The Summer Associate Program at Day Pitney is a 10-week program designed to prepare you for the practice of law through real-life, day-to-day applications and on-the-job training. Summer associates will learn by shadowing Day Pitney lawyers and working with firm professionals in one-on-one coaching scenarios. You also will collaborate with lawyer teams handling ongoing client matters. This learning approach will be supplemented with training workshops, as well as specially designed diversity and community service activities which will teach summer associates about Day Pitney’s culture and key core values. You will socialize and network with Day Pitney attorneys at various internal and external activities.

The Summer Associate Program will take place in our Hartford, CT and Parsippany, NJ offices.

Summer associates are second-year law students who are selected through the fall interview process.

There are "four pillars" that support summer associates' training throughout the summer experience. The four pillars approach will allow you to receive a well-rounded and in-depth training experience within the module practice area(s).

Pillar I – Practice Area Training

As a summer associate, you will benefit from hands-on experience and exposure to substantive matters. As part of this experience, you will be involved in active cases and transactions. You will also work on challenging research and writing assignments in sophisticated areas of practice. In addition, you will accompany firm attorneys on “shadowing opportunities” such as trials, hearings, depositions and client meetings.

Pillar II – Core Value Training

As part of our effort to transmit our core values to a new generation of lawyers, our summer associates are invited to work on one of many pro bono matters.  In the past, summer associates have worked on civil rights cases challenging the conditions in which inmates are housed on one state’s death row, fair housing cases attacking discriminatory practices by landlords, and matters involving mentally incapacitated persons, among other cases.    Since client services is a key value at Day Pitney, summer associates will also receive training on delivering the highest levels of service. In addition, summer associates will participate in a community service opportunity.

Pillar III – Client Development Training

Our Summer Associate Program is designed for law students who wish to engage in the private practice of law after graduation.  We believe that it is never too early for a law student to think not only about how to become a great lawyer but also about how to build a great law practice.  Our program therefore includes training modules on client development and networking skills.  

Pillar IV – Law Firm Management/Economics Training

In addition to learning how to become a first-rate lawyer, you will have an opportunity to learn how a law firm is managed and how you can help contribute to a successful legal enterprise. You will receive training on time management in the law firm setting, professional goal setting and professional development, among other areas.

By being fully immersed in practice areas of the firm, summer associates will get an accurate perspective of life as a junior associate. They will learn by doing and gain knowledge through training and working with highly experienced Day Pitney attorneys who know what it takes to be a successful lawyer. This well-balanced, all-encompassing approach will prepare them to become quality junior-level attorneys.

For interested candidates who attend the law schools from which we recruit, we recommend you sign up through your school’s career services offices to be considered for on-campus interviews. Please click here for a list of schools and job fairs at which we interview. For those candidates from schools at which we do not participate through on-campus interviews or resume collections, we recommend you apply online.