Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP

• “Summer associates are assigned partner and associate mentors, so they have multiple built-in relationships at the firm that many of them rely on even when they return to the firm as associates. You get mid-summer feedback in the form of collated comments relayed over lunch with your mentors. It's very relaxed, and virtually everyone forms a good connection with at least one of their mentors.”
• “Quinn Emanuel allows summer associates to dig in on substantive projects right away. While we received basic training on programs such as Westlaw and Lexis, we did most of our training via learning by doing. I received substantive projects such research assignments and some opportunities to draft motions right away. Quinn Emanuel also provides a mock trial program where summer associates participate in lectures and activities with partners and then perform a mock trial with hired jurors. If you want to learn to litigate, summering at Quinn Emanuel is a great idea.”
• “The firm's summer associate mock trial is the main training program. Summer associates view presentations teaching trial skills and then work in breakout rooms with partners to practice and receive feedback on openings, directs, crosses, etc. At the end of the week, there is a mock trial, where partners serve as judges, associates/staff as witnesses, and actual mock jurors view the trial and deliberate. This was a fabulous experience, and, as far as I know, unique to Quinn Emanuel. Other training was provided through lunchtime talks on various topics of interest. Assignments ran the gamut. I drafted a motion, performed legal and factual research, and second-chaired a deposition. I was satisfied with the opportunities provided, which were substantive but appropriate.”
• “I was given interesting, substantive assignments, including drafting an employment complaint, a section of an appellate brief in a patent matter, and legal research regarding evidence admissibility. These assignments felt integral to the matters for which they were related, not make-work tasks but real chances to help the team.”

• “Our summer class was pretty close and opted to spend time together in our free time. We had multiple weekly events scheduled by the firm including a cooking class, Topgolf, dinners and happy hours, and a trip to Disneyland. The firm also has a mock trial each summer in Los Angeles that brings together summers from across all offices on the West Coast (and the same for summers on the East Coast). At events, partners and associates were friendly and approachable and happy to talk about a variety of topics. My favorite event was a garden party that brought together all of the summers along with many other LA associates and partners.”
• “We had major social events every couple weeks, for example, a trip to wine country or to a baseball game. These often had at least a few attorneys present. Attorneys in office (though few in number) were super friendly and open to talking with us about anything. I had several frank conversations with attorneys about the workload, expectations, etc. For my summer, all of the summers were put into a single large room (size constraints due to trials using the other offices), and I think we all got to know each other better that way.”
• “Summer associates typically attend one social event per week, and it ranges from rooftop movies to Top Golf to parties at partners' houses. As a summer associate, I became good friends with my fellow summer associates and had a lot of fun. My favorite event was Disneyland.”
• “Many fun events including baseball games, outdoor movies, cooking classes, dinner events at partners' houses, Disneyland, and of course, the ultimate yearly hike [like the hike] in Hong Kong.”

• “As a summer associate, we were expected to come into the office each day and were largely given assignments from a central coordination system. As an associate, we have freedom to seek out assignments we want and manage our schedules, which I appreciate. In the summer, I ended up working on some assignments I enjoyed and some practice areas I really didn't love. But now as an associate, I have the freedom to seek out the assignments I want and am currently working on exactly what I hoped for. We also can work remotely or in office at our choice.”
• “The work assignment system is far less centralized as an associate. It's largely a free market system, with some support if you have trouble finding work. But assignments for summer associates are largely centralized. The work is also much more intense, and the hours longer, but I think that's to be expected.”
• “Quinn Emanuel is very attorney-driven and non-hierarchical. Finding work, asking for new responsibility, etc., is in your hands as an associate. Unlike other firms that may dole out assignments through a formal system, I find my work more organically by connecting with more-senior attorneys. It can be challenging at first but has helped me gain confidence and self-sufficiency in a professional context—-especially as someone who went straight through from undergrad.”
• “My experience practicing at Quinn has largely tracked my experience as a summer associate in terms of the breadth of work and immediate integration into case teams. As a practicing attorney, the hours are understandably longer, but the complexity and intellectual reward of the work has increased commensurately. I am still largely free to select my own practice areas, though some of my work is driven by firm needs.”

The goal of our summer program is to provide a unique and personalized experience for a small group of top, litigation-focused students. Our exclusive program provides our summer associates with a realistic and thorough perspective of life as an associate at our firm. With partner mentors tailoring assignments to the summer’s preferences and associate mentors providing guidance and friendship, summer associates are fully integrated into case teams from day one and encouraged to share ideas, thoughts, and work product. All summer associates have the opportunity to go to court, attend depositions, and get face time with clients. In addition to receiving exciting professional experience, summer associates are invited to participate in all firm social activities, such as the annual summer party, weekly firm happy hours, and our traditional firm hike.