New York Summer Program

"Akin Gump is a place with high-quality, sophisticated assignments and where one can really build long-lasting friendships with not just other associates and partners, but with clients. I absolutely feel like the firm cares about keeping the associates happy and well-trained." —New York summer associate

The New York office has grown significantly since we opened in 1993, and our summer program has kept pace with our growing office. Our 2010 summer program had law students from schools such as Columbia, Cornell, NYU, Michigan, University of Pennsylvania and Yale. We view the summer associate program as an important part of our hiring process and expect to fill our first-year associate positions from the ranks of our summer associates.

Summer Pro Bono Scholars Program

The Akin Gump New York Office Pro Bono Scholars Summer Program is intended to be a two-year program (two summers) for top law school students who show a strong interest in making pro bono an integral part of their Akin Gump careers.

Click here for more information about this program.

We are committed to providing our summer associates with the type of work experience that they would find should they join us as associates following their graduation. Our summer associates work on a variety of projects and we collaborate with them to ensure they work on assignments consistent with their goals for the summer. Summer associates have accompanied our attorneys to appellate arguments and other court hearings, depositions, client meetings, closings, negotiations, and drafting sessions.

Legal Assignments

"From the beginning of the assignment, I was involved in conference calls (after working on the assignment for a while, I even got to ask the client questions) and meetings. It was explained to me exactly how my project would fit into the big picture. I was not only doing legal research, but using the research to interpret the loan documents I was reviewing. I got to work closely with two different attorneys who were very good about encouraging me and giving me feedback." —New York summer associate

A variety of assignments are available to our summer associates. Regardless of whether you know which area of law you would like to practice, we work with you to make sure you accomplish your goals of learning about the practice areas that interest you. Two assigning partners coordinate the summer associates' projects throughout the summer. Recent summer associates have worked on assignments that include—

the review and synthesis of complex contracts and in the preparation of a memorandum for presentation to the client analyzing the results of such review, in connection with the negotiation of a $1.7 billion credit facility
the diligence, documentation and submission of a bid by a private equity investor for the purchase of a new portfolio company. Attendance at client meetings and presentations, review of agreements and management of certain aspects of bid submission process
participating in conference calls with clients and banks, drafting of closing certificates, and reviewing and commenting on offering documents in the remarketing of three series of tax exempt securities
preparing a client for an interview by the SEC and assisting with document indexing and drafting of a follow up memo and research
observing aspects of a closing and providing assistance with finalizing documentation in the launch of a new hedge fund
drafting a memo on the scope of liability of a popular chemical compound which has been determined carcinogenic
attending a critical hearing in the confirmation of a cross border bankruptcy case
researching the extent of damages that a jury could reasonably award a well-known public figure for reputational damages
analyzing and reviewing a motion filed in a chapter 11 case and providing a memo to be distributed to the client
researching and drafting a memo for a summary judgment brief for a large public company, involving claims of racial discrimination, malicious prosecution and conspiracy
preparing license agreements arising out of sublease arrangements for hedge fund client in a Real Estate deal
assisting in finding relevant case law to the issues in an appeal of a summary judgment decision and attending the oral argument.

Getting to Know Us

"All of the events gave great opportunities for the summer associates to get to know the firm, the attorneys, the New York office and each other." —New York summer associate

Not only do we want to see what kind of legal work you can do, we also want to get to know you, and we know that you want to get to know us too! With that in mind, we make it a priority to offer many opportunities to meet attorneys at the firm.

We plan our summer associate events to include something for everyone. Past summer program events have included a bowling night, a Broadway show, a Yankee game, a tour of Chinatown and intimate dinner parties at partners' homes. In addition, attorneys and summer associates get together for a variety of impromptu gatherings, and our summer associates are valuable additions to our attorney softball and tennis teams. New York City offers a wealth of great restaurants, ranging from fancy eateries to corner delis, and our proximity to Bryant Park allows summer associates and attorneys to take advantage of casual al fresco dining right in the heart of mid-town Manhattan. We encourage our summer associates to attend our departmental breakfasts and lunches so that they can meet attorneys in all of our departments, as well as learn more about particular practice groups.

