Goodwin

• “The firm used a central staffing system to assign summer associate projects based on expressed interest areas. The firm did a good job of balancing formal training sessions with in-person/informal training and shadowing opportunities, and the attorney supervisors seemed eager to work with summers.”
• “As a summer associate at Goodwin, I had the opportunity to work on a range of different projects and with many different groups. We had a lot of hands-on training, including a simulation of all the steps of an entire deal. Everyone I worked with was extremely helpful and provided thorough guidance with assignments.”
• “My case teams treated me like a valued first-year associate on their team, save for the workload scale. The majority of my time working was spent on substantive litigation assignments (drafting deposition outlines, letters, researching, attending depositions, and putting together timelines), with training and CLE creation assignments peppered in. I worked with at least three different teams.”
• “Goodwin provides a healthy balance of meaningful assignments, informative trainings, and social events that allow summer associates to really understand the firm's culture as well as develop skills and gain a deeper understanding of the different practice areas at the firm.”

• “There were multiple events each week to meet other Goodwin attorneys, some in office and some out of office. Each office competes for the ‘Goodwin Cup,’ which was a competition that encouraged us to socialize with other summer associates and firm partners and associates. We also met in Boston at the beginning of the summer program, which was an opportunity to meet summer associates in other offices.”
• “The social aspects of Goodwin's summer associate program were great. We had multiple social events a week, many of which were with firm attorneys. It seemed that everyone made a strong effort to attend the social events and were very welcoming. We had a very close-knit summer associate class, and everyone really got along and were there to help each other out. Some of my favorite summer events included taking the ferry to the Converse store, where we got to design our own shoes, and our pickleball event.”
• “Goodwin organized lots of social events for the summer associates that gave us plenty of opportunities to bond with one another and connect with attorneys throughout the firm. These ranged from attending a Red Sox game, to designing our own Converse shoes, to playing pickleball. Attorneys were also always available to grab lunch or coffee, and everyone was welcoming and approachable. Overall, it was a very collegial environment.”
• “Camaraderie was incredibly strong, and the social events were a healthy balance of fun unrelated to our profession (e.g., kayaking and practice group dinners/happy hours) and unique experiences related to our profession (e.g., attending a Supreme Court opinion announcement).”

• “Nothing that was conveyed, or not conveyed, to me during the summer has not comported with my reality now that I am full-time. They were very transparent about expectations during the summer versus expectations when you start as a first-year and nothing has caught me off guard.”
• “While I considered firm culture, I did not expect it to so significantly be a part of the job in the way it differs from other firms. Goodwin's culture has significantly exceeded my expectations in a positive manner. The culture really fosters a team environment, and you are able to build relationships with people of all levels who I now consider friends.”
• “You can't pick a practice area for two years, which they market as an exploration period, but there's a limited scope of exploration, and it seems like after a year you're expected to start focusing more on a small number of areas. This, though, is generally a positive, since being a third year with first-year expertise across 10 subjects seems unhelpful. I'm also impressed by how much I still get to work with senior associates and partners, all the way up to those managing the firm. And people are still incredibly good to me and are still offering to mentor me, even after the summer associate networking lunch budget is no longer applicable to me as a first-year.”

Spend your summer where innovation meets impact—in Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Santa Monica, Silicon Valley, or Washington, DC. At Goodwin, we believe real-world experience is the foundation of a great legal career. As a summer associate, you’ll be immersed in a culture of high performance—one that fosters accountability, encourages continuous learning, and celebrates excellence. You will take on meaningful work with the support of rigorous training and hands-on mentorship. Whether you are contributing to client matters, engaging in pro bono work, or collaborating across practices, you will develop the skills and judgment to thrive in a fast-paced, high-performing environment.

What sets Goodwin apart is our people. You’ll be welcomed into a collaborative and inclusive community where relationships matter and your success is our priority. Through mentorship programs, social events, and meaningful interaction with our Global Operations (GO!) Team, you’ll experience the energy of a firm that’s deeply invested in your development.