2024 DIVERSITY DATABASE UNDERWRITER WilmerHale

• “I was impressed by how often I got to work directly with partners, even as a summer associate. I had substantive assignments and was a genuine member of my teams for different matters.”
• “As a summer associate, I was given meaningful work that had an actual impact on my matters. I was allowed (and encouraged) to ask substantive questions to further my understanding, and I never felt like I was being docked for my lack of knowledge. I was immediately thrown into work opportunities and felt like a contributing member of the team.”
• “It was the best experience: I got to try out every practice group I was interested in and was given the opportunity to sit/listen in on client calls, depositions, etc. The senior lawyers I worked with were so welcoming and encouraging, providing really great guidance and feedback. Mentoring young attorneys was really a priority for more-senior associates and partners.”
• “The work assignments were substantive and varied so that I could try out different areas of law. The program coordinator made a huge effort to staff me on assignments that aligned with my interests, as well as other assignments with attorneys on my same floor to encourage social interaction.”

• “The firm sponsored at least one social outing a week; they ranged from a cooking class to Red Sox game and sunset boat ride. Oftentimes, only partners or specific associate mentors were invited. We did not have significant exposure to first-, second-, or third-year attorneys apart from the mentorship program.”
• “Wilmer has a more low-key summer social program compared to other firms, but we had very strong camaraderie among the summer associates (routinely self-organizing events for all the summer associates if we had a free day), and even very-senior partners went out of their way to spend time with the summer associates and ask us about our backgrounds and interests.”
• “WilmerHale has the perfect summer associate class size—not too big, not too small. It is easy to make friends, and it's clear from the older associates that the friendships last. We had tons of one-on-one interaction with attorneys at all levels, especially partners, which really helped to see the amazing culture.”
• “Purposeful and meaningful interactions with firm attorneys and fellow summer associates. High levels of camaraderie.”

• “I think the firm was very transparent, and I, fortunately, worked directly with the group that I joined. I think the biggest difference was just that the workload is significantly heavier for a full-time associate than a summer.”
• “I've been pleasantly surprised that the people at Wilmer are as nice and normal as advertised—we have some amazing lawyers, but no one I've met acts as if they're more important than anyone else. The firm is slightly more of a free market system than advertised (there are practice managers, but you also can and should find your own work), so even though you can choose your practice area, you might have to go hunt down some of the opportunities you want on your own.”
• “Working at the firm has been far more collegial than my summer. I am friends with my coworkers.”
• “I have been pleasantly surprised at the breadth of projects I have been exposed to. I initially expected to be getting the same type of assignments and then gradually branch out from there, but I am quite pleased with the variety of work that is still in my chosen area of focus (intellectual property).”

• “A segway tour of DC, a diversity happy hour, and a casino night that included incredible prizes.”
• “I enjoyed some of the events away from the firm—like an event at Swingers Golf and a baseball game—as a nice opportunity to chat with people outside of the confines of the office.”
• “Sushi-making night and sake tasting. African-American History Museum reception. Final reception at the Hay Adams Hotel.”
• “There were a lot of ‘big’ summer events like going to a wine tasting in Red Hook, but my favorite thing was going to get mani/pedis with my mentor on a weekly basis.”

In choosing a law firm, you are making an investment in your career. Wherever you envision your future—within WilmerHale or in government, academia, business, or the judiciary—we provide room to grow and the resources to develop. At WilmerHale, you’ll find opportunity and experience at every turn. Work on what you read about and what you care about. You’ll work on headline-reaching cases because clients come to us with their most complex problems. Our matters draw on the signature strengths of our world-class legal departments to address our clients’ most complex and high-profile legal challenges.