Summer Associate Program

Overview of Summer Associate Program

• Schedule
  • The Summer Associate Program begins on the Monday before Memorial Day. Each participant’s departure date may be tailored to his or her vacation schedule or commencement of the fall semester, as requested.
  
  
• Variety of assignments
  • Assignments are submitted from attorneys throughout the firm via Brouse McDowell’s intranet. The Summer Associate Program Coordinators meet with the summer associates weekly to distribute the assignments. In the beginning of the program, the Coordinators learn whether a summer associate has a preference for a specific area of law. If so, the Coordinators allocate assignments to make sure that each summer associate participates in the work in which he or she is interested. In addition, an effort is made to introduce each summer associate to the various practice areas. During the weekly meetings, the Coordinators monitor each summer associate’s workload to ensure that each summer associate is satisfied with the quality, pace and volume of their assignments.
  
  
• Rotation between Akron and Cleveland Offices
  • The firm provides that each summer associate spends a portion of the summer program working at each of Brouse McDowell’s Akron and Cleveland offices.
  
  
• Mentoring
  • Each summer associate is introduced to a shareholder mentor and an associate mentor. The mentors are available throughout the summer to provide insight and guidance to the summer associate. This formal mentoring structure is complemented by informal mentoring relationships that each attorney is encouraged to develop with the summer associates.
  
  
• Feedback
  • Summer associates are encouraged to meet with the assigning attorney after completing an assignment in order to discuss performance issues. Brouse McDowell also has a formalized system for conducting reviews of summer associates. After a summer associate completes an assignment, the assigning attorney is required to complete a written review of the summer associate’s performance. The Summer Associate Program Coordinators meet with each summer associate in mid-summer to discuss the reviews and to identify possible areas of improvement. Reviews submitted after the mid-summer meeting are discussed at the end of the program, during each summer associate’s exit interview.
  
  
• Compensation
  • For the 2007 Summer Associate Program, law students having completed their second year of law school will be paid $1,538.46 per week of employment.
  
  
• Social Activities
  • Our summer program is more than an introduction to the private practice of law. Receptions, sporting events and other social activities, both formal and informal, introduce participants to the culture of Brouse McDowell and the individuals that make up the firm and serves to foster teamwork among our summer associates.
  
  
• On-Campus Interview Schedules
  • The firm will be interviewing at several law schools this fall for openings in the next summer associate program. On-campus interviews will be conducted at a number of schools, including:
    
    The University of Akron
    Ohio State University
    Cleveland State University
    Case Western Reserve University
    
    In addition, the firm conducted interviews at the 19th annual NBLSA Midwest Regional Minority Recruitment Conference, in August 2006.
    
    Please contact your school’s career placement office for information regarding our next on-campus visit.
  
  

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Qualifications/Criteria for applicants? Successful applicants for summer positions will have outstanding academic performance in both undergraduate and law school and excellent oral and written communication skills.
   
   
2. Number of summer associates in prior classes? In the 2006 summer program, Brouse McDowell had four participants, each of whom completed their second-year of law school in Spring, 2006. Brouse McDowell is scheduled to have four second-year participants for the summer associate class of 2007.
   
   
3. Timing for applications? Second-year students are encouraged to submit resumes in September and October for the following summer program.
   
   
4. Do we hire 1Ls? Brouse McDowell is not currently considering first-year law students for its summer associate program. Interested first-year law students are encouraged to apply for the summer associate program during their second year.
   
   
5. Split summers? On a case by case basis, Brouse McDowell considers accommodating split summer requests.
   
   
6. Offer/acceptance rate? For the summer associate class of 2006, three of the four participants were offered full-time associate positions. All accepted the offers and will begin as associates in September, 2007.
   
   
7. Billable hour requirements? While there is no specific billable hour goal for summer associates, the firm considers the summer associate’s productivity and time management skills (on both billable and non-billable assignments) as part of our evaluation criteria.
   
   
8. How are projects assigned? Assignments are submitted from attorneys throughout the firm via Brouse McDowell’s intranet. The Summer Associate Program Coordinators meet with the summer associates weekly to distribute the assignments. In the beginning of the program, the Coordinators learn whether a summer associate has a preference for a specific area of law. If so, the Coordinators allocate assignments to make sure that each summer associate participates in the work in which they are interested. In addition, an effort is made to introduce each summer associate to the various practice areas. During the weekly meetings, the Coordinators monitor each summer associate’s workload to ensure that each summer associate is satisfied with the pace and volume of their assignments.
   
   
9. Evaluation standards? Summer associates are evaluated based on quality of work product (legal analysis and writing skills), communication skills, time management and productivity levels and team interaction.
   
   
10. Does Brouse McDowell have a minority program commitment? Yes, Brouse McDowell participates in the Midwest Regional Minority Recruitment Conference and actively seeks qualified minority candidates.
    
    
11. What type of social activities are held? Formal receptions, sporting events, dinner parties and other spontaneous festivities are held to introduce summer associates to the personalities and culture of Brouse McDowell.