The Summer Associate Mentor

In addition to the open atmosphere, the friendly recruiters, and the social events — all intended to help Summer Associates feel comfortable at the firm — each Summer Associate is paired with a Junior Associate who serves as a mentor throughout the summer. Mentors help Summer Associates to settle into the life of a law firm, offer advice on work assignments, and provide Summer Associates a familiar face to turn to with any question. Whatever the Summer Associate needs, the mentor will serve as a valuable resource to find it.

The Summer Associate Writing Coach 

Because the transition from academic writing to law firm writing can be a difficult one, we pair each Summer Associate with a writing coach to assist with this transition. The writing coach reviews every assignment the Summer Associate completes and provides feedback. The reviews are not part of the Summer Associates’ evaluation, but intended solely to improve their writing abilities and prepare them for law firm practice. 

Summer Associate Training Programs via Dickstein Shapiro University

Professional development plays an important role in the life of attorneys at Dickstein Shapiro, and the Summer Associate training program is taken very seriously. Through the Dickstein Shapiro University, Summer Associates are afforded opportunities to attend courses offered to all attorneys at the firm. In addition, a series of classes is designed specifically for Summer Associates. Training courses offered to Summer Associates recently included:

• Legal Writing Seminar - Early in the summer, Summer Associates participated in a course on writing for a law firm.
• Anatomy of a Deposition - This course covered deposition skills, and was a prerequisite to the full-day deposition workshop.
• Deposition Workshop - Each Summer Associate had the opportunity to take and defend a deposition during this workshop.
• Trial Advocacy - This course offered tips on opening statements, closing statements, and trial skills.
• Mock Trial - Summer Associates from all three offices participated in a day-long mock trial. Associates worked with the summer associates in advance to help them prepare.
• Negotiation Skills Workshop - This course covered basic negotiation tactics, and prepared the Summer Associates for the following mock negotiation exercise.