Each summer, Dilworth holds its summer program for selected second-year law students with a view towards developing the candidates into future Dilworth attorneys. In this program, you will be given a realistic experience in the practice of law generally and in Dilworth’s culture and practice specifically, which will hopefully assist in enhancing your education and in further defining your career goals.
Structure of the summer program
Our summer program is coordinated by two attorneys, generally a partner and an associate. The attorneys running the program hold regular meetings to update the summer associates on the status of the program, to provide practice pointers and to answer any questions that may arise. To assist in your introduction to the firm, each student is also assigned an associate mentor prior to coming to Dilworth. Your mentor will greet you on your first day and stay in touch with you throughout the summer program.
In keeping with the flexible nature of Dilworth’s practice, students are exposed to both corporate and litigation practice throughout the summer. Work is distributed through an assignment pool system that allocates work based on your availability and, where possible, the areas of law in which you express an interest. The attorneys running the program manage the system to ensure that work is evenly distributed. Assignments are typical associate-level assignments, which may range from the standard research memorandum to preparing arbitration materials, writing portions of briefs and assisting in the formation of business entities.
You will be evaluated by each attorney who assigns you work throughout the summer. Assigning attorneys are encouraged to provide feedback directly to you at the conclusion of an assignment. Dilworth also conducts a formal mid-summer review, which allows you to obtain thorough comments on your progress to date as well as advice for any improvements that might be needed.
Training/development
We endeavor to provide you with opportunities to see what life is like as a junior associate at Dilworth. You will have the opportunity to attend closings, depositions, status conferences, oral arguments, trials, negotiations and other proceedings in which Dilworth attorneys are involved. These opportunities not only provide additional training, but also offer a more realistic view of different areas of practice in which you may have an interest.
Dilworth provides substantive legal training for you during your summer. In the past, Dilworth summer associates attended training sessions covering topics such as effective legal research, contract drafting, and how to structure and write legal memoranda. Summer associates have also taken part in a mock meditation program, each representing a “client” in a contract dispute. In that program, summer associates researched the applicable law, prepared a mediation statement and argued the case in front of Dilworth attorneys sitting as mediators.
Social events
The small size of the program allows you to interact with partners and associates on a regular basis. During the summer, Dilworth holds several social events to allow you to interact with Dilworth attorneys outside of a work setting. Recent events include sailing on the Chesapeake Bay, tours of museums and other cultural institutions, sporting events, lawyer-hosted dinner parties, and meals with different Dilworth practice groups.
Dilworth Paxson LLP is an equal opportunity employer offering employment without regard to race, color, religion, ancestry, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, handicap, disability, age, marital status, status as a veteran or debtor/bankrupt. Dilworth Paxson LLP also complies with all federal, state and local laws prohibiting discrimination. |