2024 DIVERSITY DATABASE PREMIUM SPONSOR Mayer Brown LLP

• “Attorneys view the summer associates as their team members. They put in substantial amount of time training summer associates as if they are the first-year associates while understanding that the priority should be social events. They give first-year associate work and provide valuable feedback.”
• “The firm used a work assignment portal where summer associates received available projects to work on. Summer associates also had the opportunity to develop assignments more organically through informally approaching associates and partners you were interested in working with.”
• “I thought the firm's database of summer opportunities allowed for a lot of self-direction and exploring of different practice areas. Also found it to be a very good investment to give lots of probably soon-to-be-associates a lot of time in tech training and general orientation to cut down on the ramp-up time when we came back post-graduation.”
• “I participated in substantive work during my summer—drafting memos, reviewing interrogatories, and even assisting drafting a pro bono habeas petition. The partners treated me like a first-year associate and allowed me to fully participate in ongoing matters.”

• “Everyone in the office was very outgoing and friendly. Every event had great attendance, and attorneys made the effort to get to know our summer class on a more personal level. The social events also gave us a great tour of different aspects of the city and surrounding areas.”
• “The social aspect of the summer associate program was great. Each attorney and staff member was nice and helpful, and I liked that the whole office eats lunch together a couple of times a week; it really helped me feel integrated. My favorite summer events were the spa day, golf lessons, and rock climbing.”
• “The summer associate program is designed to foster a strong sense of community and camaraderie among summers. We host a variety of social events, including welcome receptions, team-building activities, and informal gatherings. Two of my favorite events is getting to go to Cubs games and a concert, where we sit in the box for both events.”
• “My favorite summer event is the pizza tour because it's a great way of exploring New York and is a relaxed environment to chat with people about the pizza or about the firm. Other social events include a Broadway show, a concert, a cooking event, a retreat at a country club with the litigation group, and other events with different practice groups. Overall, summer associates have lots of opportunities at these events and throughout the general day to meet with firm attorneys, and everyone is very excited to chat with them.”

• “I've been pleasantly surprised at how willing partners have been to work directly with first- and second-year associates, and this training and face time has been invaluable. These same partners will always give you any and all work they know you can handle regardless of seniority.”
• “You can make changes in the field you want to focus on (slowly but surely) and do not have to work too many demanding hours. There will be demanding times but not as many as I expected or as much compared to friends in other BigLaw firms.”
• “It has correlated surprisingly well with the summer and more opportunities to travel to different offices for work. The work-from-home policy is more lenient and flexible now in [my full-time role] than in the summer: The emphasis is on doing the work itself though face time on anchor days is appreciated. The work is more varied and in-depth, with the chance to follow a deal more completely than in the 10 weeks in the summer.”
• “No surprises so far. I am able to try out any sub-practice groups I want as a junior associate, and I also am able to choose the partners I can work with. It's truly a two-way street.”

Our summer associate program is specially designed to aid summer associates in shaping the future direction of their careers in the practice of law by exposing them to day-to-day activities of practicing lawyers. We don’t use a rotation system or assign interns to particular lawyers. Instead, they receive assignments based on their preferences. Summer projects involve actual client matters, which provide invaluable hands-on experience, and there are plenty of opportunities to observe or participate in closings, document drafting, client conferences, and negotiation sessions. This multifaceted approach leaves room for summer associates to explore different areas, as well as to work with a variety of lawyers. Summer associates are paired with mentors who provide one-on-one guidance and help navigate the ins and outs of law firm life. In addition, summer associates are provided with training and development programs throughout the summer program and attend a Summer Associate Academy in one of our offices.