The Difference Is in the Details
An invaluable aspect of any summer program is the opportunity for summer associates to meet and cultivate relationships with partners. Indeed, it is common for summer programs to create mentorship pairings between summer associates and partners. Formal mentorships give summers the ability to ask questions they may otherwise feel intimidated to raise, learn more about the business end of the legal industry, and begin building their professional networks.
At Weil, the difference is in the details. For certain social events, Weil divides its summer associate class into six smaller groups, each led by three partners or counsel across various departments who serve on the Summer Program Committee (SPC). These attorneys act as informal mentors for their group of summer associates during the summer program. Because our interactions with the SPC partners occur on a regular basis and in social settings, we are able to build relationships with several partner mentors in both social and professional settings.
Additionally, the Business Finance & Restructuring Department also assigns formal partner mentors to each summer associate who rotates through the group. In total, I will end the summer with not one, but hopefully at least four partner mentors. This format is extremely beneficial to summer associates and it echoes a broader principle I have observed in my time at Weil thus far—the firm believes that relationships matter. The attorneys here do incredible work across every department. But the Weil difference starts and ends with the people. Encouraging summer associates to develop multiple mentorships is just one example of how Weil puts people first.