McGuireWoods

• “The firm has a summer associate portal from which we could assign ourselves the project of our choice. This allowed me to have complete control over the work that I do and really helped me in figuring out which departments to rank at the end of the summer program.”
• “The firm lets you choose your assignments in a variety of different areas to gain exposure to the groups and the work they do. The summer work assignments are much more about you gaining experience than you completing work for the firm, which is great for a developing summer associate.”
• “The summer associate program at McGuireWoods provides the opportunity to perform substantive work akin to the type of work you will do as a junior associate.”
• “A lot of emphasis on getting to know attorneys, both professionally through work assignments and socially through outings. A good mix of both, and there was a good challenge to balance both the professional and social aspects of the summer associate position. Attorneys tried to get me substantive work experience across both litigation and transactional, although the bulk of my work was primarily [based on] where I was seated in my office.”

• “The firm makes a point to have the summers interact with each attorney both in the office and outside the office setting. There are multiple weekly summer associate events including activities, outings, lunches, and dinners, which are all designed to give summers exposure to each of the firm's attorneys.”
• “The social events were great and included a Yankees game, and many group and one-on-one lunches. I felt like I got to build meaningful connections with everyone at my office during my summer. The summer associates have a retreat in Washington, DC, which allowed us to build long-lasting connections with our peers and meet firm leadership.”
• “The small summer associate class created the opportunity to grow closer in our summer class. The firm provided a nice variety of events for us to meet with other attorneys at the firm and exposure to different practice areas.”
• “Decent number of social events without being overwhelming.”

• “My experience practicing law at the firm has more or less aligned with my expectations after my summer associate experience. The firm does a great job integrating the summer associates into meaningful substantive work during the program, so you get a window into the work of a junior experience. The volume of work is the most significant change between summer and full time work.”
• “Obviously there is more work and less fun events, but it is not much different. If anything, I would say that working here exceeds the expectations I had as a summer. The firm allowed me to choose the practice area I wanted (I switched from the group I was in as a summer), I have been given very substantive work as a first year, and the free market system has allowed me to work with many attorneys that I have wanted to work with—some not even in my specific practice group. I feel like a valued member of the teams I am on, even as a first year.”
• “I have been pleasantly surprised by the responsibilities I have been given early on, and the exposure I've been given to be client-facing as well as handle communications with opposing counsel and third parties, as well as the opportunities I've had to draft meaningful briefs and handle other important work assignments. It also feels as though associates' ideas regarding practice development and firm initiatives are valued at the firm.”
• “I would not say that I encountered any experiences that differed from my expectations in a bad way. What surprised me the most is the breadth of areas in which I could work once I got to the firm. I thought I would be limited to working in one practice group, but I was pleasantly surprised at the variety of matters on which I get to work.”

As a summer associate, you will participate in events that give you a chance to meet lawyers and other summer associates. You will be assigned at least one mentor to introduce you to the firm, the lawyers in the office, and the city where you’ll be working. Rather than rotating formally through firm departments, you’ll be encouraged to work on projects in all areas of practice. Assigning lawyers will evaluate your work, and you will receive regular feedback. The program balances work, training, and social activities to provide a realistic snapshot of associate life at McGuireWoods. At the end of the summer program, we make offers based on the quality of your work and on the hiring needs of the office. Offers are made for a specific office, and the firm makes every effort to accommodate your practice area interests.