The Summer Associate Program is the primary, but not exclusive, recruiting source for hiring first year associates at Tydings. Our recruiting for the program begins in the summer, and offers are made for employment several weeks later.
Our goal during the summer program is to provide law students with the experience of what it would be like to be an associate in the firm. We strive to provide each summer associate with broad exposure to our firm's practice areas, while allowing him or her the opportunity to get to know the attorneys in the firm, and to enjoy the unique quality of life at Tydings. At the same time, we seek to provide opportunities for the members of our firm to get to know and evaluate each summer associate as a potential lawyer with the firm. To accomplish our goals, we have designed a summer program that can be divided into five components:
Work Distribution: Our goal is to provide assignments that are both interesting and varied, with specific emphasis on ensuring that each summer associate works with as many attorneys in the firm as possible, and experiences the broad variety of legal areas our firm has to offer. Written work assignments are assigned to summer associates based on four criteria:
- the work load for each summer associate;
- whether the summer associate has previously worked with the assigning attorney;
- whether the summer associate has previously received work in the particular area of law covered by the work assignment; and
- whether the summer associate has expressed an interest in the area of law covered by the work assignment.
Our goal is to ensure that, at any given time during the summer, a summer associate has multiple assignments. We believe that, by maintaining a constant level of assignments, the summer associate's workload will closely parallel that of a junior associate in our firm.
Out of Office Experience: We realize that a summer associate's work experience is limited. The majority of projects of a summer associate are made up of discrete research assignments. Our "Out of Office Experience" component of the summer program is designed to encourage summer associates to attend various legal events outside of the office to observe other aspects of our law practice. Summer associates are invited to attend real estate closings, depositions, witness preparations, trials, as well as other types of activities.
During the summer, a calendar of events is created and updated weekly. The calendar lists legal proceedings and other activities that will be handled by our attorneys during the summer. The summer associates can choose which activities they would like to attend and contact the supervising attorneys directly. The summer associates are, therefore, able to see our attorneys "in the field."
Evaluations: Feedback on work assignments is critical to the Summer Associate Program. After each work assignment is completed, the reviewing attorney completes an evaluation form that evaluates that specific assignment. The completed form is given to the summer associate, who may ask the attorney for a meeting to discuss the evaluation. In addition, each summer associate is evaluated by members of the recruiting committee at the end of the summer.
Mentor Program: One associate is assigned to each summer associate as a "mentor" to see that the summer associate has the opportunity to participate in all aspects of the summer program. The mentor will also be the summer associate's principal contact for general firm matters and orientation.
Social Program: The firm provides activities for the summer associates throughout the summer. We sponsor a variety of social activities, including luncheons, happy hours, and other events to which, in some cases, the entire firm is invited. Our purpose for these activities is to provide each summer associate with the chance to meet our attorneys and staff outside the office setting. It also provides an opportunity for us to get to know our summer associates on a personal basis.
Through the Summer Associate Program we endeavor to provide a realistic working and social experience that will allow us to evaluate our summer associates, and vice versa, on an informed basis.