The Best Law Firm Summer Associate Events

Law firms sure know how to show their summer associates a good time—from dinners at top restaurants to Broadway shows to yacht cruises to firmwide retreats at a luxury resort. Firms dedicate a tremendous amount of time and money to planning these social events so that summer associates can bond with fellow summers and meet as many firm attorneys as possible —and also so that the firm’s attorneys can get to know the summers. This in-firm networking helps both summer associates and the firm determine if the fit is good and also provides summers with an opportunity to build connections for when they return to the firm.

In Vault’s Annual Associate Survey, we asked junior associates to share some of their favorite events from their time as summers at their law firms. Below are some selections from the Top 10 firms in Vault’s Best Summer Programs for Social Experiences ranking.

#1 O’Melveny: “We had a ‘Farm to Table' event, visiting a farm where locally sourced produce was grown and later [going] to the high-end restaurant serving food from that farm.”

#2 Fried Frank: “Casino night at the Hay-Adams.”

#3 Thompson & Knight: “Our summer class attended a Kendrick Lamar concert in the firm's suite at the American Airlines Center.”

#4 Williams & Connolly: “Nationals baseball game.”

#5 Clifford Chance: “Our firm rented out the carnival in Central Park and invited everyone who works at the firm, including their families.”

#6 Orrick: “Sailing in Annapolis.”

#7 (Tie) Akin Gump: “We went to Magic Castle for a night!”

#7 (Tie) Eversheds Sutherland: “Group dinner at a partner's house. We got to meet families and see how much everyone in the group knew each other and cared for each other.”

#9 White & Case: “Shakespeare in the Park."

#10 Cleary: “Birchbox event: Cleary closed down the Soho flagship of Birchbox. We all had gift cards, mani-pedis, snacks, and drinks; it was so much fun.”