What is a summer associate position and is it the same as a law clerk job?
A summer associate program is a specially structured program found at many mid-size and large firms. Summer associates have the opportunity to do the same type of work beginning associates do–research and writing–under the supervision of various attorneys in the firm. Law clerks may have the opportunity to be involved in research and writing assignments while assisting in other tasks as well. Employers may ask law clerks to file documents in the various courts and handle general office duties. If the firm likes the work of a summer associate and there is a good match between the student and firm, it may offer a beginning associate position to that student. This offer may come at the end of the summer or early in the fall of the student’s final year. Employers who run summer associate programs anticipate that they will fill most of the new associate positions from their summer associate classes.
