Mentorship and Open Door Policy

“Please feel free to stop by my office or call me if you have any question about anything. We are here to help you. Our doors are always open.”

When I interviewed during OCI last year, people often threw buzzwords like “collegial” and “supportive” to describe their firm. Those words are easier said than done. My experiences at Weil have confirmed that they really live up to their commitment to diversity and openness.

Partners and senior associates in the BFR group reiterated the “open door” policy at the group orientation. To be honest, at first I was hesitant to believe that doors are truly open in a fast-paced international law firm like Weil. But my experiences later assured me that people here are truly committed to helping summer associates learn and grow.
I had my first assignment on my second day. It was a research assignment on a specific bankruptcy law issue. For someone like me who has not yet taken any bankruptcy-related class in law school, the assignment was a daunting challenge. I was not familiar with bankruptcy proceedings and did not fully understand what was required of me. I hesitated on whether to ask questions about the assignment. Surprisingly, my assignment coordinator reached out to me and asked how I felt about the first assignment. He kindly invited me to his office and gave me a 20-minute crash course on bankruptcy law. He also explained the background of the case and walked me through different stages of a bankruptcy proceeding. After I left his office, I realized when lawyers at Weil say that their door is always open they really mean it.

I am fortunate to spend the first four weeks of my summer in the BFR group. Even as a summer associate, I feel like I am part of the team. Through trainings, assignments, lunches, pizza and sushi parties, I’ve come to know about many people in the group. They love their job, I’ve learned a lot about bankruptcy law and they are always available for summer associates.