Our ten-week summer program is designed to provide law students with a complete and realistic view of our practice areas, as well as the culture of our firm. Summer law clerks work on defense litigation and transactional matters for clients of all sizes in the insurance industry, the financial services sector and other highly regulated industries. This allows the summer law clerks to fully understand the breadth of the firm's practice areas, the opportunities available at the firm, and our expectations of new associates. Although the firm views the summer program as a working experience, it is our goal to make a summer position with the firm both intellectually and personally rewarding.

Work Assignments

Throughout the program, all summer law clerks will receive a wide variety of high quality assignments from multiple areas of practice within the firm.

In Chicago, the Professional Development Department will vet and oversee the assignments submitted by different practice groups—with assistance from designated Work Liaisons—to ensure that they are substantive and representative of associate work. At a project's completion, the assigning attorney is asked to complete an evaluation of the summer law clerk’s performance and product so that ongoing meaningful and consistent feedback can be provided. In other offices, summer law clerks will work closely with different partners in their office on various assignments, with feedback provided throughout.
Summer law clerks will be assigned a summer mentor who will guide them through firm life by introducing them to other attorneys and becoming a resource and support system throughout the summer.
Summer law clerks will attend formal reviews at the midpoint and end of the program to discuss the evaluations and feedback received from assigning attorneys. We believe this feedback during the summer is important in tracking the summer law clerks' progress, addressing their expectations of the firm, and ensuring the summer law clerk is having a rewarding experience.

Training

The majority of training with respect to the summer program is hands-on. Throughout the summer, however, the summer law clerks will attend a number of lunches hosted by firm attorneys.

Additionally, summer law clerks are invited to attend all Hinshaw University internal professional development courses, along with the attorneys who attend for CLE credit. Further, the summer law clerks are invited to attend practice group meetings, so they can learn more about each of the practice areas and the attorneys who work in them.

Finally, summer law clerks are kept updated on opportunities to attend and observe court appearances, depositions, client meetings, transactions or deal closings, oral arguments, and even trials.

Social Events

Our summer law clerks attend lunches and after work functions with our partners and associates throughout the summer. We also provide many opportunities for the summers to get to know their colleagues in their own office, as well as those in other firm offices, and in other firms. In past summers we've attended local ball games in the firm suite, brewery tours and tastings, Jazz in the Park, and boat tours, just to name a few.

For more information on Hinshaw's Summer Program, please contact our Recruiting Department.

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