Gibson Dunn

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Gibson Dunn Mentors

• “The firm assigns three or four summer coordinators each summer who are associates from a range of practice groups to coordinate the flow of work between attorneys and summers. Every summer is assigned a summer coordinator tied to their practice area interest who will assign them work. From there, as a summer, we are encouraged to connect with the attorneys on the assignment team to discuss the assignment further. The firm also hosts Westlaw and Lexis training, including the AI components to keep us informed about how to be efficient with legal research. We are also scheduled with a variety of training sessions throughout the summer that are practice-group-specific.”
• “Completed at least 10 substantive assignments for different practice groups and matters, ensuring extensive interaction with a wide diversity of attorneys.”
• “I had structured assignments that were well-rounded, exciting, and fit my practice area interests. I was able to sit in on client meetings, mock depos, and do substantive research and writing.”
• “Summer associate work is meaningful, challenging, and substantive. As a litigator, my work assignments generally consisted of usable research memos. I also worked on a pro bono and corporate matter doing the same work as junior associates. Training was primarily focused on non-substantive issues that aren't covered in law school.”

• “Gibson did a great job coordinating a wide array of social events. Some of my favorite ones were small group dinners with junior associates or with senior associates and partners where you really got a chance to talk to attorneys outside of the office about both the firm and life in general. Because the summer class isn't too large, everyone knows one another and feels comfortable.”
• “Gibson does not force the play-hard mentality on you. There are summer events that cater to every type of person and hobby. We did not only go out to dinners and drink but also played sports, participated in arts and crafts, and did more chill activities.”
• “Social events were numerous, well-planned, and well-attended by a range of associates at the firm. My favorite event was a boating trip to Annapolis.”
• “Many fun social events! My favorite event was the annual barbecue at a partner’s home in Sonoma. I love that many events featured the homes of attorneys and showcased different neighborhoods so we could explore the city and consider places to live in the future.”

• “The open market system has been an adjustment to how we received our summer assignments, but that was to be expected. Overall, the substance of the work has been about the same, although there has been a learning curve in being acclimated to the administrative tasks that come along with working in BigLaw, which we were more or less shielded from over the summer.”
• “My experience at Gibson Dunn has been one of pleasant surprise. As a summer, I knew the assignments I was doing—interesting as they were—were not one-to-one matches for the kind of work I would do when I returned. But much to my surprise, the work has been more substantive than I imagined, including briefing and involvement in depositions within my first few months at the firm and taking the lead on a summary judgment briefing for a billable matter by the end of my second year.”
• “As a summer, you get one assignment at a time, so you only learn how to juggle between one assignment and social events. As an attorney, you're obviously juggling multiple matters at the same time.”
• “I think the summer program was a true reflection of how things work at the firm. I have been able to continue to choose the work I take on and help with a variety of matters without being pigeonholed. I now have to network more to join matters, and sometimes the responsibility of managing my own docket can be complicated compared to the assignment system of the summer, but those are the main differences.”

Gibson Dunn’s ability to recruit and retain top talent from a diverse pool of talented individuals is crucial to our continued success. Our summer program is the primary method through which new lawyers become a part of our firm, and we continually attract the most intelligent, creative, and personable legal talent in the world to participate in our summer program. Designed to facilitate a smooth transition from law school to legal practice, the program provides substantive training in areas such as legal writing, depositions, and corporate negotiations/transactions. Our summer associates are actively involved in client representations, maximizing their exposure to a variety of practical aspects of lawyering. Summer associates also contribute materially to a wide range of pro bono matters. In addition, our program integrates summer associates into our offices and the cities in which they are located through unique events and activities that allow summer associates to make lasting connections with our attorneys at all levels. We provide practical training in the skills and techniques required to make top-notch lawyers, as well as the opportunity to get to know Gibson Dunn, its lawyers, and its staff.