Parker Poe has a vibrant Summer Associate Program designed to give law students real-world experience as a practicing attorney. Our summer associates get the opportunity to explore a variety of Parker Poe’s practice areas as they work on projects that are comparable to those assigned to first and second-year associates. This broad exposure helps summer associates narrow down potential areas of focus as they chart their legal paths.
Our summer associates work on a variety of challenging projects alongside attorneys to meet the complex legal needs of some of the largest businesses and local governments in the Southeast. In some cases, they present directly to clients.
“I didn’t expect to be able to speak to an actual client, and to do that was great,” says a summer associate who traveled to Atlanta as part of a client presentation.
“I think what was the most impactful about it was the fact that we actually got to see how our work product played out,” adds another summer associate who went on the trip. “Not only did we get to give the client the research they needed, but they actually took the time to explain to us how it fit into the bigger picture.”
The Recruitment Process
Parker Poe participates in various on-campus interview (OCI) programs and resume collections. Decisions are typically made before the end of August. Please contact your career services office to inquire about opportunities to meet with our attorneys. If Parker Poe does not visit your law school for OCIs, you may submit an application here.
If you have any questions, you can contact Margaret Cart, manager of attorney recruitment, or Merrick Parrott and Tim Logan, who chair the firm’s Recruiting Committee. You can also click through the following links to learn more about our firm, our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and our impact in our communities.
Parker Poe’s Summer Associate Program is typically comprised of 2L and 1L students. From time to time, we select 1L students for specific office needs to participate in our experiential program. Annually, our Charlotte office also participates in Mecklenburg County Bar’s Charlotte Legal Diversity Clerkship.
Work Assignments
Our summer associates work with different attorneys throughout the firm and are supported by one attorney in their home office who helps manage their workload and provides guidance. Projects are assigned based on the summer associate’s interests and practice group needs. It is our goal to provide well-rounded and substantive assignments across practice areas. Each of our summer associates also receives informal feedback throughout the summer, as well as formal midsummer and end of the program reviews.
Mentorship
All of our summer associates are paired with a mentor group, which is comprised of a partner, an associate, a legal professional assistant, and a Recruiting Committee member. This team of mentors helps coordinate work, social activities, and administrative needs, and team members are available to answer any and all types of questions.
Personal Engagement
Our attorneys and staff want to get to know our summer associates on a personal level and introduce them to their cities. We host a variety of social activities over the summer to cultivate a sense of community, including annual associate and partner dinners, as well as an event for all summer associates to meet and connect with our diverse attorneys and firm leadership.
Program Size
Parker Poe keeps its Summer Associate Program targeted. We only bring in as many summer associates as we would be able to give permanent offers to at the end of the summer. Our goal is to transition our summer associates to skilled, dynamic lawyers who are part of the Parker Poe family.
Program Length
Our Summer Associate Program typically lasts eight weeks, beginning in mid-May. Recognizing the importance of varied experiences, we allow summer associates to spend the second half of their summer with another firm. For those who wish to split their summer experience, we require a minimum of 6 weeks with Parker Poe, running from the start of our summer program.