The Summer Associate Program for first- and second-year law students is Woodcock Washburn's primary source for recruiting intelligent and aspiring entry-level associates into our firm. Our business is technical in nature, and we encourage applications from interested law students with undergraduate degrees in disciplines such as biotechnology, chemistry, physics, computer science, and chemical, electrical, and mechanical engineering.
Participants enjoy a unique introduction to the excitement and intricacies of patent law. Our summer associates do real work for real clients. Students work closely with Woodcock Washburn attorneys in all aspects of case management - drafting patent applications, assisting in patent litigation trial preparation, participating in interviews with inventors and much more. In addition, we offer educational activities such as legal training sessions and patent skills seminars.
Each student receives support from a Woodcock Washburn partner, who serves as an official mentor, and from an associate "buddy." These senior- and junior-level guides help integrate summer associates into the firm and ensure their success.
Woodcock Washburn wants students to experience a wide range of cultural and social activities in their host city - Philadelphia, Seattle or Atlanta - and encourages second-year summer associates in our Seattle and Atlanta offices to spend a portion of their time in Philadelphia. In addition, we provide firm-sponsored softball teams, outings and parties where summer associates get to know our attorneys and the community.
Our firm is dedicated to building and expanding diversity within our firm. Woodcock Washburn is a gold sponsor of the American Intellectual Property Law Education Foundation, an organization awarding intellectual property law scholarships to minority law students. We regularly participate in the Philadelphia Area Minority Job Fair and co-host a Diversity Reception for first-year law students. In addition, the firm recently cosponsored the Microsoft Women and Minorities IP Law Summit. These are just a sampling of our full range of diversity initiatives.
Woodcock Washburn participates in many on-campus interviewing programs to attract qualified technical students from around the country. Please review our 2008 On-Campus Interview Schedule for law schools we will visit this year or click here to learn more about the Firm.
The Woodcock Washburn Summer Associate Program has produced extraordinary results. For the past two years, all of our second-year summer associates received offers to join our firm as new associates, and every one accepted the offer. We hope to continue that level of success in upcoming years.
For more information, contact Grace Keller (gkeller@woodcock.com).