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The Jenner & Block summer program is designed to expose our Summer Associates to the culture and core values that we at Jenner & Block share and to provide you with a taste of the experience of working as an associate at our Firm.


In 2010, we will host 35 Summer Associates in our Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, DC offices. 

Our goal each year is to recruit a diverse and talented summer class that will ultimately join us as entry level associates. 

Pictured: Ana R. Bugan, Associate/Litigation

As a Summer Associate, you are paired with a mentor who helps ensure that you have an excellent summer.  In Washington, DC and New York, each Summer Associate is given a partner mentor and an associate mentor.  These attorneys assist you in getting to know the people of Jenner & Block.

As a participant in our summer program, you will have the opportunity to select from a broad range of assignments and work with attorneys throughout the Firm. Depending on your area of interest, you will also:
  • Help trial teams prepare and develop trial strategy
  • Assist attorneys in preparing for depositions and hearings; attend closings
  • Perform legal research and draft memos, opinion letters, contracts and briefs
  • Observe negotiations
  • Interact with clients

Summer Associates select assignments using the Firm’s computerized assignment system.  The system is updated daily and allows you to browse through dozens of assignments, giving you a true flavor of the breadth of the work that is available.  In each office, Summer Associates work closely with Work Assignment Coordinators to obtain a range of assignments from a variety of attorneys throughout the Firm.  Feedback is provided on all assignments by the assigning attorneys.

The summer program is a wonderful opportunity to experience our pro bono commitment and learn about the breadth of the pro bono opportunities that we offer at the Firm.

Jenner & Block’s pro bono program is truly unique.  Some of the ways we may differ from other law firms include:

  • The fact that an associate can work on a pro bono matter of his or her choice, under the supervision of a partner of his or her choice.
  • The Firm does not limit the amount of pro bono work that the Firm or our attorneys undertake.

During the summer program, we encourage you to participate first hand in pro bono projects.  There are always a large number of pro bono assignments on which Summer Associates can work.  In addition, the Firm holds a series of lunch programs about pro bono.

For example, in Washington, DC, each year, the Co-Chair of the Pro Bono Committee hosts a breakfast meeting with the Summer Associates to discuss our pro bono program and answer questions.  In Chicago, we invite partners, associates, and sometimes pro bono clients, to address the Summer Associates and describe some of the pro bono cases we have handled.  Other offices are invited to attend these lunches by videoconference.

For more information about our pro bono program please click here.

We recognize that the best way for Summer Associates to learn about our Firm and our practices is for you to work with us on client matters.  For this reason, our transactional departments in the Chicago office offers you the opportunity to participate in a “rotation.”

During a rotation, a Summer Associate will spend two or more weeks working with a team of lawyers in a particular department.  In the Corporate Department, for example, you would be assigned to a deal team and would participate in all aspects of the deal, such as attending internal strategy meetings, drafting and reviewing deal documents, working on due diligence, participating in client meetings and preparing for the closing.  Our Summer Associates have found the rotation program to be an extremely rewarding experience.

More information about the rotations program is provided to you during orientation.  Summer Associates who participate in a litigation case rotation are assigned to a case and attend court proceedings, conduct research and draft documents for that case.

One of the Firm’s core values is a commitment to continuous learning and professional development.  This commitment is reflected in the training programs provided during the summer program.

Our summer program Co-Chairs work closely with the Director of Professional Development and the Professional Development staff to develop a schedule of training programs designed specifically for our Summer Associates.  You are encouraged to participate in as many programs as you would like -- regardless of practice area -- to acquire a broad range of skills.

In Chicago, Summer Associate Training Programs include a three-hour Legal Writing course taught by Firm lawyers, a Negotiations Program taught by Professor Lynn Cohn from Northwestern University School of Law and an M & A 101 program taught by Corporate attorneys explaining the mergers and acquisitions process.

In Washington, DC, Summer Associates are given the opportunity to attend lectures on various topics, including the Firm’s practice areas, the Supreme Court term review, local bar-sponsored topics and Voting Rights.  The New York office holds practice group breakfasts led by Firm partners to educate Summer Associates about the work our varied practice groups perform.

In addition, the Washington, DC and New York Summer Associates will travel to the Chicago office to participate in a 1.5 day Deposition Training Program taught by a combination of NITA and Jenner & Block faculty.