Parker Poe has a vibrant Summer Associate Program designed to give law students real-world experience as a practicing attorney. Our summer associates get the opportunity to explore a variety of Parker Poe’s practice areas as they work on projects that are comparable to those assigned to first- and second-year associates. This broad exposure helps summer associates narrow down potential areas of focus as they chart their legal paths. Our summer associates work on a variety of challenging projects alongside attorneys to meet the complex legal needs of some of the largest businesses and local governments in the Southeast. In some cases, they present directly to clients. "I didn’t expect to be able to speak to an actual client, and to do that was great," says a summer associate who traveled to Atlanta as part of a client presentation. "I think what was the most impactful about it was the fact that we actually got to see how our work product played out," adds another summer associate who went on the trip. "Not only did we get to give the client the research they needed, but they actually took the time to explain to us how it fit into the bigger picture."
The Recruitment Process
Parker Poe participates in various on-campus employer programs, resume collections at accredited law schools, and posts on Flo Recruit. Hiring decisions are made on a rolling basis. You may submit an application via Flo Recruit or here. If you have any questions, you can contact Susan Campbell. Parker Poe’s Summer Associate Program is typically comprised of 2L students and a limited number of 1L students.
Work Assignments
Our summer associates work with different attorneys throughout the firm. Projects are assigned based on the summer associate’s interests and practice group needs. It is our goal to provide a broad experience of substantive assignments across different practice areas. Each of our summer associates receive informal feedback throughout the summer and participate in a formal midsummer and end of program review and evaluation process.
Mentorship
Summer associates are paired with a mentor group comprised of a partner, an associate, and a representative from the firm’s Recruiting Committee. Team members also support summer associates in the review and evaluation process.
Personal Engagement
Our attorneys and staff want to get to know our summer associates on a personal level and introduce them to their cities and colleagues in the local legal community. We host a variety of social, professional development, and pro bono activities over the summer to engage with Parker Poe attorneys and the local legal community.
Program Size
Parker Poe is intentional and thoughtful in crafting the size of its Summer Associate Program every year. We bring in as many summer associates as we reasonably believe we may need to support the firm as full-time attorneys upon graduating from law school. Our goal is to transition our summer associates to skilled, dynamic lawyers who become part of the Parker Poe family.
Program Length
Our Summer Associate Program typically lasts eight weeks, beginning in mid-May. Recognizing the importance of varied experiences, we allow summer associates to spend the second half of their summer with another firm. For those who wish to split their summer experience, we require a minimum of 6 weeks with Parker Poe, running from the start of our summer program in May.