Summer Associates

Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP is renowned for its commitment to excellence, multidisciplinary approach, deep industry knowledge, diverse and inclusive culture, and a dedication to pro bono and public service. Our summer program immerses summer associates in the values that shape our Firm and drive the highest level of legal excellence in service to our clients and commitment to social justice. The summer program is designed to provide summer associates with exposure to the substantive skills they will use in practice, the Firm's core values, and the meaningful work that we do for our commercial and pro bono clients. We also strive to provide summer associates ample opportunities to get to know the Firm's attorneys, practices, clients, and culture, through work assignments, our mentor program, interactive training programs and practice group presentations, and social events.

Work Assignments

Summer associates work with our attorneys on actual cases, for both commercial and pro bono clients, and the contributions of our summer associates are valued and respected. Summer associates have the opportunity to showcase their legal research and writing skills and shadow attorneys by attending client meetings or hearings. There is no formal rotation system, however, we encourage summer associates to work on assignments across many different practice groups.

"I was able to write formal memos to partners, draft informal client advisories, do a lot of traditional legal research and some less traditional research. I received extremely helpful substantive feedback—feedback that goes beyond just commenting on the particular assignment, i.e., I can transfer it to future assignments. The feedback was extremely quick, and my assigning attorneys were always available for brainstorming and advice." —2020 Summer Associate

Mentor Program

Summer associates are matched with attorney mentors at varying levels of seniority. Mentors serve as a resource for questions about the Firm, practices, office, and culture, and provide guidance to summer associates navigating the Firm, work assignments, and the summer program. Our mentor program is a valuable aspect of the summer program and our attorneys take the role of mentor very seriously.

"My mentors were fantastic! They checked in and made sure to make themselves available to me throughout the program. Additionally, they seemed handpicked for me in terms of my interest and background." —2020 Summer Associate

Training Programs

In addition to practice group, pro bono, and client spotlights, the summer program features interactive training programs that teach valuable skills and help summer associates get to know each other. Our 2020 summer program included mock negotiations, a Design Thinking/Innovation Lab Workshop, and a small group storytelling exercise, led by senior litigators.

"The storytelling exercise offered a tremendous opportunity to discover the amazing backgrounds of some of my fellow summer associates." —2020 Summer Associate

Social Events

Social events are an important aspect of the summer program and provide summer associates with an opportunity to get to know our attorneys and each other in a more informal setting. Our in-person summer programs have featured Broadway shows, concerts, cooking classes, and museum tours. We adapted our favorite events, including a cooking class, a trivia competition, and a paint night, for our virtual summer program in 2020.

"[The trivia event was] truly a highlight of the summer. I think the reason I liked it so much is because it provided the most opportunity to interact with a smaller group of people in a (virtual) social setting while of course doing something fun. Not a single person on my team was in my same office, but I interacted with a few after that event because we had good chats throughout the night." —2020 Summer Associate

The summer associate program at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP is our single most important source of associate hiring. We hire summer associates with the expectation that they will be invited to join us as associates after law school. Our attorneys and professional staff are committed to planning and implementing a summer program that summer associates find meaningful, rewarding, informative, and fun.

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Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race (inclusive of traits historically associated with race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles), ethnicity, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), age, marital or partnership status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family leave status, citizenship status, immigration status, ancestry, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.

For our EEO Policy Statement, please click here. If you would like more information about your EEO rights as an applicant under the law, please click EEO is the LAW and the Supplement poster.

Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP is an EO Employer - M/F/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity.