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Summer Law Associates Have a Pretty Sweet Gig

Law firm job perks include trapeze school, big name musicals, and hiking near Camp David
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A summer job that sends you trapezing and off to see Wicked? Yes please. Photographs of Wicked by Joan Marcus; photograph of trapeze courtesy of Go Adventures

There are few more appealing gigs than being a summer associate at a major Washington law firm. These law students make about $3,000 a week doing client work, helping with pro bono efforts, and taking part in social events hosted by firms in the name of recruiting. Though the recession led many firms to scale back their summer programs, there’s still plenty of fun to be had.

Akin Gump’s lineup for its 17 summer associates includes such relatively modest outings as a Nationals game. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s group of 25 is attending dinners at partners’ homes and riding around DC on Segways. Covington & Burling’s 47 “summers” are hiking near Camp David. And how’s this for budget-friendly? Arnold & Porter’s 25 are dining at Ben’s Chili Bowl.

But there are still over-the-top outings. Latham & Watkins’s 29 are attending trapeze school as well as seeing the musical Rock of Ages at the National Theatre and having cocktails with the cast. Latham has also rented space at Eastern Market for a party with a DJ, catered by popular food trucks including Red Hook Lobster Pound and Curbside Cupcakes. Wiley Rein’s 15 are seeing Wicked at the Kennedy Center and attending a reception at the W Hotel.

Hogan Lovells’ 27 are enjoying a mix of the traditional and the hip. They had a welcome party at Decatur House and are heading to the trendy H Street Country Club for drinks and mini-golf.

This article appears in the July 2011 issue of The Washingtonian. 

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Marisa M. Kashino joined Washingtonian in 2009 as a staff writer, and became a senior editor in 2014. She was previously a reporter for Legal Times and the National Law Journal. She lives in Northeast DC with her husband, two dogs, and two cats.