A Summer of Growth at Weil
As a rising 2L with a packed week of OCI finally behind me, I was ready to begin my round of callbacks and find the perfect firm to call my home for the next summer. I knew that no matter where I accepted an offer, I would be working alongside some of New York’s greatest legal minds in serving distinguished clients from around the world. The question was, how would I utilize my callbacks to determine which firm would be most committed to my growth as an attorney? I decided that I would inquire about each firm’s focus on mentorship. The response I would receive would provide insight into how each firm viewed its obligation toward the success of its associates. After asking my mentorship question at each interview, I heard multiple times about each firm’s commitment to mentoring and their formal mentorship programs. But after listening to similar sentiments for a couple of weeks, no single firm had set itself apart as a place genuinely focused on cultivating and supporting the potential of each individual associate.
When I sat down for my Weil callback, I expected to once again hear the standard response. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised when after asking my question regarding Weil’s approach to mentorship, my interviewer did not feed me the dry sound bite I was familiar with. Instead, he smiled warmly and enthusiastically responded, “I’ll be your mentor!” He went on to discuss Weil’s deep commitment to the growth and success of each of its attorneys. Leaving my callback, I was touched by the sincere investment in my growth that the interviewer had displayed. I knew that Weil was the place I wanted to spend my summer.
Prior to joining Weil, I had heard about its robust mentorship program in which every summer associate is paired with a junior associate “summer sibling” as well as mid-level assignment and social coordinators. In addition, each small cohort of summer associates is assigned several partners. However, seeing really is believing when it comes to the supportive and growth-focused culture found at Weil. In the few days I’ve been here, I already feel valued and trusted. Although I am only a summer associate, I have never been made to feel rushed, and my comments have never been brushed off as inconsequential. On the contrary, partners and associates have continuously taken time out of their busy day to share with me insights on their work and answer any question I have about the firm. One associate in the Private Funds group spent over an hour with me explaining in detail the workings of a large deal she was involved in. The work I have been assigned is substantive and compelling, and is bringing the law alive by allowing me to apply abstract casebook concepts to real world scenarios.
Joining Weil’s summer program was an easy decision for me to make, and one that I have only become more certain in since beginning my work here. I am incredibly thankful for the world-class legal environment in which I am spending my summer, and I intend to take full advantage of each day I am at Weil.