How would you briefly describe Brown Rudnick?

Brown Rudnick is an international law firm with offices in the United States and Europe. We are business people who are lawyers; lawyers who are business people. Across industries and across the globe, we handle the most complex and first-of-their-kind deals, the most sophisticated financial transactions, the most challenging litigation.

With an entrepreneurial and collaborative mindset, we offer a broad slate of capabilities and talents in areas that include Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring, Structured & Commercial Finance, Corporate & Securities, Intellectual Property, Venture Capital & Private Equity, Complex Litigation, Real Estate, Energy, Health Care and Government Law & Strategies. Our clients are public and private corporations, multinational Fortune 100 businesses and start-up enterprises. We also represent investors, as well as official and ad hoc creditor committees in today’s largest chapter 11 cases.

Our growth strategy includes hiring the best talent and we are committed to running a Summer Associate Program to help us do just that!

Where is the Summer Associate Program hosted?

Brown Rudnick's summer associates are based in our Boston and New York offices. Each summer associate is given the opportunity to visit and work out of the other office (i.e. Boston summer associates travel to NY and NY summer associates travel to Boston).

How many summer associates do you typically hire?

In 2007, Brown Rudnick had 23 men and women participating in our summer program. We are planning a larger program in 2008 and anticipate a class size of 19-20 in Boston and 9-10 in New York.

What is the duration of the Program?

We typically begin shortly after the Memorial Day holiday in May and run for approximately 10 weeks.

Do I join a specific practice area for the summer?

No. In fact, at Brown Rudnick we aim to expose all summer associates to multiple practice areas. We firmly believe that exposure to various practices will help develop and nurture your legal interests. This approach reflects our firm wide philosophy to encourage multi-disciplinary client teams and cross-department collaboration.

What can I expect to work on as a summer associate?

With the goal of replicating a first year associate’s workload, we challenge each summer associate to accept a wide range of assignments. Typical responsibilities include: research and writing; attending trials, hearings, and depositions; participating in client meetings and strategy sessions; conducting due diligence; and, in some cases, directly handling client matters. Each summer associate will also tackle a pro bono client matter.

How are work assignments distributed?

Rather than having assignments delegated by an impersonal “pool” method, we opt to use the “real life” approach and encourage all partners and associates to assign matters directly to our summer associates. This fosters strong working relationships and provides each summer associate with the opportunity to receive one-on-one feedback. In addition, our Summer Committee members monitor individual work flow and help guide distribution of assignments to ensure adequate exposure to a variety of projects.

Do you offer a mentoring program?

Absolutely! Each summer associate benefits from the mentorship of an experienced Brown Rudnick attorney. Mentors provide one-on-one feedback and advice, and help regulate work flow. In addition, each summer associate is also paired with a junior Brown Rudnick associate who serves as a “buddy” – a resource to help you obtain the “inside scoop” on life as an associate.

Will I have the opportunity to conduct pro bono work?

The Brown Rudnick Center for the Public Interest is a measure of the firm’s strong commitment to the community and serves as an umbrella entity encompassing Brown Rudnick's pro bono legal work, charitable giving, community involvement and public interest efforts. All summer associates can expect to be actively involved in pro bono and community service matters.

What social activities are part of the summer program experience?

At the beginning of the program, all summer associates embark on a special overnight outing that provides a unique class bonding opportunity. In addition to this kick-off retreat, we sponsor a wide range of social activities including: dinners and cocktail receptions; attorney and department lunches; spectator sports such as Red Sox games; partner hosted cook-outs; cultural activities; cooking classes; team sports such as softball; and much more. We encourage you to work hard and play hard as a team!

How will I know if my performance is meeting expectations?

In addition to feedback provided by your mentor and “buddy,” Summer Committee members make sure that all summer associates are provided meaningful feedback on a regular basis. A formal mid-summer interim evaluation provides guidance on each individual’s performance. We aim to share tangible and actionable feedback to ensure a rewarding second half of the summer.

What are your hiring criteria?

Offers for a summer position or first year associate reflect the Hiring Committee’s confidence in a candidate’s potential to become a highly skilled lawyer. Desirable characteristics include: passionate commitment; creative problem solving skills; common sense and judgment; adaptability; self-confidence; and strong relationship-building skills.

Can you describe the call-back interview process?

Following each on-campus interview (conducted by a member of the Brown Rudnick Hiring Committee), we invite a select group of students to participate in call-back interviews. Each call-back interview is held in either the Boston or New York offices of Brown Rudnick (the firm will work with each candidate to facilitate all travel arrangements).

Our call-back interviews are typically 3-4 hours long and you can expect to meet with 4-6 attorneys, including associates and partners. You will also meet with additional members of the Hiring Committee. Following each call-back interview, we aim to circle back with each candidate as soon as possible regarding offer status (usually within two weeks).

When are offers extended to join Brown Rudnick as a first year associate?

All summer associates are informed of hiring decisions approximately 2-3 weeks following the close of our summer program.

Is there a limit to the number of job offers extended at the close of the summer program?

There is no limit to the number of offers we are able to extend to summer associates. The firm considers the merits of each summer associate’s performance and extends offers to all who meet our criteria.

Will an offer come from a specific department?

When first year associate offers are extended, each summer associate is asked to rank his/her top three departmental choices and list office selection. Using this information, and the needs of the various practice areas, the firm decides on final departmental assignments and notifies you of the department you will be joining.

What is the salary for a summer associate and first year associate at Brown Rudnick?

Compensation for all summer associates is equal to that of Brown Rudnick’s first year associates. Currently, the annual base salary for a first year associate is $160,000.