McDermott Will & Schulte

• “We received extensive training that was very helpful to getting acclimated to the BigLaw ecosystem. Our work assignments were substantive, required us to do a good degree of legal analysis, and made me think like a lawyer.”
• “The program included a multitude of opportunities aimed at providing summer associates with a wide variety of practical skills and experiences. I felt the work assignments were very useful and appropriate in skill level.”
• “Summer associates are entrusted with substantive regulatory research and due diligence tasks. Assigning attorneys provide relevant training and give consistent feedback to ensure summer associates provide high-quality work product.”
• “I had a lot of hands-on training and was given real assignments by multiple practice groups.”

• “The program was packed with social outings, including daily lunches and weekly external events aimed at fostering meaningful conversations and connections among the partners and associates. Our summer class was very close and remains close through today.”
• “I loved the events and networking opportunities during the summer program and have built very close relationships with my summer associate class. My favorite event was the VIP tour at Disneyland; it was overall an absolutely amazing experience to have.”
• “The McDermott summer program was excellent. We had just the right number of social events, from dinners to concerts to sporting events.”
• “McDermott hosts a variety of social events as part of the summer associate program, ranging from concerts and sporting events to more informal happy hours. These events provide summer associates the opportunity to get to know attorneys and other summer associates outside the work environment.”

• “… I am pleasantly surprised by the partners' willingness to ‘check in’ on associates when workload becomes too heavy/attention to managing appropriate workloads for associates. This probably sets my firm apart from other firms.”
• “… Being a summer associate makes it considerably easier to get work at McDermott because work is provided through a free market system, which means that by meeting people during happy hours as a summer associate, you were setting yourself up to get work from those people once you started fulltime..”
• “Summer gave a great impression of what working at the firm is like.”
• “… I knew that when I started I'd be working significantly more, but I never realized the value of the mentorship that I've received here. In my home office, I have three mentors who are amazing and have taken a deep interest in my personal and professional growth.”

McDermott’s summer associate program offers a realistic, immersive introduction to life as an associate at the firm. Summer associates are entrusted with meaningful, substantive work and receive regular feedback that mirrors the experience of a junior associate. This hands-on exposure provides valuable insight into the firm’s expectations, culture, and day-to-day practice.

Because of our conservative hiring approach, summer associates are able to engage deeply with a broad range of assignments and client matters. In addition to ongoing feedback, they receive structured evaluations at the midpoint and end of the program to support their professional growth. Each summer associate is paired with an associate and a partner mentor, who serve as key resources throughout the summer—offering guidance, helping navigate firm life, and supporting the transition from law student to practicing attorney.

Our program is also enriched by a series of thoughtfully planned events and social activities designed to foster connection, build lasting relationships, and promote integration into the firm’s community. To support personal development and balance, we offer a summer-long well-being program focused on multiple aspects of wellness—including mental, physical, social, and financial health.