Stinson Morrison Hecker’s successful summer program provides summer associates with opportunities to sample as many of the firm’s practice areas and work with as many of our attorneys as possible. The experience that law students derive from working on our clients’ ongoing cases or transactions is the centerpiece of our program, and is the best way for a summer associate to evaluate what it is like to practice law at our firm. The work typically is not limited to legal research alone. Over the course of the summer, we look for opportunities for summer associates to work directly with attorneys on projects that involve client contact, factual investigations, witness interviews, negotiations, hearings, depositions, trials and the closing of transactions.
During a summer with our firm, a summer associate will have an opportunity to sample the Professional Development Program that is available to the lawyers at our firm. Carl Circo, the Director of the Professional Development Program, will host several sessions designed specifically for the summer associates and will focus on the development of skills that will be beneficial to new lawyers. Additionally, Carl offers summer associates an opportunity to provide him with copies of certain completed work projects so that he can provide (confidentially and separate from the evaluation process) constructive criticism in an effort to hone writing skills.
Though work projects are the central focus of the summer program, we also enjoy the opportunity to have summer associates interact with our attorneys outside the office. Though attendance is not required at any of the events in our summer social schedule, we find that they provide most summer associates an opportunity to get to know more of our lawyers.