making pizza with the other summer associates.”

As a critical part of our recruiting process, Fried Frank’s summer associate program provides a realistic view of associate life and the opportunity to experience our firmwide collegiality. We offer a balanced program of challenging assignments, ample training, and social events to energetic and motivated candidates who demonstrate high levels of intellectual ability and creativity. Assignments of substantive work for sophisticated clients are distributed based on interest while ensuring experience across various practice areas, as well as involvement in pro bono matters. Summer associates often are involved in client meetings, negotiation sessions, closings, court appearances, and depositions. Our “Summer Associate Academy” combines practice area insights from partners and associates with training for legal and business situations that arise in the real world. We also host a variety of social activities so that summer associates are able to spend time with our partners and associates in a fun, relaxed setting.