Summer Associate Program

Winstead devotes considerable time and resources to identifying candidates who not only excel academically, but who have also demonstrated and exemplified the values and outlook that form the basis of the firm's culture.

Winstead's summer associates are immersed in the firm's work and culture as an important team member from the first day of the program. They participate in the daily activities of Winstead's attorneys, such as attending court hearings, depositions, client conferences and negotiating sessions and closings for business transactions. One of Winstead's primary goals is for each summer associate to experience and understand the day-to-day professional life of a first-year associate at Winstead.

Through a series of formal and informal presentations, summer associates receive a thorough and candid explanation of our vision, mission, core values, management philosophy and policies, the business side of the firm's practice and the relevance and importance of these topics to the associate's career. Summer associates also engage in an open dialogue with attorneys of all levels regarding these topics. Openness and access to information are cornerstones of the program.

Before the program starts, summer associates are assigned to one of Winstead's attorneys as a primary contact and resource within the firm for the remainder of the school year. This contact attorney is available to answer any questions that may arise and will facilitate transition from the classroom to the business environment. During the program, summer associates will be paired with two supervising attorneys (one shareholder and one associate) who will provide guidance through the program and provide assistance and advice on a daily basis.

Before associates arrive at Winstead, they will be asked to designate, with Winstead's assistance and input, the practice areas in which they would like to work during the summer. Associates will work on a broad variety of projects as they rotate through each chosen practice area. In addition to their supervising attorneys, an attorney in each practice area will coordinate the assignment of projects, monitor progress and workload and facilitate completion of timely and thorough evaluations of performance and feedback. During the program, formal performance reviews and development will be conducted as a supplement to the periodic feedback received for each work project. These formal reviews are important to the overall success of the associate's clerkship because they provide the opportunity to make any necessary adjustments and improvements during the program.

Competition among law students often exists in the campus environment. Winstead's Summer Associate Program is, for many students, the first step away from an individually competitive model of success. The size, structure and philosophy of the Summer Associate Program is designed to eliminate any such competition that can sometimes exist among summer associates.

The program is conducted during the first half of the summer. Hiring decisions are made promptly after the program's completion. Associates are encouraged to complete summer break with another firm during the second half of the summer. Winstead welcomes and encourages comparisons between programs and firms and wants associates to make a well-informed choice of employment offers.

The Summer Associate Program begins with an informal two-day off-site orientation program. This event brings all summer associates together with shareholders and associates from each Winstead office. The Summer Associate Program serves to facilitate transition from the classroom to the business environment and helps establish relationships with other summer associates and the firm's attorneys that will last throughout the associate's career. Further, these relationships will prove to be invaluable because teamwork and the resulting collaborative support are essential components of Winstead's practice. Our attorneys are diverse, talented, dedicated and energetic professionals who share a mutual respect for one another. Winstead believes it is essential that its team members relate to each another on a personal level as well as on a professional level. By the end of the clerkship, summer associates will have an excellent understanding of Winstead and its attorneys.

Past summer associates shared their experiences about the Summer Associate Program:

"We would never have had the chance to build these relationships with each other by just being in the office."

"We have learned so much more about the right way to practice law. In school we are taught to be competitive with other students. Here, we are taught how to communicate and how to work with each other as a team."

"The activities took a proactive step in helping us to get to know each other and the attorneys at the Firm. I appreciate that the senior management took the time to coordinate this program. I felt that Winstead is passionate about fostering a good environment for its lawyers and that they really focus on the long-term."

While most summer associates are second-year law students, Winstead invites a select group of first-year students to join the program as well. Please visit Winstead's Campus Interview Schedule or Submit Your Resume.