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Morgan, Lewis & Bockius Shows Pro Bono Commitment from the Start [by Erica Winter] The jobs law students find between their second and third years of law school can affect their careers for decades.
zation or government agency.
says Kraeutler, although summer associ-
in a law firm, which usually pays well; work-
“They’re all encouraged to participate,” says
charitable, and policy organizations. The
The basic choices for a law student’s second
ates are also encouraged to work for arts,
summer are working as a summer associate ing for a nonprofit public interest organiza-
Eric Kraeutler, Chair of the firm-wide profes-
firm’s Philadelphia list includes the AIDS Law
tion, which usually pays nothing; and gather-
sional recruiting committee and partner in
Project of Pennsylvania, the September 11
ing more law school credits in academic
Morgan Lewis’ Philadelphia office. Morgan
Victims’ Compensation Fund, the Philadel-
programs, domestic or foreign, which costs
Lewis’ summer-associate roster is about 80
phia Museum of Art, the Center for Lesbian
the student money.
students, spread among all its offices and
and Gay Civil Rights, and Community Legal
mostly rising third-years. At least a quarter of
Services.
Some students cobble together summers that
those participate in the PICS program every
involve a combination of these options. They
year, says Kraeutler.
In Washington, Morgan Lewis’ summer asso-
Also, Morgan Lewis pays its summer associ-
Arts, National Public Radio, and the National
or between two different firms or between
ates for ten weeks of work—whether the work
Trust for Historic Preservation. In New York,
a nonprofit and a study-abroad program.
is all done at the firm or split between the
some have worked at the Manhattan District
Sometimes, these split summers are coordi-
firm and a nonprofit group. The law student’s
Attorney’s Office; in Los Angeles, at the
nated, with the whole summer paid for by a
stipend is based on the firm’s first-year-as-
Feminist Majority Foundation and the Asian
law firm.
sociate salary, prorated for three months.
Pacific Legal Center. “It’s a very long list,”
“We pay at the top of the market” for each
says Kraeutler, and “often, they have their
A handful of law firms around the country
city where the summer associate is working,
own proposals based on their interests.”
have organized programs that allow some
says Kraeutler.
summer associates to split their time be-
Some firms with split-summer programs
The firm’s representatives tell law students
tween working at the firm and working at a
limit the number of summer associates who
about the PICS program during recruitment.
nonprofit or government organization—while
may participate. Some also preselect the
After the firm accepts its summer associ-
being paid for the whole summer. Because
public interest groups that qualify for the
ates, they receive more information on the
firm programs differ in scope and require-
program. Others do not pay the same rate for
program and how it’s run. In late winter and
ments, we will look at a few of them, along
law students while they do the public interest
early spring of their second year, the firm
with more traditional ways for a law student—
portion of their summer.
helps the next summer’s associates identify
split their summers, for example, between working for a nonprofit and at a law firm
ciates can work at the Kennedy Center for the
the groups where they would like to work and
first- or second-year—to spend the summer. Morgan Lewis offers the PICS program to
set it all up.
All of the summer associates at Morgan,
all the associates hired for the summer and,
Lewis & Bockius are given the opportunity to
for the public interest piece of the summer,
At the firm, summer associates can select
join the firm’s Public Interest and Commu-
allows those participating to choose from
assignments among practice areas in a
nity Service (PICS) program. Law students
a list of suggested organizations in that
particular office. The summer associate will
working at any of the firm’s offices—including
city or propose their own organization. The
“determine the content of her program based
Los Angeles; Miami; New York; Philadelphia;
firm developed the list five years ago at the
on her interest,” says Kraeutler. Then, when
Pittsburgh; or Washington, DC—can opt to
program’s inception.
the summer associates move on to work with the outside nonprofit groups, they usually do
work at least six weeks at the firm, and then the rest of the summer at a nonprofit organi-
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“We put our focus in services to the indigent,”
similar work to what they did in the firm, such
continued on back
SKILL SHARPENER
as legal research, says Kraeutler. The reasons behind the PICS program’s creation at Morgan Lewis are threefold, explains Kraeutler. First and foremost, “it’s consistent with what we view as our mission,” says Kraeutler, of doing pro bono work. The split-summer program is also intended to attract top law students to the firm, which “it has,” says Kraeutler. And those summer associates who choose to participate are “consistent with what we look for” when the firm is hiring, says Kraeutler: law students who are “energetic, with many interests, and care about the community.”
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