Overview
McDermott is home to many of the world’s top law students. Whether you join us as part of our summer program or as a first-year associate after earning your JD, you’ll jump feet first into an exciting environment. At McDermott, you’ll be involved in real client work, gain new legal and professional skills, enjoy significant benefits, and build the foundation of a rewarding legal career.
It’s all about getting the right start at the right firm. We provide mentoring from experienced partners, substantive work on important client matters and cases, and a full suite of professional development services, including classroom training programs, career advisement, and a transparent evaluation and advancement process.
Throughout our Firm, diversity, inclusion and community involvement are valued just as highly as client service. We are regularly named as one of the top places to work by publications and organizations such as Working Mother magazine, Flex-Time Lawyers, the Minority Corporate Counsel Association and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation.
Through our community service and charitable giving programs, we seek to revitalize our communities by cleaning up parks and other public spaces; painting and updating schools and community centers; landscaping low-income neighborhoods; and donating clothing, equipment, supplies and financial contributions to schools and community-based organizations. We also sponsor a variety of walks and runs to raise funds for charities and awareness about the critical work those organizations engage in on behalf of disadvantaged communities.
Our goal? To help you create and follow a road map to professional success.
Let’s get started.
Summer Program
For many law students, the summer program at McDermott is a highlight of their law school experience. As a participant in our summer program, you’ll be given meaningful responsibility consistent with that of a junior associate. You’ll work side by side with senior partners, and you’ll meet with clients to better understand what makes them tick and what they need from their legal providers.
We’ll also make sure you know how you’re doing, through informal feedback and formal mid-summer and final evaluations. Each summer associate is assigned at least one mentor to provider guidance throughout the summer, explain Firm policies, address any questions or concerns, and assist in the transition from law school to life in a law firm.
It’s not just a one-way communication street. We’ll listen to you. We’ll offer assignments from many of our practice groups, giving you an opportunity to work in various departments and determine the type of legal practice you’d like to build.
Real work in the real world: that’s what McDermott’s summer program is all about. It’s also one of the best ways for us to get to know potential first-year associates. In fact, the vast majority of each year’s entering class of first-year associates is made up of lawyers who began their legal careers as McDermott summer associates.
First-Year Diverse Law Student Fellowship Program
Putting our vision of inclusion into practice
As part of our commitment to a Firm culture that values diversity and inclusion, we have established a first-year diverse law student fellowship program. First-year law students who are selected will be assigned to a designated summer-program team and paired with a mentor, who will provide professional and career guidance during the summer. Some participants may also be given the opportunity to return to work with McDermott the summer following successful completion of the first-year fellowship.
McDermott University Summer Academy
At McDermott, we do more than talk about creating a welcoming environment for law students. We do something about it.
To help familiarize you with the Firm’s history, culture, practice areas and vision for the future, we offer a variety of educational opportunities to our summer associates through a firm-wide training program, the McDermott University Summer Academy. In addition to learning about our Firm and our people, summer associates will participate in interactive writing and negotiation skills workshops and practice group-specific training, including programs conducted by firm-wide video conference.
These training opportunities are supplemented by departmental and office-wide training programs and other hands-on educational experiences, such as court visits and attendance at client meetings and governmental proceedings.
Each summer, we host an annual Summer Associate Retreat for the summer associates from all of our US offices. The retreat provides our summer associates with practical information about what it means to be a McDermott lawyer, a forum for professional development, and a deeper understanding of the Firm’s strategic vision.
Explore & Apply
2022 2L Summer Associates
We have now completed 2L hiring for the 2022 Summer Program.
2022 1L Summer Associates
The application period for our 2022 1L opportunities is now closed.
McDermott Will & Emery LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is our policy to provide an equal opportunity to all individuals without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, gender expression and identity, national origin, ancestry, disability, transgender or sexual orientation, marital status, type of discharge from the military (other than dishonorable) or any other classification protected by law. This policy applies to all aspects of the relationship between the Firm and an employee.
Contact
Law Student Recruiting Contacts
Atlanta and Dallas Offices
Alden Katz
Senior Law Student Recruiting Coordinator
aakatz@mwe.com
Boston Office
Gigi Iglus
Senior Law Student Recruiting Coordinator
giglus@mwe.com
Chicago Office
Heidi Bradish
Senior Law Student Recruiting Manager
hbradish@mwe.com
Los Angeles and San Francisco Offices
Marcella Vasquez
Law Student Recruiting Manager
Mvasquez@mwe.com
Miami Office
Gigi Iglus
Senior Law Student Recruiting Coordinator
giglus@mwe.com
New York Office
Heidi Bradish
Senior Law Student Recruiting Manager
hbradish@mwe.com
Washington, DC Office
Lauren Mizzell
Senior Law Student Recruiting Coordinator
lmizzell@mwe.com
General Recruiting Inquiries
Erika Gardiner
Director of Associate Recruiting
egardiner@mwe.com