Gibson Dunn

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• “Summer associates are expected to complete around one work assignment per week. These assignments are evaluated throughout and at the end of the summer program.”
• “The firm does a great job organizing work to ensure that summer associates have sufficient work without it being overwhelming. Summer coordinators work hard to give each summer associate a mix of different substantive areas of the law and take into consideration each summer associate's interests. Training was always a part of the assignment though the formality of the training varied as appropriate.”
• “Gibson gives summers about one substantive assignment per week to expose them to an array of the firm's strong practice areas. There are good trainings on memo writing, and summer associates can expect to get feedback from supervising attorneys. My sense was that Gibson summers had more real work to do than summers at peer firms.”
• “Gibson summer associates receive a nice mix of both a fun and substantive summer experience. Summer associates are given real work assignments necessary to the resolution of real ongoing matters at the firm. Many of the things I was asked to do as a summer were identical to assignments I was given as a first year.”

• “Everyone is super friendly and eager to welcome us to the firm through a variety of social events, including cooking classes, museum tours, rooftop bar hangouts, and more. Summer class is really tight-knit!”
• “Great social events. Summer class was super social, and it was easy to build friendships that have lasted into starting as an associate. We were encouraged to interact as much as possible with as many attorneys as possible—lunches, coffees, etc. I built a lot of valuable connections that I have maintained, both in terms of mentor relationships and working ones.”
• “My summer class is still exceptionally close, and that is due, in large part, to the summer experiences we had. We traveled around California doing hikes and wine tasting, we went to concerts and games, we even learned to cook from Brazilian chefs. A wonderful and diverse summer.”
• “The firm fosters a friendly and supportive atmosphere at all levels. Summer associates are not made to feel competitive and are able to form close bonds throughout the summer. Partners and associates make a strong effort to spend time with summers and genuinely get to know them and build a rapport.”

• “The summer is not meant to be a time where you are working too hard, so that's very different than what it's like to be at the firm full time. But, as a full-time associate, I still very much feel encouraged to try everything out and take total advantage of the free market system.”
• “Both expectations (like how often I come into the office) and work assignments have been even more flexible than I expected. I've been able to choose my own practice area and work with partners I wanted to, and I'm able to work remotely when I'd like.”
• “Summer associate opportunities are different from practicing as an associate in timing, duration, complexity, etc. However, I think Gibson Dunn does an excellent job of not hiding the ball—I understood how associate life would differ. Generally, I have been able to craft my practice much in the way that it was indicated I would be able to as a summer associate, and I have far more autonomy as an associate than I did as a summer associate.”
• “The only big difference is the work. It is harder to give summer associates corporate work, so I did not get as much experience with corporate work as I would have liked.”

• “Trip to the Hamptons.”
• “Zip-lining among the Redwoods.”
• “The summer dinner roundtables. We were randomly split into groups with associates and partners and sent to assigned restaurants to get to know each other and the firm.”

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 programs 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.