Ranked first for Summer Associate Programs that Best Prepare for Practice for second consecutive year, top five for Best Summer Associate Program for third year in a row
Washington, DC – August 1, 2014 – In its annual survey of the top summer associate programs in the country, Vault has once again named Venable LLP as the number one firm for Summer Associate Programs that Best Prepare for Practice. The program also ranked among the top five nationally for Best Summer Associate Program. This is the second consecutive year Venable has achieved the number one spot in the preparedness category and the third consecutive year as a top five overall program.
Citing Venable’s “awesome associates,” “sophisticated clients,” and “great people,” Vault concluded that the firm’s “warm and cordial culture and an open-door policy make Venable a great place to work.”
“The summer associate program continues to be an important recruiting source for the firm and everyone involved works hard to ensure our summer associates get a valuable, hands on experience, “ said partner Sharon A. Kroupa, Venable’s Managing Director of Professional Development and Recruiting. “Vault’s rankings are a testament to everyone across the firm who devote their time and energy to making our summer associates feel like part of the team. And we’re always pleased to learn that our summer associates look back fondly on the experience as well.”
An important source for associate hiring, Venable’s ten week Summer Associate Program is designed to provide a realistic look at everyday life for junior associates. Summer associates receive real work assignments on behalf of real clients ranging from research and memos to presentations for clients. By the end of the summer, a summer associate will have worked on projects for a variety of different practice areas throughout the firm. Additionally, summer associates are encouraged to participate in “take-alongs” which can include attending hearings, spending the day in court or sitting in on transaction closings. Summer associates are also paired with a partner and associate mentor to help them integrate into the firm and are encouraged to spend time with partners whose practice areas are of particular interest to them through the “Take a Partner to Lunch” program. The program strives to maintain a work-life balance through a variety of planned social activities that allow our attorneys and the summer associates to get to know one another.
This year, Vault surveyed nearly 17,000 junior associates (first-years through third-years) who participated in their current firm’s summer associate program. They were asked to rate their experience on a scale of 1 to 10 concentrating on areas such as how well the summer program prepared the associates for life at the firm, and their overall experience. The Overall Best Summer Associate Program ranking reflects the average of these categories.
Vault’s annual law firm rankings—including the Vault Law 100—are considered the “bible” for law students, associates, partners and law firm recruiters, providing a detailed perspective on the criteria considered by candidates when evaluating law firms. Vault’s customers include Fortune 1000 advertisers and recruiters, the country’s top universities and graduate schools, and 8 million consumers worldwide.
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Note: Venable is an American Lawyer Global 100 law firm serving clients globally. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with offices in California, Delaware, Maryland, New York and Virginia, Venable LLP lawyers and legislative advisors serve the needs of our domestic and global clients in all areas of corporate and business law, complex litigation, intellectual property, regulatory, and government affairs around the globe. For more, visit www.venable.com.