Your Journey Starts Here

Where and how you spend your law school summers can have a big impact on your legal career. If you are looking for a firm that values academic excellence, leadership, curiosity, and innovation consider DWT. As a summer associate, you’ll experience diversity in your work and engage in stimulating assignments. Your mentors will be industry leaders who are invested in your growth and success. The Summer Associates Program is rich with activities and trainings designed to integrate you into the fabric of the firm.

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1L Diversity Scholarships

Our 1L Diversity Scholarship Program is one significant way to help us advance diversity in the legal profession. We are offering four scholarships in the following offices in 2023: Los Angeles (1), Portland (1), Seattle (1), and Washington, D.C. (1). As a 1L Diversity Scholarship recipient, you will receive a paid position in our Summer Associate Program and $15,000 for your second year tuition and expenses.

Criteria

Our Diversity Scholarships are open to first-year law students who are:

  • Committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive legal profession; and
  • Committed to practicing law after graduating law school in the location in which they are applying.

Students with backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in the practice of law are highly encouraged to apply.

To Apply

Our online application site for the 1L Diversity Scholarships opens in early December, and your application must be received by 11:59 pm PST on January 8, 2023 to be considered. We will review and interview candidates on a rolling basis. To apply, you must submit your documents online via our application site (we will not accept applications via email). Please make sure your contact information is current and that your voicemail can receive messages. You will need the following documents ready to upload for your application:

  • Current Resume*
  • Cover letter (please indicate your connection to Seattle in the letter and address to Sandra Morriss, Manager, Law Student Talent Acquisition)
  • Personal Statement**
  • Legal writing sample, not heavily edited by a third party (generally 5-10 pages)
  • List of three references (one of whom is qualified to comment on your law school work)
  • Complete undergraduate transcripts (unofficial copies are acceptable)
  • Law school transcript for fall term (unofficial copy is acceptable)***

* Please upload your resume in Word format so our application system may extract your information accurately when creating your submission. On the following page, you edit any information extracted and add additional documents before finally submitting your application.

**Your personal statement should help us learn more about you. Topics can vary widely and may include: how diversity is a driving factor for you, how you currently contribute to a diverse community and how you hope to do so in the future, what you would like us to know about you that is not in your resume and cover letter, or how your personal experience shaped your perspective on diversity. Your personal statement should be no more than one page, single-spaced, and 12-point font. Please include your name in the header but do not address your personal statement to anyone.

***If your transcript is not currently available, please submit your application without it. You will receive a follow-up email by mid-January with a link and instructions for submitting it online.

1L Patent Prosecution Summer Associate

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is accepting applications for a 1L Patent Prosecution Summer Associate in our Seattle office. The first year student selected to fill this role will join the Summer Associate Program and work closely with DWT’s Patent Prosecution team.

Criteria

Our 1L Patent Prosecution Summer Associate position is open to first-year law students who:

  • Have a technical background and an interest in patent prosecution;
  • Are patent bar eligible with an electrical engineering, mathematics, or computer science background;
  • Are committed to practicing in Seattle after law school; and
  • Have work experience with electrical and/or software engineering in the software industry (a plus)

Students with backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in the practice of law are highly encouraged to apply.

To Apply

Our online application site for the 1L Patent Prosecution Summer Associate position in the Seattle office opens in early December, and your application must be received by 11:59 pm PST on January 8, 2023 to be considered. We will review and interview candidates on a rolling basis. To apply, you must submit your documents online via our application site (we will not accept applications via email). Please make sure your contact information is current and that your voicemail can receive messages. You will need the following documents ready to upload for your application:

  • Current Resume*
  • Cover letter (please indicate your connection to Seattle in the letter and address to Sandra Morriss, Manager, Law Student Talent Acquisition)
  • Personal Statement**
  • Legal writing sample, not heavily edited by a third party (generally 5-10 pages)
  • List of three references (one of whom is qualified to comment on your law school work)
  • Complete undergraduate transcripts (unofficial copies are acceptable)
  • Law school transcript for fall term (unofficial copy is acceptable)***

* Please upload your resume in Word format so our application system may extract your information accurately when creating your submission. On the following page, you edit any information extracted and add additional documents before finally submitting your application.

** If your transcript is not currently available, please submit your application without it. You will receive a follow-up email by mid-January with a link and instructions for submitting it online.

2L Opportunities/On-Campus Interviews

DWT accepts applications for 2L Summer Associate opportunities during the summer between 1L and 2L year. Exact application window dates and applicant criteria will be announced in spring 2023.

OCI & JOB FAIR SCHEDULE

We are excited to participate in On-Campus Interviews and Job Fairs in 2023. The full list schools and fair programs we will join will be available in spring 2023.

