In an unexpected discovery, an anonymous summer associate at a prestigious Am Law 100 firm expressed surprise at the lack of interaction and collaboration between lawyers within the firm. This insight came about in response to the American Lawyer’s 2023 Summer Associates Satisfaction Ranking.
Detailing their experience, the summer associate revealed: “[I was surprised by] how little interaction there was with me, excluding giving me assignments. Also, I did not notice many in-person meetings between lawyers and was not aware of much collaboration.“
Diving into the matter, it seems as though Biglaw firms’ effort to mandate associate attendance to impress incoming summer associates didn’t have the intended impact, at least in this particular case. A deeper look into the American Lawyer’s 2023 ranking will clarify how different firms fared in satisfying their summer associates.
It’s worth asking: Did attorneys pay more attention to summer associates at your firm? Is this lack of interaction a common experience or a one-off case? While it might be surprising to find an Am Law 100 firm seemingly lacking in collaboration, it’s significant to consider whether such observations reflect wider trends in the legal profession or remain outliers.
For additional context, it might be of interest to explore which Biglaw firms had more successful strategies, as determined by the satisfaction of their summer associates. To delve deeper into which firms made the top 10 in this year’s ranking, check here.
This report was instigated by a conversation with an anonymous summer associate. If you want to engage in this discussion, or provide tips or comments on the subject matter, feel free to reach out to Staci Zaretsky, a senior editor at Above the Law, via email. You can also connect with her on Twitter, Threads, or LinkedIn.