Simpson Thacher

• “Simpson has a great orientation program to kick off training for summer associates and continues with weekly (if not more frequent) trainings.”
• “I was able to split my summer to get experience in both corporate and litigation, which I found extremely helpful in my decision to pursue a career in litigation. Also, there is wonderful central staffing who made sure everyone was receiving plenty of work assignments, and they paid close attention to the type of work summer associates wanted to do. We had extremely informative training sessions every week.”
• “All of the attorneys at the firm strived to offer assignments that the summers indicated interest in. The work itself was substantive, although the firm made sure to provide us with the proper guidance and time to get situated with the assignments. Every attorney I worked with was fully open to answering any questions about work.”
• “There was a lot of training throughout the summer. I was given the opportunity to do doc review and work with senior associates and partners as they reviewed motions and subpoenas I drafted, which was really helpful in helping me decide I wanted to be a litigator.”

• “We have a lot of more casual events to try and develop meaningful connections with the summers. We go out to restaurants, novelty bars (e.g., darts, cocktail making), sports events, theater shows, skeet shooting, karaoke, and capped things off with a casino night. I've made friends with a bunch of the summers during the two years I've been an associate during the summer programs and look forward to the summer this year.”
• “The social events were fun and were not overwhelming in the number per week—between two and four evening events, depending on the week. The summer associates get along well, and everyone seems to have found a group of people they felt close to.”
• “Social aspect of the summer associate program was fantastic. Attorneys were very approachable and willing to connect over coffee, for lunch, and at firm-sponsored events. Recruiting put on several events (multiple each week) for summer associates to get to know each other as well as the attorneys at the firm.”
• “We had social events every week, and they were all very fun. These events brought me wonderful friendships with my fellow summer associates and allowed me to connect with other people from the firm as well. I also had the opportunity to go to many mentorship lunches.”

• “It differs because as a summer, you try everything, and as a first year, at least in the corporate group, while you do get to do rotations, you are only doing work from the group you were assigned to. However, this is something that is very clear, so it isn't a surprise. I think the main difference is probably the level of responsibility you are given. While the other lawyers expect you to take ownership of your work as a summer, there isn't the same level of expectation.”
• “I have been pleasantly surprised by the number of late nights—most people will tell you if something is urgent after 9 p.m. or so, and there is a lot of understanding between associates about picking up the slack for one associate when another is busy. Another thing is that the vacation policy is real, and all attorneys are encouraged to take all the days they have off, and coverage is coordinated for us.”
• “You are able to delve deeper into cases when compared to a summer associate because of the length of litigation cases and the need for a junior associate to be there long after the summer is over. However, substantively, it was very similar to the summer work.”
• “… I was integrated and given heightened responsibilities much sooner than I would have expected. This was very exciting, and the [team] worked to make sure I was always set up for success.”

Being part of the summer associate program at Simpson Thacher presents an unparalleled professional and social experience. Our summer associates become part of the firm upon arrival and are active team members on our most challenging and complex matters. Summer associates experience firsthand how Simpson Thacher attorneys work collaboratively alongside our clients to achieve their goals. The summer is filled with professional development opportunities, including mentoring programs and a comprehensive training curriculum. We are committed to integrating our summer class in every way possible and supporting our summer associates as they begin to immerse themselves in the culture of Simpson Thacher. There are too many social events to list, but there is undoubtedly something for everyone—from the Shakespeare lover to the ultimate foodie. Summer associates depart for their third year of law school having sampled various practice areas and knowing what being a Simpson Thacher lawyer really means.