Finding Success as a Summer Associate: Insights from Litigation and Transactional Perspectives

In this episode of Emphasis Added, Season 5 host Harrison Little welcomes Graysen Mechler, the incoming host for Season 6, to the podcast. They are joined by recent University of Houston Law Center graduates Mackenzie Caldwell and Hannah Syburg. The discussion covers the backgrounds of each guest, a typical day for litigation and transactional summer associates, helpful law school classes to ensure a successful summer and more. Our guests offer unique insights and valuable advice on how to make the most of a summer associate experience.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:43 Guest Backgrounds and Legal Interests
• 2:49 Picking a Practice Group
• 3:57 Choosing a Transactional Practice
• 5:27 Choosing a Litigation Practice
• 7:42 Fears Going into a Summer Associateship
• 9:56 Perceptions of a Transactional Practice
• 12:13 Day in the Life of a Summer Associate
• 15:55 "Precedent" in Transactional Law
• 17:10 Collaboration in the Litigation Context
• 19:05 Asking for Additional Work and Creating Relationships
• 22:42 Balancing Work and Social Events
• 25:34 What to Know Before a Summer Associateship
• 29:22 Misconceptions of the Summer Associate Experience
• 31:07 Law School Classes and Experiences to Help Ensure Summer Success
• 33:43 Feedback on Summer Work
• 35:55 Problem Solving v. Asking for Help
• 40:25 Advice for Summer Associates
• 43:27 Outro