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Summer Associate Jobs

What summer associate positions actually pay, how OCI works for landing one, the firm tiers and offer-conversion math, and what the summer itself looks like.

Last updated: June 2026.

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Firm Tiers + Pay Structure

Pay is largely uniform at the top end (Cravath-scale matching) but recruiting competitiveness varies dramatically.

V10 (top 10 firms by revenue)

Examples: Cravath, Sullivan & Cromwell, Wachtell, Skadden, Latham, Kirkland

Pay: ~$4,400/week (matches Cravath scale 1st-year associate pay)

Offer rate: 85-95% summer-to-full-time offer rates in normal years

Notes: Most competitive OCI. Median 1L GPA ~3.65+ at top schools; ~3.85+ for schools outside T14. Heavy emphasis on grades, journal, and clerkship interest.

AmLaw 50

Examples: DLA Piper, Sidley, White & Case, Mayer Brown, Hogan Lovells, Paul Hastings

Pay: $4,400/week (match Cravath) or ~$4,200/week (slight discount)

Offer rate: 80-95% in normal years

Notes: Less brand-name competitive than V10 but full Cravath pay at almost all of these. Considered the broadly accessible BigLaw tier for top-half-of-class students at T14 schools or top-quarter at T20-50 schools.

Mid-market BigLaw

Examples: Regional powers (Vinson & Elkins, Bracewell, McDermott, Fragomen, Jenner & Block, Cooley regional offices)

Pay: $3,500-4,400/week depending on firm

Offer rate: 75-90%

Notes: Often regionally focused. Houston, Atlanta, Dallas, DC have strong markets. Cravath-matching is becoming standard at AmLaw 100; mid-market firms pay competitively for their specialty.

Litigation boutiques (specialty)

Examples: Susman Godfrey, Bartlit Beck, Williams & Connolly, Boies Schiller Flexner, Hueston Hennigan, Kellogg Hansen, Keker Van Nest

Pay: $3,800-4,400/week (often premium over Cravath)

Offer rate: Variable; some never miss

Notes: Smaller summer classes (10-30 vs. 50-200 at V100). Higher bar for entry but disproportionately strong career outcomes. Strong fit for clerkship-bound students. Wachtell, Jones Day, and other V10 / large full-service firms are NOT boutiques even though they're elite or selective — they're full-service BigLaw.

What to Expect During the Summer

Real work, but lighter than full-time associates.

Summer associates do real assignments — research, drafting, due diligence — but typically 40-50 hours/week vs. 60-80 for full-time. The point is to evaluate fit, not to bill maximum hours.

A lot of social events.

Lunches, dinners, partner-hosted gatherings, recruiting events. These are evaluated; behave like you're at a (slightly nicer) job interview every time. The first BigLaw summer-class horror story is always 'I drank too much at the firm dinner'.

Rotations across practice groups (at most firms).

You'll typically rotate through 2-3 practice groups to see which fits. Most firms let you state preferences and try to accommodate. Some have you commit to a group on day one.

An assignment system or mentor pairing.

Larger firms have formal assignment coordinators who push work to summer associates. Smaller firms pair each summer with a specific partner or senior associate.

An offer at the end (mostly).

85-95% summer-to-full-time offer rates in healthy markets. If you do the work well, behave professionally at social events, and don't have a major issue, you'll almost certainly get an offer. If you don't, it's typically a serious red flag and the firm will have given clear signals before the formal decision.

Recruiting Timeline

From 1L spring through 2L offer decisions. The big mistake is treating OCI as an August-only effort.

1L spring

Build target-firm list (20-30). Update resume to highlight 1L summer plan. Identify journals, moot court, and student org leadership that would strengthen application.

Summer before 2L (1L summer)

Use OCI guides (NALP directory, your career office). Research firms by practice group and culture. Outline cover letter template you can adapt per firm.

Early August (2L start)

OCI bidding opens. Most schools cap bids; allocate to a mix of reach, target, and safety firms. Attend any firm receptions on campus.

Mid-late August (OCI week)

20-minute screening interviews on campus. Schools front-load 10-15 interviews/day for top bidders. Practice common questions; have stories ready for resume bullets.

Late August - early September

Callback interviews — half-day or full-day at the firm. Multiple back-to-back 30-min interviews with associates and partners. Behavioral questions + 'walk me through your resume' + practice-area interest.

September - November

Offers extended on rolling basis. Most firms give 2-4 weeks to decide. Stipulate questions are normal — never accept without negotiating start date if needed.

FAQ

What does a summer associate make?+
BigLaw summer associates earn prorated first-year associate pay. At Cravath-scale firms in 2026, that's about $4,400/week ($225,000/year prorated). Smaller AmLaw 100 firms typically match or come within $100/week. Mid-market firms pay $3,500-4,400/week. Most summer programs run 8-10 weeks, so a typical 2L summer income is $35,000-$45,000 pre-tax. See our Cravath Scale guide for current first-year rates and which firms match.
How does OCI work?+
OCI (on-campus interviewing) is the recruiting process for 2L summer associate positions. It happens in August before 2L year, based on 1L grades and resume. The flow: (1) bid on firms through your school's system, (2) attend 20-minute screening interviews at school in August, (3) selected candidates get callback interviews at firm offices (half-day to full-day with multiple interviewers), (4) offers extended on rolling basis through September-November. Most schools cap bids at 25-50 firms.
What grades do I need for BigLaw summer associate?+
Highly school-dependent. At T14 schools, top 35-45% of class is a strong baseline for V100. Outside T14, you typically need top 10-20% for major BigLaw. Schools outside T20 face steeper grade requirements. Specific firm requirements vary — some are pure GPA-driven (Wachtell, Cravath), others weight clerkship interest, journals, and practice-area fit (Sidley, Skadden, Latham). Your career services office has the median GPA for each firm's interviews from your school — ask.
What's a summer-to-permanent offer rate?+
The percentage of summer associates who receive offers to return as first-year associates after graduation. In healthy markets, 85-95% at most BigLaw firms. NALP publishes these numbers annually; ask your career office or check NALP directly. A firm with an offer rate below 80% in a normal year is a signal — it could mean recruiting culture issues or recent layoffs. A firm consistently at 95%+ means doing competent work all summer practically guarantees the offer.
What's the difference between a 1L summer associate and 2L summer associate?+
1L summer associate programs are very rare — only a handful of BigLaw firms offer them, usually as diversity fellowships or sub-2-week programs. Compensation is similar to 2L rates but the convert-to-full-time pipeline is different (1L summer associate doesn't automatically convert; you still go through OCI). 2L summer associate is the standard path — most BigLaw recruiting is 2L summer leading to a return offer for post-graduation full-time. The 2L summer is the canonical 'summer associate' experience.
How many hours do summer associates work?+
40-50 hours/week typically. Less than full-time associates (60-80 hours/week common at BigLaw). The point of the summer is mutual evaluation, not maximum billable hours. Some firms protect summer hours formally; others let supervisors push work as they would for any associate. If you're working 70 hours/week in week 3 of a summer program, that's a flag — either the firm's culture is unhealthy or you're being signaled to leave.
Can I decline a summer associate offer for another firm?+
Yes, but follow professional norms. NALP has standards for offer-acceptance timelines (typically 4 weeks to decide). If you have multiple offers, you can ask one firm for extensions if needed. Be honest about your timeline — firms know students compare offers. The mistake is stringing along a firm for weeks, then declining at the last minute with vague reasons. Decline cleanly, professionally, and the firms will remember you positively if you ever consider them later.

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