Summer Associate Recruiting
Our Summer Associates program is an excellent opportunity for law students to experience Burr & Forman and the practice of law. Most often our initial contact is through on-campus interviews, but we also accept and encourage applications directly from students either by email or U.S. Mail. Through our on-campus and in-office interviews, we search for well-rounded students who have proven their motivation for success through their academic, professional and civic accomplishments. We aspire to hire the best and the brightest students from diverse backgrounds and experiences with potential for long-term success at Burr & Forman.
The Summer
In each of our offices, we thrive to provide each Summer Associate with an interesting introduction to the practice of law and our firm. All Summer Associates are assigned projects for real clients and matters and are given the opportunity to work side by side with our attorneys and staff. Activities in past summers have included:
observing our attorneys in depositions, hearing, trials, arbitrations, mediations, closings, etc.;
Q & A sessions with current clients and judges;
participating in client meetings, including on-site client visits, lunches and facility tours;
attending practice and industry group meetings;
visits to the courthouse;
and preparing written assignments for various matters.
Our program is designed both for students that have already focused on a particular practice and for those undecided students wanting work in different areas. We want to give you as many opportunities to experience life as a Burr & Forman associate as we can.
While in our summer program, we want you to get to know the people that make up Burr & Forman, including our Executive Committee, Firm Administrator, and Practice Group Heads. Summer Associates have direct contact with all levels of people throughout the firm. The Executive Committee and Lee Thuston, our Managing Partner, are actively involved in recruiting and meet regularly with the Summer Associates to discuss firm updates and governance, client updates, and the direction of the legal field. Due to our “open door” policy, Summer Associates can feel comfortable going to anyone’s office to ask questions and request their feedback on issues. Since Lee has been involved in major economic development projects with regional, national, and international clients, he is an excellent resource from which law students can learn and ask questions on a one-on-one basis.
Beyond the work, we also plan a full schedule of social events to help our Summer Associates learn more about our attorneys outside the workplace. Typical events in the past have included: partner cocktail parties, small in-home dinner parties, concerts in the park, golf outings, movie nights, informal “happy-hours”, baseball games, and even out of town weekends. We find these events give our Summer Associates the best opportunity to learn more about us as individuals, to meet our families, and also to learn more about our cities.
If you have any questions regarding our law student recruiting program, please contact Katherine Marsh, our Director of Recruitment & Professional Development for all offices.