At Brown Rudnick, our growth strategy includes hiring the best talent. We are committed to running a Summer Associate Program to help us do just that! Below, some questions – and answers – to help you learn more about our firm and opportunities that we offer.

How would you briefly describe Brown Rudnick?

Brown Rudnick is an international law firm with offices in the United States and Europe. We are business people who are lawyers; lawyers who are business people. Across industries and across the globe, we handle the most complex and first-of-their-kind deals, the most sophisticated financial transactions, the most challenging litigation.

What are the leading practice areas?

With an entrepreneurial and collaborative mindset, we offer a broad slate of capabilities and talents in areas that include Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring; Structured, Commercial and Real Estate Finance; Corporate & Transactional; Securities & Corporate Governance; Intellectual Property; Venture Capital & Private Equity; Hedge Funds; Complex Litigation; Real Estate; Energy; Cleantech and Government Law & Strategies.

With what types of clients do you work?

Our clients are public and private corporations, multinational Fortune 100 businesses and start-up enterprises. We also represent investors, as well as official and ad hoc creditor committees in today’s largest chapter 11 cases.

Where is the Summer Associate Program hosted?

We run our summer program in the Boston and New York offices.

How many summer associates do you typically hire?

We anticipate hiring 25+ summer associates for 2009.

What is the duration of the Program?

We typically begin right after the Memorial Day holiday in May and run for approximately 10 weeks.

Do I join a specific practice area for the summer?

No. Our aim is to expose each summer associate to multiple practice areas. We firmly believe that experience with various areas of law will help develop and nurture your legal interests. This approach reflects our firm-wide philosophy that encourages multi-disciplinary client teams and cross-department collaboration.

Will I have the opportunity to conduct pro bono work?

The Brown Rudnick Center for the Public Interest is a measure of the Firm’s strong commitment to the community. The Center serves as an umbrella entity encompassing Brown Rudnick's pro bono legal work, charitable giving, community involvement and public interest efforts. All summer associates can expect to be actively involved in pro bono and community service matters.

As a summer associate, what will the workload be like?

With the goal of replicating a first-year associate’s workload, we challenge each summer associate to accept a wide range of assignments. Typical responsibilities include: research and writing; attending trials, hearings and depositions; participating in client meetings and strategy sessions; conducting due diligence; and, in some cases, directly handling client matters. Each summer associate will also manage at least one significant pro bono client matter.

How are work assignments distributed?

Work assignments are distributed in a variety of ways.  Rather than having assignments delegated by an impersonal “pool” method, we foster the “real life” approach.  This includes encouraging partners and associates to assign matters directly to our summer associates.  This approach fosters strong working relationships and provides each summer associate with the opportunity to receive direct feedback.  The Summer Committee closely monitors work flow on a daily basis -- our number one goal is to provide each summer associate with adequate exposure to a variety of legal areas and assigning attorneys.

Do you offer a mentoring program?

Absolutely! Each summer associate benefits from the mentorship of an experienced Brown Rudnick partner. Mentors provide one-on-one feedback and advice, and help regulate work flow. In addition, each summer associate is paired with a junior Brown Rudnick associate who serves as a “buddy” – someone to help you obtain the “inside scoop” on life as an associate.

What social activities are part of the summer program experience?

At the beginning of the program, all summer associates embark on a special overnight outing that provides a unique class bonding experience. In addition to this kick-off retreat, we sponsor a wide range of social activities including dinners and cocktail receptions, attorney and department lunches, spectator sports such as Red Sox / Yankees games, partner hosted cook-outs, cultural activities such as Broadway shows, cooking classes, team sports such as softball and basketball, and much more. We encourage you to work hard and play hard as a team!

How will I know if my performance is meeting expectations?

In addition to feedback provided by your mentor and buddy, Summer Committee members make sure that all summer associates are provided meaningful feedback on a regular basis. A formal mid-summer evaluation provides structured commentary on each individual’s performance. Our goal is to share tangible and actionable feedback that helps drive the highest levels of success during your summer program at Brown Rudnick.

What are your hiring criteria?

Offers for a summer position reflect the Hiring Committee’s confidence in a candidate’s potential to become a highly skilled lawyer. Desirable characteristics include passionate commitment, creative problem-solving skills, common sense and judgment, adaptability, self-confidence, and strong relationship-building skills.

What is the call-back interview process like?

Following each on-campus interview (conducted by a member of the Brown Rudnick Hiring Committee), we invite a select group of students to participate in call-back interviews. Each call-back interview is held in either Brown Rudnick’s Boston or New York office (we will help facilitate all travel arrangements).

Our call-back interviews are typically 3-4 hours, and you can expect to meet with 4-6 attorneys, including associates and partners. You will also meet with additional members of the Hiring Committee. Following each call-back interview, we circle back with each candidate as soon as possible regarding offer status.

When are offers extended to join Brown Rudnick as a first-year associate?

All summer associates are informed of hiring decisions approximately 2 weeks following the close of our summer program.

Is there a limit to the number of job offers extended at the close of the summer program?

There is no limit to the number of offers we are able to extend to summer associates. The Firm considers the merits of each summer associate’s performance and extends offers to all who meet our criteria.

Will an offer come from a specific department?

When first-year associate offers are extended, each summer associate is asked to rank his/her top three departmental choices and list office selection. Using this information and the needs of the various practice areas, the Firm decides on final departmental assignments and notifies you of the department you will be joining.

What is the salary for a summer associate and first-year associate at Brown Rudnick?

Compensation for all summer associates is equal to that of Brown Rudnick’s first-year associates. Currently, the annual base salary for a first-year associate in New York and Boston is $160,000.