Law Students

Summer Associate Program

Our Summer Associate Program gives law students a glimpse into what it is like to work at Robinson+Cole as a junior associate. Our summer associates work closely with accomplished attorneys and are exposed to a broad array of practice areas during their time at the firm. Our program begins after Memorial Day and runs for eight weeks in our Hartford office. During our summer program, we provide challenging work, mentoring, opportunities to socialize and in depth orientation and training to give our summer associates the foundation they need to succeed. Our goal is for each of our summer associates to gain the essential skills for a long and successful career.

Mentoring

Each summer associate is assigned to both a partner and an associate mentor. Mentors are responsible for answering any questions the summer associate may have, as well as introducing the summer associate to life at Robinson+Cole.

Work Distribution Process

Our summer associates are active participants in the work distribution process. We provide each summer associate with a few assignments to get the summer started, after that, summer associates are encouraged to reach out to attorneys and ask for work in practice areas where they have an existing or burgeoning interest. This autonomy allows summer associates to begin shaping their legal careers from the moment they begin working at the firm.

Training

Once you are here we want you to excel. Robinson+Cole provides in depth training for our summer associates so they will have all the tools they need for a productive and successful summer. Our training program includes:

  • Three day orientation including time keeping procedures, systems overview and a writing seminar;
  • Opportunities to shadow attorneys during hearings, depositions, closings and client meetings;
  • Practice group luncheons;
  • Direct feedback from supervising attorneys; and
  • Mid-summer and end-of-summer formal evaluations.

Socializing

Summer associates are invited to a variety of social events throughout the summer. The events may range from an evening of pizza and bowling to a community service event, to more formal events such as a welcome reception, attendance at a sporting event, or a theatrical performance. Summer events are not only a lot of fun, they provide our summer associates with an opportunity to get to know our attorneys and staff outside of the office setting. During these events, it becomes clear why at Robinson+Cole our greatest asset is our people.

Summer Associate Hiring Criteria

Our summer associates have exceptional academic backgrounds, display a high intellectual capacity and demonstrate a commitment to practicing law at the highest level. Participation in law review, journals or moot court as well as prior work experience are also factors that are carefully considered during the hiring process. In addition, we look for students who exhibit maturity, strong leadership skills, sociability and other strengths that will allow them to grow and prosper at Robinson+Cole.

On-Campus Interview (OCI) Program

During the fall on-campus interview recruiting season, Robinson+Cole attorneys visit and accept resumes from a number of law schools. OCI is our primary source for summer associate candidates. Schools and job fairs we visit include:

  • Boston College Law School

  • Boston University School of Law

  • Cornell Law School

  • Fordham University School of Law

  • Howard University School of Law

  • Lavender Law Career Fair

  • New England Interview Program

  • Northeastern Black Law Students Association (NEBLSA) Job Fair

  • Northeastern University School of Law

  • Pace University - The Elizabeth Haub School of Law

  • Quinnipiac University School of Law

  • University of Connecticut School of Law

  • Washington University School of Law in St. Louis

  • Western New England University School of Law

We hire most of our summer associates through formal law school OCI programs. If you are interested in a summer associate position with R+C and we do not collect applications through your law school's OCI or resume collection processes, we encourage you to apply directly.

Click here to apply for a 2024 summer associate position.

 

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