Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP Careers

Curtis’ Summer Associates are quickly immersed in law firm life, through client projects, training programs and social events. The Summer Associate program is designed to provide Summer Associates with a realistic view of the practice of law in a supportive environment. Our Summer Associates quickly become assimilated through close contact with partners and mentors and involvement in important and interesting client work.

The Summer Associate program, which lasts eleven weeks, starts in mid-May and ends in early August. During the first five weeks of the program, Summer Associates have the opportunity to work in each of Curtis’ departments, including International Corporate, Litigation, Tax, Trusts and Estates, Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights, Intellectual Property and Real Estate. At the mid-summer point, Summer Associates are encouraged to choose a department in which they think they would like to practice.

Summer Associates receive assignments which are carefully selected to correspond with their interests and goals. Throughout the summer, Summer Associates join lawyers in meetings, closings, depositions and court proceedings. Formal training includes lectures, workshops, panel discussions and lunchtime programs on topics such as legal writing, corporate negotiation, depositions, trial practice and current issues in various areas of the law. In addition, each Summer Associate is matched with a partner mentor and an associate adviser, who are available to speak with the Summer Associates about Curtis’ culture, clients, work assignments and work/life balance. Summer Associates attend weekly breakfast meetings which are a forum for discussing assignments with members of the Summer Associate Committee and other Summer Associates.

Curtis’ Summer Associates have numerous opportunities to become acquainted with Curtis’ lawyers and New York City outside of the office. The calendar of events includes dinners and informal gatherings at partners’ homes as well as Broadway shows, sailing trips and Yankees games.

Feedback is a central component of the learning process at Curtis. Summer Associates receive thoughtful comments on their work as assignments are completed and in periodic reviews. Each Summer Associate is given a review at the midpoint and the end of the Summer Associate program. This feedback enables each Summer Associate to develop a realistic sense of his or her performance. At the end of the Summer Associate program, offers of employment are made to Summer Associates based on criteria such as work product, evaluations, reviews and overall compatibility. Historically, Curtis offers permanent associate positions to a high percentage of its Summer Associate program participants. (read less)

Assignments are gathered and distributed to the Summer Associates throughout the course of the program by four assigning associates, two transactional associates who distribute assignments from the International Corporate, Tax, Trust and Estates, Intellectual Property and Real Estate departments and two litigation associates who distribute assignments from the Litigation and Bankruptcy and Creditor’s Rights departments. The assigning associates gather assignments from each of Curtis’ departments and distribute them to the Summer Associates based upon their interests and workloads. Curtis’ Summer Associates are given real assignments and immediately become fully immersed as team members on their cases and deals – including attending meetings, hearings, depositions and closings. Curtis’ Summer Program aims to provide Summer Associates with a realistic picture of what it is like to be an attorney at Curtis. (read less)