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SKILL SHARPENER
Crowell & Moring Makes a Tradition of Summer Associate Public Service Program [by Erica Winter] Crowell & Moring is, by all accounts, a good place to work. Recent accolades of the Washington, DC-based law firm include making Washington Busi-
ness Journal’s list of the 50 Best Places to Work and winning the Constance L. Belfiore Quality of Life Award from the Bar Association of the District of Columbia. For its summer associates, one big op-
from other firms,” says Nelson.
work there.
once, “just like how attorneys work,” says Hoffman.
portunity the firm offers is the chance not to The firm’s staff members tell prospective summer associates about the Public Service
Traditionally, summer associates work-
About one third of Crowell’s summer associ-
Program during the on-campus-interview
ing at law firms (the vast majority of whom
ates take the firm up on its offer to go out
process. If the firm extends a summer as-
are in between their second and third years
into the community, working at public inter-
sociate an offer and the law student accepts,
of law school) are actually on extended job
est organizations for part of their summer
then Hoffman sends each law student a list of
interviews/ networking sessions, hoping to be
stint in the firm’s Summer Associate Public
groups participating in the public service pro-
offered a position at that firm after gradua-
Service Program.
gram. Students who wish to participate then
tion. Does the firm risk “losing” a law student
rank the groups in order of preference.
to the public interest organization down the line?
Crowell’s in-house split-summer program is one of the oldest around, in existence since
When Hoffman receives this information, she
1989. The number of participants varies from
pulls out the students’ resumes and consults
Not really, says Hoffman, although she has
year to year, ranging from three to eleven.
the nonprofit groups to hear their desired
seen program participants realize that public
There are five law students in the program
picks. Then she charts both student and
interest law is the way to go in their careers,
this summer, splitting their time between
group preferences and makes assignments.
rather than firm life. Ascertaining this while
working in the firm’s office and interning at
“I usually try to honor the groups’ choices,”
still a law student is “better than coming to
public interest organizations. Students who
says Hoffman.
the firm and being unhappy,” says Hoffman.
join the program are paid the full summerassociate rate for the whole summer.
The firm does not frown on these changes Students usually spend five weeks with the
of mind. Instead, for those who do receive
public interest group and seven at the firm.
offers and come to Crowell, past program
Unlike similar programs at other law firms,
The exact timing depends on the public inter-
participants have established connections
Crowell’s program has a handpicked list of
est group’s needs, says Hoffman. For exam-
with public interest groups in the area and
public interest organizations for students
ple, because Congress is in recess in August,
want to continue their work with them. “It
to work with, instead of having students
summer associates working at policy-ori-
makes for a richer pro bono practice here,”
find groups on their own. Groups on the list
ented groups like the ACLU start out there in
says Hoffman.
include the ACLU, the NAACP Legal Defense
the earlier summer months. Others, such as
Fund, the State and Local Legal Center, the
those who work with legal aid, start off at the
Program participants are not excluded from
public defender’s office, and legal aid, says
firm and do public interest work at the end of
summer-associate activities or from receiv-
Susan Hoffman, Public Service Partner at
the summer.
ing permanent job offers. Crowell, says Hoff-
While at the firm, summer associates work
summer associates “is pretty high.” In fact,
Having the program coordinated by the firm
on a project-by-project system, says Hoff-
the job-offer rate for program participants is
“took the pressure off” the summer as-
man. The summer associate will request a
slightly higher than for summer associates
sociates, who wanted to find variety in their
certain type of project from the firm’s staffing
who spend the whole summer at the firm,
summers, but may not have been able to pull
coordinator. The student will contribute to
says Hoffman.
a split-summer together on their own, says
that project and learn practical legal skills
current summer associate April Nelson, who
in that area of the law. When the student has
Program alumni rise within the ranks as well.
attends Duke Law. The program is “a real
completed that project, he/she can request
One of the program’s former participants has
opportunity” to be part of the firm for a whole
one in another area and go from there.
made partner.
summer and get public interest experience,
The goal of this system is to have students
says Nelson. Crowell’s program “sets it apart
juggling many projects on several issues at
Crowell & Moring.
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man, is traditional in that the job-offer rate to