Join the next generation of exceptional lawyers – begin your career as a summer associate at Choate. Thank you to our 2025 Summer Associates for Ranking Choate #1 in the Nation SUMMER ASSOCIATE SATISFACTION SURVEY Built for your success. As is the case with most of what Choate does, we have built a summer associate program to be an experience which is different from what our competitors may offer. We conduct our leading domestic and international practice through a highly integrated operating model. Candidates choose us because of our differences. That choice includes intensive training from day one and an opportunity to receive substantive, individualized opportunities to do impactful work and build lasting relationships in the Choate community. Each year, we recruit a group of exceptionally talented law students who are as interesting and diverse as they are accomplished, with the goal that each one will earn a full-time offer at the end of the summer and join us full-time following graduation. What Our Summer Associates Say SUBSTANTIVE WORK If you want early responsibility, Choate is an excellent place to begin your career. As a corporate summer associate, you can expect to help with diligence, disclosure schedules, and other matters depending on your capabilities. You will be valued as a team member, and your contributions will have a meaningful impact. Bring your best foot forward, and the Firm will help you grow. Richard Han 2025 Summer Associate, Cornell Law School FEEDBACK I received feedback on a regular basis during my summer. I was never afraid to ask for feedback because Choate has a strong culture of mentorship. Thanks to this culture, all of the attorneys I worked with were excited to nurture the development of my legal skills. Osa Oduwa 2025 Summer Associate, Boston University School of Law TRAINING AND INTEGRATION INTO THE CHOATE FIRM CULTURE I felt like a real part of the Choate team after a partner elicited my thoughts at the first case team meeting I attended. After the meeting, a senior associate stayed in the conference room with me to discuss my individual assignment and to answer any questions I had regarding it. In that moment, it was clear to me that my work on the case team mattered, and that Choate had a culture of making people feel appreciated. Mike Miele 2025 Summer Associate, Georgetown University Law Center MENTORSHIP I am very grateful to have been paired with incredible mentors at the junior, senior, and partner level. It was evident that every pairing was very intentional, and I received invaluable insight and support from each. Their mentorship contributed incredibly to my professional development and excellent experience at Choate this summer. Victoria Bones 2025 Summer Associate, Boston University School of Law NETWORKING & SOCIAL EVENTS Choate’s Summer Program uniquely enables Summer Associates to build relationships with Choate attorneys at a host of different events throughout the summer. The ability to connect on a personal level–whether at a concert at Gillette Stadium or over a hot dog at a Sox game–is just part of what makes the summer at Choate such an amazing experience. Brett Stirling 2025 Summer Associate, Suffolk University Law School Summer at Choate An industry leader for summer associate satisfaction, Choate maintains a balanced partner-to-associate ratio to keep our most experienced lawyers in charge of your development. Meaningful Mentor Relationships Our commitment to advancing your career begins as a summer associate at Choate. You are assigned three mentors to guide and assist you – a partner mentor, a mid-level associate mentor and a junior associate mentor. Our multiple-mentor approach is distinctive, and allows for meaningful interaction with lawyers at different stages of their careers. You will work closely with all three of your mentors, gaining experience and creating relationships which will continue throughout your career. Impactful Work Summer associates are typically given an opportunity to contribute to Firm clients throughout our summer program. We encourage summer associates to work in as many of our areas of focus as interests them within their designated department. Taking on assignments similar to those given to first-year associates and working with multiple different practices means that you get a full picture of what day-to-day life at a major law firm is like. Our summer associates work on case and deal teams, assisting on substantive projects for clients. Typical assignments include legal and factual research, memo writing, researching and contributing to briefs, drafting pleadings, drafting estate planning documents and participating in investigations, discovery and diligence projects. You will also be given the opportunity to assist with the community and pro bono work that is a part of Choate’s core mission. Our goal is to ensure that you receive a wide range of projects to familiarize yourself with the Firm’s practices, as well as explore your own interests. The Choate Bonus Program Choate is built different, and our differences provide material benefits to our clients and the best-in-class talent which joins us. We are focused on capitalizing on our distinctive model in everything we do. This includes associate compensation. Choate pays base salaries and “market” bonuses which are consistent with the top firms in the country. Please contact us to learn more about Choate’s compensation and benefits programs. Selection Criteria At Choate, we’re devoted to providing the highest quality advice and service to our clients, and we recruit with this standard in mind. In addition to intelligence, interpersonal skills and drive, we look for the following traits in our candidates: Strong critical and analytical thinking. A commitment to excellent client service. Proven oral and written communication skills. Demonstrate ambition to innovate and leverage emerging tools and technologies. A dedication to camaraderie and teamwork. A desire to become a great lawyer and build a career in BigLaw. Please note we expect that your written work will be your own, without the assistance of artificial intelligence tools. Recruiting The application period for our 2027 Summer Associate program is closed. We look forward to sharing information about our next program this fall. Stay in touch with us! If you are a current 1L and want to hear about upcoming events, application dates, and ways to learn more about Choate, CLICK HERE. Thank you. Frequently Asked Questions When is the best time to apply to your firm? We will open our 2L application window on January 5, 2026 and review applications on a rolling basis. As soon as you feel informed and ready to make a decision, you should apply through our direct application on our website. If participating in OCI is important to you, you can apply through your school’s OCI program (if Choate is a participant). NOTE: If you apply to us through a direct application, please do not reapply to us through an OCI program or submit multiple direct applications. Do I have to select an area of law when applying? Yes, when applying we ask that you include your department interest in your application and cover letter. Our summer associates are typically hired into our Litigation or Corporate departments. From time to time, summers also have the opportunity to work in our Wealth Management group. We ensure that each summer works in all practice areas within their assigned department during the summer. We also host numerous trainings and programs so summers can learn more about each practice area. What is your callback interview format? All interviews are conducted in-person or via Zoom. When will I find out if I received an offer? Generally an offer will be extended within one to two weeks of callback interviews. What is the salary for a summer associate? Summer associate salaries are based on a $225,000 annual first-year associate salary. How large are Choate’s summer and first-year associate classes? Our summer classes typically range in size from 15-20 law students. Since summer associates typically receive and accept an offer for full-time employment, our starting first year classes are a similar size. How does the review/evaluation process work? Summer associates receive informal mid-summer and final check-in from the PD/Legal Recruiting Team and/or Hiring Partners. Additionally, they receive feedback routinely throughout the summer from the attorneys with whom they work. When are permanent offers extended? Offers are typically extended after the summer program concludes. Will a clerkship affect my status with the firm? Not at all. We give permanent offers to summer associates who accept one-year clerkships following graduation. We also pay a clerkship bonus and generally grant one year of class progression credit for Federal clerkships and clerkships with a State Supreme Court. To whom should I address my cover letter and/or personal statement? You can address it to Ashley Itson, Senior Manager of Law School Recruiting What if my question isn’t answered here? If you have a question that isn’t answered on our website, or if you’d like to learn more about careers at Choate, you can contact a member of our recruiting team at legalrecruiting@choate.com Current Openings View the full listing of open positions at Choate to apply.