Training & Development

"The summer associate training programs and departmental lunches were extremely useful. The training programs really gave us a sense of how our discrete projects fit into a bigger picture, and gave us a chance to experiment with presentation/negotiation styles and techniques. The departmental meetings gave us a real, honest account of life in the department and the status of its work and goals." —New York summer associate

We offer an extensive training program for our summer associates. The main features of the training are three interactive programs for financial restructuring, corporate, and litigation.

Summer associates participate in a financial restructuring training program in which they are presented with a fact pattern of a hypothetical company in financial distress. Summer associates are split into teams representing different constituency groups in the distressed situation and conduct a mock negotiation. This training allows summer associates to actively learn and apply the main concepts of corporate finance, corporate law and bankruptcy law.

The corporate training program introduces summer associates to a single transaction from start to finish. Summer associates learned how M&A transactions are structured, the role of the various participants, how to conduct "due diligence", why confidentiality agreements are used by parties and what goes into the negotiation and preparation of a merger agreement. Summer associates also examined federal securities laws and negotiated various aspects of the transaction which culminated in a mock closing.

The hands-on interactive litigation training session teaches summer associates how to take depositions, examine witnesses and give opening and closing statements, and culminates in a mock trial to be conducted by the summer associates and presided over by experienced Akin Gump trial lawyers. In addition, our summer associates have the opportunity to observe and attend trials, client meetings, depositions, hearings and closings.

Mentors & Advisors

Each summer associate is assigned three mentors. The three tiered mentor program consists of a junior associate, a mid-level associate and a partner. We try to match the mentors and summer associates by interests, law school and/or experiences. The primary responsibility of the mentors is to serve as counselors and professional advisors. Mentors facilitate the summer associates' integration into the social structure of the firm by arranging for attorneys to take the summer associates to lunch, join them at firm functions, acquaint them with our attorneys and staff, and introduce them to the New York City area. In addition to formal mentors, summer associates will acquire a number of informal attorney mentors through their work assignments and social events.

Hiring Criteria

We look for outstanding academic credentials and overall achievement, interpersonal skills and work experience. If you are dynamic, motivated and interested in a sophisticated, rapidly growing office where you will have the opportunity to assume responsibility early on in your career, we encourage you to send your resume to:

Where To Apply

All interested applicants should send a resume and transcript to:
Bryna Beckler-Knoll, Esq.
Attorney Recruiting & Development Manager
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
One Bryant Park
New York, NY 10036
212.872.8063
212.872.1002 (fax)
bbeckler-knoll@akingump.com

top of page

New York Summer Program FAQs

Q: How many summer associates does the New York office plan to have in the 2012 summer program?

A: We are looking for 12-15 summer associates in our 2012 summer program.

Q: What kind of offer can a 1L summer associate in the summer class receive?

A: 1L summer associates may receive permanent offers provided they spend at least two weeks in the New York office during the summer following their second year of law school.

Q: Where do our 2011 summer associates attend law school?

A: Columbia University, Cornell University, New York University, University of Pennsylvania, Yale, Georgetown, Michigan and Cardozo.

Q: Does the New York office allow split summers?

A: Although we encourage students to spend the entire summer program with us, we do consider split summers for 2L summer associates on a case by case basis.

Q: Do summer associates have to pick a particular practice area in the beginning of the summer?

A: No. We encourage our summer associates to explore opportunities in a variety of practice areas throughout the summer. In addition, we host weekly summer associate breakfasts and lunches at which many of the firm's section managers give informal presentations about their practice areas and the profession.

Q: How do the summer associates get to know the attorneys?

A: We offer many opportunities for our summer associates to get to know our attorneys throughout the summer. This past summer we had a variety of events including a Broadway show, a bowling evening, a Yankee game and intimate dinner parties at various partner's homes. Summer associates are also encouraged to go out to lunch or coffee with attorneys in the office to get to know them better.

Q: Who coordinates work assignments?

