Williams & Connolly LLP

• “The firm provides summer associates with real, challenging work and offers a number of observation opportunities. I found the projects to be extremely rewarding.”
• “Summers work on real, substantive projects. The program focuses more on letting summers make meaningful connections with lawyers at the firm for when they return rather than just socializing among themselves, and summers usually get a taste of the firm's free market assignment system.”
• “As a summer associate, I was assigned really meaningful, substantive assignments and worked directly with partners. It stood in marked contrast to many of my peers' experiences. I was very impressed by the trust the firm put in me. It was also easy to seek out assignments and partners in the areas of law I was particularly interested in.”

• “The boat cruise and karaoke night were not to be missed! Ultimately, our summer class got very close, and the firm definitely helped facilitate that.”
• “There were plenty of social events, but no pressure to attend. So, if like me, you have a limited social battery, you'll never be made to feel bad for sitting one out. That being said, there was a lot of camaraderie. Because the entire firm is in one office, the summer class is quite large. The highlight for me was really all the experiences to really speak very candidly with partners and senior associates.”
• “The firm focused on inclusive events that allowed us to enjoy the benefits of living in DC while socializing and meeting associates and partners. Many high-profile partners organized their own events for the summer associates.”
• “The firm offers a number of social events, including happy hours, social outings, and dinners. There is no pressure to attend, and I always felt comfortable. The camaraderie among summer associates was strong, and (in general) summers got to meet almost everyone in the firm.”

• “The firm paints a very accurate picture of firm life over the course of the summer associate program. While the workload and hours increase for a first-year associate, I felt prepared to handle the additional responsibilities. Moreover, since summer associates receive real substantive work, I have felt prepared to contribute positively to my cases.”
• “The nature of the work I've been given is consistent with what I expected as a summer associate. I've found it a bit more difficult to choose work than it was as a summer, and the firm obviously prioritizes assigning summer associates to the firm's most prominent cases.”
• “My summer experience prepared me very well for what working at the firm would be like. I was pleasantly surprised to find the kindness, patience, and mentorship afforded to me as a summer in no way abated during my first year of work.”
• “I've enjoyed being an associate even more than being a summer. I've gotten really substantive work, and everything I gleaned about the culture from the summer is true.”

Our program aims to integrate summer associates into the firm, so they are exposed to a range of work that the firm handles and have the opportunity to work with multiple partners and case teams. Summer projects are assigned across all subject areas, and summer associates can request assignments in practice areas of interest. Projects include traditional research and writing, as well as observational opportunities at court proceedings, depositions, and meetings. Because there are usually a number of trials happening during the summer, summer associates sometimes work with trial teams. We also host presentations about subjects such as various attorneys’ practices, the firm’s history, and our noteworthy cases. While we have a robust social calendar, all summer events are optional so that summers have the flexibility to get better acquainted with each other and their firm colleagues.