2024 DIVERSITY DATABASE UNDERWRITER Ropes & Gray LLP

• “A ton of emphasis is put on training (including, recently, AI use). Assignments are given both through centralized staffing and ‘backdoor’ via meeting attorneys. Shadowing is strongly encouraged, too, and a big component of the summer program.”
• “Ropes & Gray has perfected its summer associate program. The training sessions are bespoke and tailored to prepare each summer associate to achieve their maximum potential in every area essential to professional success. For example, hands-on, expert-led sessions are held frequently on topics ranging from email etiquette to research strategies. Moreover, each work assignment (which is curated to the summer associate’s shared interests) distributed by Ropes & Gray is led by partners and supported by a team of associates, providing practical exposure and mentorship throughout the program.”
• “I felt I received adequate training and hands-on experience with responsibilities commensurate with [that of] a first-year associate. I was asked to write research memos, conduct doc review, and prepare trial documents. I never felt I was asked to do busy work. Everything I did seemed like it was genuinely helping an associate or partner. I was also able to shadow depositions and court hearings.”
• “I was able to take on substantive work across multiple practice areas, and I received guidance from attorneys at all levels of the firm along the way. It gave me a great window into what full-time work at the firm would be like.”

• “The social events were excellent. We had firmwide events and also events for each specific practice group, which meant that in any given week, I had multiple days of after-work events. I met a lot of great people and really got to know the personality of the firm and the different groups through the summer program.”
• “The social events throughout the summer were top-notch! They were varied and unique, and from what I heard from other classmates, we had more social events than other summer associates. We went to a concert, on an architecture boat tour, to a comedy show, and to a cocktail making class, just to name a few.”
• “The social events were plentiful and very fun. There was always a good showing of partners and associates there to meet us and talk to us about their experience at the firm.”
• “The attorneys here are so friendly and approachable. They are a social bunch. Our summer associate group was no different. We continue to stay in contact with one another and plan activities outside those planned by the firm. The summer events were excellent. I really enjoyed going to the Rolling Stones concert and exploring Chess Records. ...”

• “My experience practicing at my firm has not differed from my expectations. During the summer program, the associates I met were honest with me about both the positive and not-as-positive experiences they have had at the firm, so I felt like I started at the firm with realistic expectations and have been satisfied thus far.”
• “The work is just so much more demanding. We were warned of that in the summer program, but the focus of the summer program is really to make sure YOU are having a good time. That is not the focus of the associate experience: The focus is on whether the CLIENT is having a good experience with the firm.”
• “I have been pleasantly surprised by the focus on training during the ramp-up period. Over the summer, the assignments came quickly and were plentiful, likely due to the condensed nature of the program. Since starting, the emphasis has been on development and training, not billing as many hours as possible.”
• “My experience has been as expected so far. Everyone at the firm is super friendly and willing to provide guidance on any assignments, which is particularly helpful as someone beginning their career.”

Participating in our summer program will allow you to experience firsthand what it’s like to practice law at the highest level. Whether joining us in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, or Washington, DC, summer associates get exposure to cutting-edge, industry-defining work for the world’s leading businesses and organizations. You’ll contribute to actual client matters, benefit from individualized mentorship, and gain practical and soft skills from our training program, regarded as one of the industry’s best. You’ll also have lots of opportunities to get to know your fellow summer associates and other lawyers at the firm and to build long-lasting relationships. We strongly believe that our summer program will give you the confidence, skills, and hands-on experience you need to hit the ground running as a first-year associate.