Gunster

• “Work-related aspects were appropriate for summer associates. Challenging and interesting assignments across all practice areas, but nothing that a summer was not capable of handling.”
• “I was given a wide array of projects to work on, even outside of the area I was most comfortable which I think was great since I wouldn't have been given a good idea what I do and do not enjoy doing if I hadn't been given the chance to explore so many areas.”
• “We had a great program with a good mix of valuable assignments from a variety of different legal fields and of social programs designed to help us get to know everyone in the firm and understand the firm's culture.”
• “Now, as a second-year associate, I can see that the work I was doing as a summer associate is the same work I'm doing now. From the beginning, I've been treated as an equal partner (although, an equal partner with less experience who is still learning), and my ideas and contributions are valued as such.”

• “Our weekly summer associate social events were something I always looked forward to. My favorite events were the end-of-the-summer shareholder dinner and the mid-summer trip to Orlando, where we bowled and ate at Disney Springs and stayed at the Swan and Dolphin resort.”
• “Lots of great events, firm made it a priority for us to get to know people by making us switch seats every so often and sit next to somebody new. Firm was proactive about maximizing the value of these events for us. Our summer associate group had a nice camaraderie in the short time we were together. My favorite event was our trip to Orlando, where we went to Disney Springs, ate at STK, and then watched a heat game together.”
• “Summer associate camaraderie was great, but there were also three summer associates in my office. I can imagine that a summer associate alone in an office would have a less good time than me. Otherwise, I enjoyed the social events—we had major events once per week throughout south Florida.”
• “Many events across our south Florida offices with good turnout from associates and partners. Fostered sense of friendship and camaraderie among summer associates. Favorite summer event was the sailing event around Miami followed by a summer associate dinner.”

• “As an associate, I have a more consistent workload and work with the same team consistently. As a summer, the firm makes sure you work with a lot of different people across all offices on different types of matters. Any summer associate program is designed to try to get the summer associates to return, and in that sense, it’s not an accurate portrayal of what working for that firm will work like once you start full time. I appreciated that the attorneys in my office were upfront and honest about that throughout the process.”
• “I don't think it has differed in any way I didn't expect. I wish I was allowed to float more between practice groups, I think I've sometimes felt pressured to know exactly what I want to do in a way I did not expect as a summer associate.”
• “I think my summer experience was a great introduction to what actually working for the firm would be like. All the associates and partners are just as nice now as they were when I was a summer associate. I've been busier now than I was as a summer associate, but that was to be expected.”

The firm uses its 2L summer associate program to identify students who will join—and stay—with the firm through their associate careers and who will transition into shareholders at the firm. And the firm’s commitment to its associates’ professional development yields an exceptionally low associate attrition rate. Summer associates work on projects from across all of its practice groups and offices—irrespective of the summers’ office assignments.

All summer associates are assigned a shareholder mentor and an associate advisor and are encouraged to attend practice group meetings to develop professional relationships across all practices and offices. The firm’s attorneys provide feedback on projects through the summer and—during a typical 10-week summer program—mid-summer evaluations are held to help summer associates begin to narrow down practice group preferences and to more narrowly focus assignments for the remainder of the summer.