2024 DIVERSITY DATABASE UNDERWRITER Jones Day

• “Incredible work experience. I was given substantive assignments early on. I felt like a member of the team.”
• “I received substantive assignments in the areas of law that I was interested in, and there was a good skills-based training program, including workshops on depositions and negotiations.”
• “The firm offered summer associates substantive work. This was mostly pro-bono work, but some client-billable assignments were available.”
• “Jones Day had a thorough summer training program and helpful sessions to introduce summer associates to the firm's different practice groups. I felt the assignments I received over the summer were substantive and interesting, which I know can be difficult to achieve, considering that it can be hard to find substantive work to break off for a summer associate with the short timeline they have at the firm.”

• “The office did a great job with summer events in [my summer]. There was at least one social event per week doing fun activities, and it was really a nice way to get to know the attorneys.”
• “The social events were fun and included a good mix of attorneys at all levels to get to know. They also did a good job of helping you bond with your summer class, and we got along so well that we often would plan events and gatherings on our own outside the planned summer social schedule. The firm attorneys were all receptive to you popping into their office, asking them for coffee, or asking them for lunch so you could learn more about them and their practice, and most attorneys were genuinely interested in getting to know you and your interests.”
• “Social events are fun and well-attended. Great opportunities to get to know both your class and the attorneys at the firm who you will work with going forward.”
• “There was a good variety of events, from informal social gatherings at partners’ homes to more fun events hosted at locations around the city.”

• “There are not as many social events beyond the summer program. The NLG (New Lawyers Group) program during the first year is very similar to the summer program in that you continue to have flexibility to take work from any practice area and do not have to/cannot commit to a practice until June. It is harder to get assignments during NLG because there is not a dedicated staffing system like there is in the summer.”
• “Overall, my experience has been roughly the same. The main difference is that as a summer associate, you are constantly having social and development-related events, both formal and informal. All of that goes away after a time as you turn to focus more on work and client (and pro bono) matters. What has been most pleasantly surprising is that there are significant stand-up court opportunities to be had in pro bono cases that are supported by partners and others at the firm (and often encouraged).”
• “There is some discrepancy between the firm's messaging that the first-year associates can openly work with any practice group before declaring a group and the reality that some groups do not have availability to provide work to interested first-year associates.”
• “Ability to join certain practice groups is less feasible due to personality fit and workflow/needs of the group than it may seem. Most partners are surprisingly accessible and willing to meet for coffee or give out assignments.”

Jones Day provides unlimited opportunities for talented lawyers, not only within the firm but in boardrooms and courtrooms worldwide. Participation as a summer associate is the best entryway to these opportunities. Our dedication to training and the size of the summer and new lawyer programs enable us to provide summer associates and junior lawyers with true mentorship and substantive experiences on cutting-edge legal matters. We provide our lawyers, including our summer associates, with the training and AI tools they need to build fluency in emerging technologies and leverage them thoughtfully to better serve our clients.

Similar to the New Lawyer Group, summer associates have the opportunity to work within our various practice groups. This flexibility allows them to explore a wide range of legal disciplines, discover what interests them most, and build a broad network of relationships across the firm.

Throughout the summer, we host social events designed to help summer associates get to know one another and connect with the lawyers in the office in a more relaxed setting. We also offer training programs throughout the summer that focus on developing both technical legal skills and the soft skills essential to build a successful legal career.