In recent years we have participated in the Lavender Law Career Fair, Northwest Minority Job Fair, NYU Global Virtual Event, Patent Law Interview Program, and Southern Region of the Black Law Students Association (SRBLSA) Career Fair. We have also interviewed students through OCIs at Howard University School of Law, Lewis & Clark Law School, Seattle University School of Law, University of California – Hastings College of Law, University of Oregon School of Law, University of Washington School of Law, and Willamette University College of Law.

Summer Associate FAQ

When and how do I apply for a summer associate position?
1Ls: We accept applications for our 1L Diversity Scholarships beginning in early December. The application deadline is usually in early January and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. The offices hiring 1Ls vary by year. Check the position listings in early December for availability.

2Ls: We accept applications for 2L Summer Associate positions during June and July 1L summer through our website or via On-Campus Interview programs. We are not able to visit every law school for OCI so, if DWT seems to be a good fit for you, we encourage you to apply online (please do not email us your application). Typically half of our summer class is made up of students who have sought us out directly.
Which offices participate in the summer associate programs?
We will have summer associates in most of our offices: Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; Portland, OR; San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA; and Washington, D.C. All of these offices will have 2L Summer Associates, but only the Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, and Washington DC offices will recruit for a 1L Diversity Scholar this season.
How long will it be before I hear from DWT?
It depends on the opportunity, but we strive to notify students about application status changes as soon as possible. 1L Diversity Scholarship applications are reviewed as we receive them in December and early January but candidates may not be contacted for interviews immediately given holiday schedules. For 1L Diversity Scholarship applicants, we anticipate most interviews will take place in January though some initial interviews could be conducted earlier. 2L Summer Associate applications are reviewed in June and July, and we typically begin initial interviews in July with second round “callback” interviews beginning in August. The Hiring Committee makes every effort to contact candidates soon after the callback interview. This committee meets on a regular basis during the recruitment season, but because we have a high volume of applicants, the wait time can be a couple of weeks during interview season. If you have completed the second round of interviews, we welcome periodic check-ins on the status of your candidacy. We strongly encourage you to keep us informed of any timelines for offer you may receive while you are being considered by us.
How does the interview process work?
  • Initial: A candidate will meet with one or two people via video and the meeting will take up to an hour.
  • Callbacks/Second round: Pre-COVID, these took place in our office and usually involved meeting 6-8 people. Currently, we will conduct second round interviews by video and they may last up to 3 hours with a few breaks in between.
What should I wear?
The dress code for interviews is business professional though attorneys with whom you meet may be dressed more casually. Once you are a summer associate, we adhere to business casual
What is the length of the summer program?
The summer program is typically 10 weeks and runs from June to August. Exact start and end dates will be shared with the summer class in the spring.
Can I split my summer with another firm?
In order to give you the best possible chance at an offer, we do not recommend splitting your summer with another firm.
What kind of work will I get?
If the work is there and you want to try it, it’s yours! We do not have a rotation so you are able to take any work that is available from any group practicing in the office in which you are working. We pride ourselves on offering you with opportunities that give you a real glimpse of what it is like to practice at DWT. Some summer associates have assisted with trial prep, attended client meetings, worked directly with partners, attended depositions, etc. We also encourage summer associates to work on pro bono projects, which often results in direct client contact and courtroom experience.
What kind of training will there be?
The training you will receive through the Summer Associate Program will be impactful! You will gain exposure to each practice group, attend litigation writing and transactional drafting seminars in addition to having access to a writing advisor and your mentors. Additionally, summer associates are invited to attend various training programs delivered by our Professional Development department as well as training and meetings hosted by practice groups. And of course, you will also learn a great deal of on-the-job training by collaborating in small client teams doing real work and getting real feedback.
Will I have a mentor, secretary and an office?
We will assign an associate and a partner mentor for you over the summer as well as an assistant. You will also be assigned an office, though some of our locations are nearing capacity, so we ask for your flexibility as we may need to reserve temporary office space for you during the summer in some cases. Growth is a good problem to have!
What kind of summer associate events do you offer?
Social events vary by office and whether the program is in-person or virtual, but a few events from year’s past include: riddle trivia night, sailing, baseball games, group dinners, Puzzle Escape, karaoke, concerts, happy hours, a cooking party, and lots of coffee dates!
Who are we looking for?
We value great writing skills and academic excellence, but know that true success is determined by personal characteristics that cannot be taught. We want the right person. Someone who contributes to our increasingly diverse, friendly and hard-working culture – someone who doesn’t take themselves too seriously, but who will do what it takes to put forth their best work. Someone who can get back up again and who will accept the help of a colleague and offer help in return. We want people who will be active in our communities, both inside and outside of the firm. Our culture is special, and we think it’s worth finding the right person for.
Who can I contact with additional questions?
Hiroko Peraza
Senior Manager, Talent Acquisition & Inclusion
hirokoperaza@dwt.com

Sandra Morriss
Manager, Law Student Talent Acquisition
sandramorriss@dwt.com

Valerie Close
Recruiting Coordinator, Lawyer Talent Acquisition
valerieclose@dwt.com

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