Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP

Training & Assignments

• “As a summer, I worked on meaty research assignments that my case teams actually needed and relied on. The summer gave me quite a realistic sense of what being an associate at MTO would be like, which I found hugely valuable (and better than a merely ‘fun’ summer made up disproportionately of social events).”
• “In addition to providing substantive tasks, MTO provided summer associates with the opportunity to seek out specific assignments that aligned with their interests. MTO also provided valuable training focusing on core competencies for litigators.”
• “Each summer associate has a work coordinator who helps them choose work assignments from a firmwide pool. Assignments range in scope from quick gut checks to working through difficult legal issues over several weeks. All assignments were interesting, substantive, and seemed genuinely important to the cases. …”

Social Opportunities

• “The social events were well attended, but less of a focus relative to the work than I gather is the case at other firms. Social events are not mandatory, and when summer associates were particularly busy, they would occasionally skip them. That said, they were always well attended by both summer associates and lawyers at the firm, including partners, and several were hosted at partners' homes. They were intended to help summer associates learn about LA, and so would have a neighborhood, landmark, or cultural focus.”
• “MTO's summer program may have slightly fewer social events than peer firms, but there were enough for me to feel I got to know the firm (including partners) decently well. Our summer class also had a really strong bond (strong enough that nearly all of us joined the firm as associates).”
• “The firm paired summer associates with social mentors who helped set up coffees/lunches with attorneys continuously throughout the summer. The firm also hosted several events, including dinners at the homes of attorneys, ad hoc events throughout the city (e.g. brewery tour, hikes/runs, museum tours, plays, Dodger games), and a weekend retreat. Finally, the firm regularly hosted firmwide lunches and presentations on Mondays and Thursdays, breakfast on Mondays, and happy hour on Thursdays.”

Associate Experience vs. Summer Expectations

• “I think MTO's summer program was a totally realistic and useful window into what the actual firm experience is like. I can't think of any meaningful ways the actual work experience has differed (other than in an appropriate way, including more work and more responsibility than summers are asked to take on).”
• “MTO is very upfront about expectations, including during the summer. Substantive work is provided early in your career, and this is not something MTO hides from in the summer. Some of the tasks assigned are quite complex and nuanced.”
• “My summer at MTO was, in every way, representative of life as a junior associate. The firm is free market, and the opportunity to work with any given partner is not reserved for more senior associates. Additionally, all associates are welcome to join cases in any practice area. Work has also continued to be substantive.”

Favorite Summer Events

• “Private tour of the Getty, 4th of July dinner at Ron Olson's house, and Sunday brunch in Venice.”
• “Our summer retreat in Santa Barbara was a blast!”
• “One of my favorite summer events was actually the firmwide lunches, because it was easy, casual, and we got to hear from attorneys on cases they worked on, and other outside speakers from prominent organizations.”
• “Drag queen sangria class.”

Our lawyers are problem solvers who deal with some of the toughest and most complicated litigation and transactions in the country. We look for law students who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their prior pursuits and who bring leadership, intellectual curiosity, and a sense of individuality to an already extremely talented and diverse group of lawyers. Unlike other law firms, where it has become common to expect that young lawyers will stay only a short time before moving on to other endeavors, we only hire lawyers we believe have the potential to ultimately join our (one-tier) partnership. Our summer program provides a realistic idea of what it is like to practice law at our firm. Students work closely with attorneys in various practice areas, doing meaningful assignments. The summer program includes invitations to attend weekly lunches, training programs, social events, and practice-group meetings.