Weilcome to Weil, Where the People are the Difference

The first week of the Summer Associate Program is busy, with orientation, social events, and the start of one’s first department rotation.  The number of new faces is exciting, and meeting the rest of the summer class is a lot of fun, but I was still unsure about the work environment and how I would fit in with the more senior associates and partners.  After completing orientation, I headed to my assigned office and awaited my first assignment. 

I was nervous, as this was the first time I was meeting one-on-one with a partner, but I should not have been.  The meeting was informal, lighthearted, and the partner genuinely wanted to know about me and what I wanted to get out of the summer.  The assignment was very interesting, and now I am leaning toward choosing that department.  Most importantly, that partner is someone I have met with multiple times as an informal mentor, and he has been happy to answer questions about Weil, the substance of the law, and even topics unrelated to work every meeting.            

This is not a unique experience.  Everyone I have spoken to has been friendly and welcoming, and I feel they genuinely have my best interests at heart.  Weil does a great job at matching summer associates with formal mentors, like the Summer Siblings, but also providing the opportunity to meet partners and associates with a diverse set of backgrounds and specializations.   While every firm will probably emphasize mentorship, the amount of organic mentorship opportunities and the openness of those possible mentors is what makes Weil different.  It truly has an open door policy.