An Interview with Managing Partner Guy Halgren.

Summer Associate Program: What to Expect

Sheppard Mullin's Summer Associate Program has been ranked number 8 in the U.S. and number one in Los Angeles in Vault.com's first ever summer associate program rankings.  In 2011, the survey was taken by approximately 16,000 law firm associates and included newly-added questions on summer associate programs.  And in The American Lawyer's annual summer associate survey of 101 firms, Sheppard Mullin's 2010 program was ranked #13 nationwide! 

Sheppard Mullin places a major emphasis on its Summer Associate Program as the primary vehicle to attract high-achieving law students from diverse backgrounds to the firm.  The program is designed to acquaint students with the firm's practice (through hands-on work experience) and lawyers (through a variety of fun social activities).  In other words, our Summer Associate Program is an opportunity to get to know each other.  

We structure our Summer Associate Program to give law students a realistic view of the way we practice throughout the year. Our summer associates do meaningful, billable work and work closely with partners and associates in various practice groups. In the past, our summer associates have drafted briefs and other pleadings, credit agreements, acquisition agreements and other significant legal documents. The allocation of assignments is intended to expose each student to a variety of legal problems and to a number of attorneys within the office. Summer associates also attend depositions and court appearances, and work on pro bono projects with supervising attorneys. Our attorneys are urged to provide feedback to summer associates when a project has been completed, and each student receives a mid-summer review.

Social and Cultural Activities

The purpose of our Summer Associate Program is to hire students who will return to Sheppard Mullin as associates and form a lasting relationship with our firm. Toward that end, we provide our summer associates with opportunities to become well acquainted with the partners and associates in the office, and with the cultural resources of the region in which the office is located. Events in our various offices during the past few summers have included beach parties, go-kart racing, white-water rafting, sailing, scavenger hunts, horse races at Del Mar, paintball, a wine-tasting day-trip and cooking classes.  Summer associates are invited to cocktail parties and dinner parties at attorneys' homes, giving them a perspective on the lives of our lawyers outside the office. Summer associates also attend cultural and sporting events, including music and theater productions and major league baseball games.

By the end of your summer, you will have had the quintessential summer associate experience.  We will do everything we can to give you a strong understanding of the personality of the office, the nature and quality of the firm’s work, the attitude of the firm towards associate development, and the benefits of starting your career at Sheppard Mullin.