News & Events

WilliamsMcCarthy LLP Attorney James Devine Wins Defense Verdict in Negligence Case
June 17, 2022
Meet our Summer Associate, Kyle Cunningham
June 22, 2022

Meet our Summer Associate, Ben Kimes

Samantha McLaughlin has joined WilliamsMcCarthy LLP, focusing on corporate transactions, estate planning and administration, real estate law, and litigation.

Ben Kimes

WilliamsMcCarthy Summer Associate, Ben Kimes

What is a Summer Associate?

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

Like an apprenticeship, the summer associates work side-by-side with our attorneys and develop an appreciation for the unique aspects of practicing law at WilliamsMcCarthy in Rockford. Experiencing the culture and clients of Wilmac is not only valuable for the summer associates, but the firm also can assess the abilities of summer associates to be successful once they graduate, pass the bar, and are ready for the practice of law.

Meet Ben Kimes

Ben Kimes is one of two summer associates at Wilmac this year. Ben calls Pecatonica, IL home. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and now attends law school at the University of Illinois College of Law.

Ben is pursuing his law degree thanks to a passion for public policy and a desire to help give back to the community in a positive way. He’s especially interested in getting firsthand experience in the business/corporate law and litigation practice areas.

Growing up in the region, Ben is familiar with WilliamsMcCarthy and put the summer associate program at the top of his list. He sees this summer as a time to earn the real-world experience that will be valuable in shaping his career path.

“I know WilliamsMcCarthy to be a well-respected firm with very skilled attorneys from whom I could learn a lot,” shared Ben. “I plan to work hard on developing keen research and writing skills, learning as much as I can from those around me, and applying those lessons to my final year of law school.”

A believer in building personal connections, Ben is excited about networking in and beyond the firm. He’s looking forward to being close to home while working in and enjoying all that downtown Rockford has to offer like restaurants, live music, and events like City Market.

Welcome, Ben!