In-Person Summer Program Lets Law Students Truly Experience a Career at Foley

After a remote-only summer associate program in 2020 and a hybrid format in 2021, Foley was thrilled to welcome law students back into the office for our in-person 2022 Summer Associate Program. And this year’s program is bigger than ever before, comprising 97 first- and second-year law students from 40 different law schools in 18 Foley offices across the country. We also expanded our 1L program, welcoming more first-year students to help them accelerate their practical legal experience.

Foley’s Summer Associate Program is designed to introduce first- and second-year law students to a career in the legal industry and give them a sense of what life at Foley is like and what to expect as a Foley associate. This year’s 10-week program started on May 23 and will conclude on July 29. It delivers training, work opportunities, and networking activities to help participants learn more about Foley, our people, our culture, and the legal services we provide to our clients.

With an in-person program this year, Foley was able to reintroduce our marquee Summer Associate Retreat. During this multiday event in Chicago at the end of June, summer associates from across the country connected with one another and with firm leaders. The agenda included a mix of substantive programming and time to network and build relationships. Participants had the opportunity to hear from both our Chairman and CEO and Managing Partner as well as from a number of other firm leaders and partners. The retreat showcased how well-integrated Foley is and highlighted the opportunities our lawyers have for growth.

Foley wants its summer associates to leave with solid skills and knowledge that can’t necessarily be gained from law school curriculum. This includes building new proficiencies through trainings offered via Foley Academy. Beyond the retreat programming, we’re providing substantive training to this year’s summer associates on topics such as legal writing, ethics, and the anatomy of both a deal and a lawsuit, as well as a practical claim drafting workshop for our IP summer associates. All our summer associates are also invited to attend CLE and other trainings offered to Foley attorneys.

Foley’s summer associates receive substantive legal work, similar to that of a first-year associate at the firm. This experience includes:

Attending court proceedings, depositions, hearings, negotiations, board meetings, and closings
Participating in client meetings
Drafting memoranda, briefs, and other documents
Researching cutting-edge legal issues
Working on pro bono projects

Summer associates are able to personally select projects from an assignment database, which helps ensure they’re getting opportunities to work on matters that are of interest to them. Projects worked on by summer associates so far this year have included assisting with preparing a Humanitarian Parole Application to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for Afghans escaping Taliban persecution; preparing a legal analysis of crypto tokens and non-fungible tokens; and evaluating patent office communications and analyzing technology.

Our summer associates also attend many large and small group events – but these activities are about more than just summer fun. They make the summer associate experience feel personal and give law students the opportunity to witness the deep connections our people have with one another. Social activities this year have included:

Backyard barbecues and crawfish boils hosted by Foley attorneys
Trips to see new movies like “Top Gun: Maverick” (complete with a costume contest)
Cooking and mixology classes, sporting events, and a trip to Top Golf
Virtual cross-office events, including one where participants created and showed off their own custom Converse shoes

The firm also organized volunteer opportunities with Boys & Girls Clubs of America chapters across the country so the summer associates could work with and get to know Foley’s national charity partner. The summer associates spent time with the children doing lots of fun activities, including dodgeball, scavenger hunts, arts and crafts, and field trips.

With just over two weeks remaining in this year’s summer program, Foley’s summer associates are primed to leave with a strong understanding of what it’s like to begin a career at the firm. Foley hopes all of its summer associates are offered first-year associate positions upon graduation from law school and looks forward to them officially joining the firm in the future.

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