Appealing to a New Generation

From generation to generation those who have gone before are often heard proclaiming, “When I was your age … .” Fill in the blank with the appropriate “life was much tougher” scenario. The typical response to such reminiscing is a groan or roll of the eyes from the intended audience and perhaps with good reason. They would be right. We law firm partners are not doing anyone any good by thinking about the way things were when we were first-year associates. Instead, what we must do is constantly evaluate the evolving needs of both clients and the lawyers who serve them. What better place to start than with summer associates, the future of our firm and the industry?

The entire process starts with recruiting for summer associates at Foley & Lardner, which is rigorous. After all, we hope we are making more than just a three-month investment. Ideally, a positive summer experience will lead to a full-time associate offer and for some even a commitment to stay with the firm long enough to make partner. But, here is where we may be getting ahead of ourselves.

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