Work assignments are made through two full-time summer associate coordinators (one litigator and one corporate associate) who take leave from their regular practice to plan and run the summer program. There is no rigid assignment or rotation system for summer associates. Summer associates who wish to try all areas of practice may do so, or they can specify (at any time throughout the summer) particular areas of work preference.
All summer associates will work with partners, and the firm's "open-door" policy encourages frequent interaction among all lawyers. In addition, each summer associate is assigned a partner mentor. The mentor gives the summer associate his or her mid-summer and end-of-summer reviews, often works with the summer associate, and checks in with the summer associate on a regular basis. There are also many social opportunities to meet partners, including a formal dinner event for partners, summer associates and their guests.
Davis Polk’s commitment to diversity is an integral part of our firm’s history and culture. At Davis Polk, you will find people from an astonishing array of backgrounds. As of 2007, our lawyers come from 47 countries and speak 43 languages. One hundred forty-seven of our lawyers were born outside of the United States. We are pleased to announce that the newly released Vault 2008 Guide to the Top 100 Law Firms has ranked Davis Polk among the top 10 firms nationally in the “Best Firms for Diversity” rankings and among the top five firms nationally in the “Diversity with Respect to Women” rankings.
Summer associates are provided with both a partner mentor and an associate liaison. Both the partner mentor and associate liaison help the summer associate get acquainted with the firm. They get to know the summer associate through work assignments and by attending lunches, dinners and other informal social events.
We give summer associates work that would be appropriate for first and second year associates, including legal research, drafting legal memoranda, court papers and corporate documents, performing due diligence and participating in many other aspects of corporate transactions and litigation matters.
Pro bono work is a regular part of our practice and our lawyers' professional development. The firm employs a full-time pro bono coordinator who disseminates information about pro bono opportunities offered by courts and public interest organizations and assists in staffing these projects. In coordination with the New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, we offer some summer associates paid two–week externships at several different public interest organizations within the city.
Summer associates receive regular feedback from attorneys with whom they work. In addition, two formal evaluations are given by a partner during the summer—a mid-summer review and a final review.
Once a summer associate accepts an offer at Davis Polk, he or she may, so long as his or her stay in the summer program will be at least 10 weeks in the first half of the summer, request a rotation to London, Paris, Frankfurt, Madrid, Hong Kong or Tokyo. (Our overseas offices do not have summer programs independent of our New York and Menlo Park programs, therefore we always send summers from New York or Menlo Park to those offices.) Selection is based on a lottery system, keeping in mind the needs of the other offices and necessary or helpful language skills. During the summer of 2007, 30 summer associates were assigned to a branch office for four weeks; many others worked and traveled domestically and internationally.
Throughout the year we have regular breakfast and lunch presentations on various legal topics for all lawyers. During the summer we also have special presentations and training sessions for the summer associates, and we provide a week of orientation programs for them upon their arrival at the firm. Our intranet has tremendous training resources and general information available to all lawyers.
The firm sponsors many social events for summer associates, ranging from informal lunches and dinners with lawyers, to sporting events and cultural activities. Our 2007 summer events included a dinner party at the Central Park Zoo for all lawyers, sails around Manhattan, walking tours, a dinner at The Plaza, Trapeze School and a softball game at Shea Stadium.
Summer associates who decide to clerk following graduation and who receive an offer from the firm may defer their offer until they complete their clerkship. Credit is given in the salary scale for up to two years of clerkship at a United States federal or state court or Canadian court. Upon arrival at the firm eligible clerks receive a bonus of $50,000 for a one-year clerkship and $70,000 for a two-year clerkship or two one-year clerkships.
Summer associates are required to spend the first eight weeks of the summer at Davis Polk and may start on one of five start dates. For 2008 start dates are: Monday, May 5, Monday, May 12, Monday, May 19, Tuesday, May 27, Monday, June 2.
Students interested in splitting their summer are required to work the first 8 weeks of the summer with Davis Polk. They may then split their summer with another law firm outside of New York City or work within New York City at a government, nonprofit or financial institution.
The recruiting department mails apartment listings to summer associates throughout the winter and spring. We are happy to look at apartments for summer associates arriving from outside the city.
Our 2008 class of 137 summer associates came from 25 different law schools. In 2008 we will interview at approximately 35 law schools and job fairs and review all resumes we receive through other sources. As a whole, our lawyers hail from 119 law schools, 214 colleges and 47 countries.
The compensation package is reviewed annually. Summer associates in the 2008 summer program are paid $3,077 weekly.
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