2024 DIVERSITY DATABASE UNDERWRITER Goulston & Storrs PC

Training & Assignments

• “The firm hosts regular training seminars for both junior associates and summer associates so summers are receiving the same experience as someone who is already an associate. I worked on a wide range of projects as a summer, both across practice groups (litigation, corporation, and real estate) and was able to see the different types of projects litigation and transactional lawyers do. They were substantive, and my work products were actually used.”
• “I was provided many opportunities, and each one came with training by both partners and associates.”
• “From week one, I was provided both substantive work and targeted feedback on that work. The vast majority of my assignments were handed down directly from and guided by directors (partners at G&S). This is the case for full-time associates too (most assignments involve direct work and contact with directors), so it was great preparation for the full-time job. That being said, the assignments were not limited to those often taken on by early-stage associates (research and writing memorandums, document review, first drafts of pleadings): The firm made a concerted effort to also offer us opportunities to see how cases or matters operated at each stage, from sitting in on interviews with potential expert witnesses to attending hearings and trials.”

Social Opportunities

• “My class of summer associates are still a very close-knit group, four years after our summer. The firm is built on collaboration and being ‘one firm’ regardless of practice group, and the camaraderie among all of the attorneys is one of the best parts of the firm's culture. The summer program was well organized, engaging, and fun. There was a great balance between events with just the summer class and other associates as well as firmwide events that were well attended.”
• “The firm does a great job at planning and hosting an appropriate [number] of social events for the summer associates. They probably had a few different planned events a week, but the focus was more on the work and making meaningful connections with other attorneys that way. So it is a better sense of what it's like as an attorney than other summer programs, where it is mostly filled with social events and trainings.”
• “The small summer class size and emphasis on recruiting a summer class with a broad array of legal interests really facilitates strong camaraderie and horizontal support for one another. Goulston's commitment to offering a place where full-time associates can develop over the course of many years trickles down to the summer program and eliminates much of the internal politics and competition for face time or ‘partner-track connections’ that anecdotally seemed to permeate a lot of programs. Our summer class was left to cheer each other on as we got assignments of personal interest, made connections with associates or directors, and so forth. This friendship was further developed through regular, formal and informal social events with the firm broadly. From small-group lunches with two or three summer associates and a couple [of] associates and directors to client visits for the full summer class guided by several directors, there was a constant emphasis on the firm as a collective, not as individual silos of work or connections. ...”

Associate Experience vs. Summer Expectations

• “Over the last couple of years, the hours I have worked (and been expected to work) have increased. While I have a pretty good work-life balance overall, the stress and amount of work is more than [was] promised during my summer experience.”
• “I've had such a great experience at the firm, and they have truly exceeded my expectations in every way. After my summer associateship, I decided to go into one practice area, but later realized I would be happier as a litigator. The firm was very receptive to my preferences and was able to accommodate me starting in my preferred practice area immediately.”
• “Honestly, full-time work has reflected the summer experience quite well (although with fewer lunches out!). While our summer experience probably had fewer ‘social events’ than a lot of classmates who chose other firms, the expectation that we would do ‘real work,’ on ‘real hours’ and with directors who we would work with again as full-time attorneys meant there were few surprises upon full-time return. The firm really strives for transparency in its business model, and that has shown in the fact that summer-to-full-time did not feel at all like a bait-and-switch.”

Favorite Summer Events

• “Summer social in Boston. The firm flew us out to Boston; put us in a wonderful hotel, and had a grand party on the pier.”
• “The Red Sox game was a lot of fun!”
• “Several different partners hosted at-home cocktail or dinner gatherings for the full summer class and around 30-40 associates and directors per gathering over the course of the summer. …. They made for a less formal, ‘off-campus’ feel that allowed us to see how the attorneys interacted with each other outside of work.”

Our summer program is intentionally small as our goal is for each summer to receive an offer and join G&S for the long term. As a G&S summer associate you will have the opportunity to work with attorneys on actual client work and to observe conference calls, meetings, hearings and occasionally tour a client site.  We assign summers projects from all of our practice areas to expose you to our broad client base and allow you to explore which practice area is right for you. In addition to the work, you will spend time with our attorneys in and outside the office learning about them, their practices and why they chose G&S.  G&S is a unique, engaging and fun place to practice law and our summer program is a wonderful way to spend your 2L summer!  For additional information about Goulston & Storrs and our summer program please visit www.goulsonstorrs.com.