A: We have assigning partners who coordinate summer associate assignments. It is the responsibility of the assigning partners to insure that summer associates receive a variety of projects across all of our practice areas.

Q: Do summer associates have the opportunity to work on Pro Bono assignments?

A: As an integral part of our summer program, Akin Gump has a Summer Pro Bono Program that is specifically tailored to summer associates. Taking advantage of our relationships with numerous legal services organizations, Akin Gump identifies and accepts pro bono projects that are well-suited to the interests and talents of our summer associates. The assignments are geared to maximize front-line responsibility on the part of the summer associates while ensuring that they receive appropriate supervision from experienced attorneys. Through this unique program, recent summer associates gained invaluable experience and some notable victories for pro bono clients, including—

assisting in an action brought by the parents of an autistic child against a school district that was found to have an illegal policy of refusing to provide any disabled child with a highly effective therapy methodology in violation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
assisting with analyzing critical issues in terrorism cases for a White Paper on prosecuting terrorism defendants in U.S. courts. A team of summer associates reviewed indictments, sentencing memoranda, and other case materials, compiled statistics on conviction rates and other figures that are central to the Paper's analysis, and observed television appearances and press calls by Akin Gump attorneys in connection with the Paper's publication
drafting a political asylum application for a foreign scholar who is at risk of persecution in his home country
assisting in drafting a brief on the merits of a Supreme Court Case addressing prosecutorial immunity
conducting research on issues related to representation of domestic abuse victim in a contested divorce
representing women in applying for legal status under the Violence Against Women Act.

Q: What kind of evaluation procedures does the New York office have to evaluate summer associate work?

A: Each project on which a summer associate works is evaluated by the attorney(s) who supervises the work. These evaluations are reviewed by the assigning partners and hiring partner so that they can monitor each summer associate's performance. In addition, there is a formal mid-summer review for each summer associate as well as an exit review.

Q: What are the hiring criteria for summer associates?

A: We look for outstanding academic credentials, law review/journal membership or another indication of strong writing skills, moot court, previous work experience, excellent interpersonal skills and extracurricular activities demonstrating leadership abilities. We seek well-rounded, intelligent individuals.

Q: How are hiring decisions made for summer associate candidates?

A: Each interviewer completes an evaluation, which includes his/her assessment of the candidate's academic achievement, work experience, and other factors that indicate a successful match with our office. The Hiring Committee then weighs the criteria and makes a final decision.

Q: How long after a candidate interviews in the New York office should he/she expect a hiring decision?

A: During the Fall interviewing season our Hiring Committee meets on a weekly basis and decisions are made in a timely manner. Candidates who receive an offer will be notified by phone and letter.

Q: What law schools does the New York office visit for on-campus interviews?

A: During the 2012 fall interviewing season, we will interview at Columbia, Cornell, Georgetown, Harvard, New York University, University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania and University of Virginia. The New York office also reviews the resumes of write-in applicants and resume drops from Brooklyn, Cardozo, Duke and Fordham.

Q: What is the salary for summer associates?

A: The 2011 summer associate salary was $3,077 per week. This amount is based on the first-year associate salary of $160,000.

Q: Do you hire 1Ls for your summer program?

A: This decision is made at the end of our Fall recruiting season and depends on the number of 2Ls we have for the summer program.

Q: How large is the New York office?

A: Currently, there are approximately 210 attorneys practicing in the New York office.

New York Office First Year Associate Hiring

Q: Are associates hired for a specific practice area?

A: Yes.

Q: What is the salary for first-year associates starting in the Fall of 2011?

A: Currently, our first-year associate salary in the New York office is $160,000.

Q: Who should I contact with questions about the New York summer program or to apply?

A: Applications for all summer associate positions should be addressed to:
Bryna Beckler-Knoll, Esq.
Attorney Recruiting & Development Manager
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
One Bryant Park
New York, NY 10036
212.872.8063
212.872.1002 (fax)

Akin Gump's employment practices are practiced without regard to applicants' age, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, religious creed, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability unrelated to the job to be performed or any other basis of discrimination prohibited by law.