2024 DIVERSITY DATABASE UNDERWRITER Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP

• “My summer at Willkie was a great experience. I was staffed on case teams, and given assignments with deadlines. I had the opportunity to discuss my research assignments with associates and partners, and was able to present to a client.”
• “I was given ownership of substantive assignments that directly contributed to real client matters. Attorneys of all levels were very willing to provide helpful context, suggestions, and guidance. I thus felt like I was empowered to make a meaningful contribution, even as a summer associate.”
• “My practice group had us hit the ground running with substantive work. It was a manageable workload over the summer, and it gave us a realistic sense of what being a real associate would be like in terms of substance.”
• “I was fully staffed on a mix of billable and nonbillable assignments all summer. I received ample training, mentoring, and CLE opportunities. My billable work assignments were all fully integrated with the broader team; I was not siloed from the substantive work of the firm, though I was never autonomous.”

• “The social events were a lot of fun, and well attended. They allowed summer associates to get to know one another, and more senior attorneys at the firm. The firm did a good job balancing in-person and remote social events to accommodate those not in the office.”
• “Associates and partners went out of their way to interact with the summers, and get to know us.”
• “Interacting with the other attorneys in the office, whether at organized events or just around the office, was definitely the highlight of my summer program.”
• “Events were fun, and well attended. There was a variety that was able to cater to different tastes and personalities as well. In general, though our summer class was large, there were good connections among all of us, even if we could not deeply get to know everyone in our class.”

• “I've been surprised by the diversity of work and people that I work with. As a summer, it seemed there were a few people continuously giving out assignments. As a practicing attorney, I've been able to work with a large number of people in the group.”
• “Work is harder as an associate, but attorneys still want you to succeed. The level of support is honestly higher now that I've started the job, and partners and associates constantly check in on us to ensure we are on the right track.”
• “The main difference is [the] number of cases that I am staffed on, which provides for a broader range of experience. But I have been overall impressed with the ad hoc feedback and collaboration on my case teams. I feel like a valued team member, despite being so junior.”
• “I was nervous to begin work at a firm full time. In law school, you hear so many horror stories, but people at Willkie are friendly, and willing to work with you to accommodate your schedule and life beyond the firm above and beyond the experiences my friends at other firms have had. The work is also really interesting.”

• “End of summer associates’ brunch and dinner. The firm brought the whole summer class into the New York office for a week (since the program had been virtual for the summer). We had a firm-sponsored dinner, just for the summer class, as well as brunch the next morning.”
• “I had a great time at the TopGolf event, the virtual sushi-making class, and the Women's Professional Development yoga.”
• “My favorite summer events were attending lunches with junior associates. The junior associates provided great advice regarding their experiences.”
• “Natural wine tasting.”

Willkie’s summer program is a terrific introduction to life as a junior associate. We offer summer associates the opportunity to work side-by-side with our attorneys in practice areas of their choice. In addition, summer associates participate in a corporate negotiation, a writing workshop, and a mock arbitration training seminar. Summer associates are evaluated twice during the program to relay valuable feedback on their performance, while also giving them the opportunity to confirm departmental rotation changes and other interests. We provide a wide array of social events with the goal of helping our summer associates get to know each other, our lawyers, and the city. With numerous opportunities for both substantive work and social interaction, Willkie summers quickly confirm their intuition that Willkie was right for them.