|
Q:
|
How do I apply for a summer position? |
|
A:
|
Give us your resume. The easiest way is to sign up for an on-campus interview slot at a recruitment event. Otherwise, send your resume with a cover letter to Pat Greco, our director of human resources. She will ensure that your resume is reviewed by our recruiting committee, that you are given consideration for a position, and that you receive prompt, honest and accurate communication about the status of your application.
|
| |
-top- |
|
Q:
|
What are Needle & Rosenberg's criteria for summer applicants? |
|
A:
|
We are a firm with a practice focused on patents, copyrights, Trademarks, trade secrets and related matters. Because our practice is technology based, we prefer applicants with technical backgrounds. First and foremost, we recruit applicants who have a technical background that will enable them to sit for the U.S. Patent Office Bar Exam. In general, an engineering or science degree at the undergraduate level is required to sit for the Patent Bar.
We do not have fixed criteria for grades or law school activities. We do not limit our pool of applicants to members of law journals or moot court societies. Indeed, high grades often indicate aptitude for law practice. Participation in law journal indicates skillful writing and moot court indicates skill in verbal expression. But N&R looks at all of a candidate's attributes and does not screen applicants on the basis of any particular factor.
|
| |
-top- |
|
Q:
|
I've scheduled an office visit - how should I prepare for my interview? |
|
A:
|
Be prepared to express how you want to practice law. Consider what type of work interests you. Litigation? Licensing? Trademark prosecution? Patent prosecution? Other disciplines? You will be asked what you want to accomplish over the summer. You will be asked what you want to accomplish in your first several years of practice after law school. Your answers will help you to evaluate N&R, and us to evaluate you.
Become familiar with our firm's brand. Consider whether you want to be a part of an organization that conducts itself according to our brand vision and values.
Browse through the profiles of various practice groups in the firm. Consider what practice group(s) may fit your background and interests. Be prepared to ask questions about the types of work in which each practice group excels.
Browse through our professional profiles. Seek out individuals with bac
|
| |
-top- |
|
Q:
|
What is the philosophy of the summer program? |
|
A:
|
It is not our intention to create a "summer camp" atmosphere to woo high-achieving students. We will go to baseball games. We will go to lunch together frequently. We will meet for dinner at Bill Needle's house. We may even go whitewater rafting. Events will be kept to a reasonable amount, however. Our goal is to promote interaction between summer associates and attorneys outside the office without unduly interfering with everyone's treasured free time.
We want summer associates to finish the summer with a firm and accurate understanding of the life of a first-year associate at N&R. To accomplish that, we assign projects to summer associates as if they were starting at the firm after law school. We believe that summer associates need that experience to make an informed decision if and when N&R extends a permanent offer at the close of the summer.
|
| |
-top- |
|
Q:
|
Do you allow students to split summers? |
|
A:
|
Yes. To the extent students want to evaluate different cities, different types of law practices, or even similar firms within Atlanta, they should "shop around." We support split summers, as long as students can devote at least five or six weeks to our summer program.
|
| |
-top- |
|
Q:
|
Will I have a mentor? |
|
A:
|
Yes. At least one. One senior associate is pre-assigned to act as a mentor for each summer associate. The mentor is usually outside the summer associate's practice group(s) - not someone who evaluates your work. We hope that makes each summer associate comfortable that any questions are fair game for discussion with their mentor. Your mentor is there to help you find your way around the firm and the summer program.
We hope that each summer associate naturally develops other mentoring relationships. For example, mentorship naturally occurs within practice groups when attorneys are reviewing and commenting on your work product. We feel, however, that those relationships cannot and should not be pre-ordained or appointed.
|
| |
-top- |
|
Q:
|
How will I be evaluated? |
|
A:
|
On an individual basis, by every attorney that reviews your work or interacts with you.
First, you will receive real-time feedback from supervising attorneys as you work on and complete each assignment. Second, each summer associate has a formal exit evaluation and interview at the close of the summer. Third, for summer associates that spend at least six weeks at N&R, we conduct a formal mid-term review where two-way evaluation takes place.
At each stage, the summer associate gets direct and honest feedback on his or her performance. We will also ask for any feedback the summer associate has about the firm or the summer program.
|
| |
-top- |