Summer Associate Program

Our Summer Associate Program offers law students an opportunity to get to know us and our practice over the course of a summer. Consistent with the Firm's philosophy and practice not to foster competitiveness among associates and summer associates, we hire only that number of summer associates that we anticipate having as full-time associates in the next year. Although there is no guarantee that a full-time position will be available for every summer associate, our expectation is that we will offer positions to all those summer associates who demonstrate the necessary qualities to excel at the Firm. Historically, we have made offers to most of our summer associates for full-time associate positions after graduation from law school, and most of those offers were accepted.

The Summer Associate Program is managed by the Firm's Recruiting Committee. Each summer associate is assigned an attorney mentor who assists the summer associate with everything from initial orientation and career counseling to locating Southfield's best restaurants and entertainment. Summer associates are quickly immersed in the daily functions of the Firm and activities of practicing attorneys. For example, summer associates attend and participate in client meetings, negotiations, closings, depositions, arbitrations and mediations. In addition, they draft business documents, pleadings and research memoranda. Summer associates receive projects from many attorneys involved in different areas of the law, although summer associates' particular preferences are accommodated when possible.

The primary goal of our Summer Associate Program is to get acquainted with our summer associates, personally as well as professionally. The Summer Associate Program includes numerous small-scale and firm-wide social gatherings, including cocktail parties, luncheons and small dinner parties.