In the legal profession, summer associate positions give law students in the summer after their second year of law school hands-on experience working for a law firm. These positions are opportunities to experience post-graduate life firsthand, allowing students to embed themselves in a firm to do much of the same work they would do as a full-time associate.

“The summer associate program at WilliamsMcCarthy LLP allows law students to experience the practice of law at WilliamsMcCarthy in Rockford, which can be very different than a large firm in Chicago,” said Daniel Huntley, a partner at WilliamsMcCarthy LLP who manages the program. “They work side by side with our attorneys, becoming familiar with our client needs, firm culture, and the standard of excellence we maintain.”

In addition to summer associates having the opportunity to experience Wilmac, attorneys at the firm can determine associates’ ability to deliver high-level legal work.

“The summer associate program harkens back to apprenticeships,” shared Huntley. “Our firm leverages a collaborative practice model, which relies on a shared commitment to high-level legal product. With our summer associates, we have the opportunity to work with future attorneys and assess if they have the traits to be successful at the firm once they graduate, pass the bar, and are ready to practice law.”

Part internship, part extended interview, the summer associate program is valuable for both the summer associates and the firm. We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to this year’s summer associates.

Summer Associate: Jensen Troup
Hometown: Quincy, IL
Attends: University of Virginia School of Law

Troup loves the intellectual challenge of practicing law and sees being an attorney as an opportunity to use his problem-solving skills to help others. He applied for the summer associate position at Wilmac to explore a variety of practice areas. He has enjoyed working with attorneys to analyze complex legal challenges, though it hasn’t been all work. He’s also enjoyed all the excellent dining options and City Market downtown, commenting that, “there’s so much to see and explore” in the Rockford area.

Summer Associate: Brandon Klages
Hometown: Huntley, IL
Attends: Boston University

Klages is competitive by nature, enjoying sports like baseball and boxing. He decided to pursue law to replicate that competitive energy in a work environment by resolving high-stakes, complex legal issues. Brandon pursued the summer associate position at Wilmac because he wanted to see a diverse array of practice areas – both litigation and transactional – with a firm in his home state. He’s enjoyed working on substantive assignments, benefiting from feedback from partners on his legal writing and analysis. As a result of his Wilmac experience and exposure to new practice areas, Klages has replanned his final year of courses in law school. In addition to the great experience working next to partners, he has appreciated the downtown Rockford environment, especially the delicious food and drinks at Taco Betty’s.

To learn more about WilliamsMcCarthy LLP summer associate opportunities, please contact Daniel Huntley at dhuntley@wilmac.com.