2024 DIVERSITY DATABASE UNDERWRITER McGuireWoods

• “I was as involved in projects as I wanted to be. Since the program was only ten weeks, we were limited to shorter term matters, but attorneys wanted us involved, and to gain experience with as many practice areas as possible.”
• “I was given real work, where possible, and shadowing opportunities when appropriate projects were not available during my summer tenure, and integrated into projects throughout the firm. The structure provided for projects allowed me to work with many different departments and attorneys, and helped me to understand the work involved, as well as the different styles and work done in the office.”
• “The firm offers substantive assignments to summer associates, that provide an opportunity to work with folks that you will likely be working with in the future. The firm truly has an open-door policy, in which summers can discuss assignments with attorneys, and oftentimes a summer's work product becomes a major part of the finished product.”

• “Firm attorneys showed up in large numbers at all our social events. They were willing to talk with me about anything law school related, career related, or other. I felt like they were people I could be myself around, and enjoy time with.”
• “There were firm outings and events after just about every work day except Fridays, including dinners at partners' houses, baseball games, and brewery tours. The events were well attended, and provided a great way to get to know a lot of people at the firm.”
• “Excellent events, daily lunches, but most importantly, attorneys would invite summer associates to tag along for phone calls, depositions, etc., to gain exposure to working as an attorney.”

• “I don't think that practicing is much different than my expectations from when I was a summer associate. As a summer, the attorneys were open and honest about expectations of a first year. Everything that I have had to learn within this first year were all things that I expected to be part of my first year process.”
• “As a practicing attorney, I'm more siloed in one area than I was as a summer. This is mostly a positive thing, but I do miss some of the freedom I had to jump from group to group with various projects. I am pleasantly surprised by how much ownership I have over cases as a first-year associate. I am able to communicate with clients and handle substantive, important matters within cases.”
• “The summer program does not—and really cannot—give you an accurate taste of associate life, particularly in large-scale litigation. The time is too short, and you are not typically asked to stay with any one matter throughout the summer, such that you could see even a small portion of the life of a case. That said, I felt the associates I worked with described their work and work-life balance accurately.”

• “Dinners at partners' houses, and tour of the Carolina Panthers stadium.”
• “Shuffleboard bar in Richmond.”
• “Shotgun shooting at a skeet course.”

As a summer associate, you will participate in events that give you a chance to meet other lawyers and 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.