Don’t Become a Cautionary Tale in Your Summer Associate Role

Summer associate roles are starting, and there are some common pitfalls to studiously avoid. This isn’t the “fun” summer internship. You’re well compensated, and it’s the ultimate tryout to land a very prestigious and well-remunerated permanent role.

If, like me, you were kindergarten through JD, with no time in the working world in between, pay extra attention to these rules of the road.

Be considerate of others. Give the utmost respect to everyone from support staff to partners. I’ve heard many a story of the downfall of a prideful, know-it-all summer associate. If you think nobody is paying attention to eye rolls or snide comments to support staff, think again. It’s patently disqualifying and unkind behavior. It’s also ill-advised because support staff know the ins and outs of the practice and may, in a lot of cases, be your strongest allies on tight filing deadlines and when dealing with difficult partners. Make friends with them.

Disconnect digitally. Don’t look at your phone in meetings absent an emergency. I heard of a few summer associates who didn’t get offers last year because they were caught on social media during meetings with partners.

If you’re a first career lawyer, or only took a few years between college and law school, social media has been a part of your life as long as you can remember and it may feel like you were born with an iPhone watching TikTok. But you need to break this habit of looking at your phone in professional environments of all kinds—including group events with your cohort, business lunches, and in casual conversations with higher ups. It’s a no-fly zone. If you do need to be on the phone at any kind of meeting or gathering, explain the context.

Focus on discretion. It’s one of the hallmarks of the industry. Another impact of social media is that we love to share. In the office, you shouldn’t be posting photos or videos, nor should you FaceTime friends. Catch up with your friends after work, and, simply put, honor privilege to the highest possible level. Don’t be caught chatting about a client at a bar—something that happened to a student I was advising.

Don’t drink too much at firm events. You’re so much more likely to stick your foot in your mouth or even make a grievous error if you’re not on your game.

Take good notes. This is one of your highest values, and one of the best ways to learn. While artificial intelligence is doing a lot of this work, so should you. Many learn by writing things down, so it’s a way to trap information in your head. But it also shows that you’re focused and ready to remind other stakeholders what was said and not said.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Think carefully about who to ask these questions to—and whether you can answer them yourself. You are there to learn, but you’re not there to be a pest. If a senior associate can answer the question, start there rather than the head of the group. This is another place where support staff can be extremely helpful as well. Be mindful of who may have time to spare to explain things to you, and who most likely doesn’t.

I was young when I went to law school and graduated when I was barely 25. You may be in the same position. There is a lot to learn just in terms of office protocols and politics, and those lessons may be as important as the lawyering you learn this summer. It’s easy to avoid these traps with discipline, discretion, and good judgment.