Next Generation

Our summer associate program is critical to helping us find the next generation of firm leaders, and a key step in helping law students discover the area of law that interests them most.

Summer Associate Program

Overview

We often hire new lawyers through our summer associate program. The program is designed as a time for careful evaluation and serious consideration of law students for future employment. It is our desire to extend offers of employment to all second-year summer associates exhibiting exceptional work performance.

Schwabe’s Summer Associate Committee consists of lawyers who are also members of the firm’s Hiring Committee. The purpose is to ease the transition into the firm, as well as provide advice and feedback from completed assignments and written evaluations.

The Summer Associate Committee provides two formal reviews: one at midsummer and the other at summer’s end. The Hiring Committee customarily extends offers to the second-year summer associates in late August or early September. First-year summer associates are invited to reapply for a second summer.

The application process for the 2025 summer program has now closed. We encourage law students to visit this site in the spring of 2025 to learn more about ways to apply for future summer program opportunities at Schwabe.

Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn!

Summer Associate Program

Each summer associate builds a wealth of experience and connections through our program.

Work Experience

As a Schwabe summer associate, you’ll quickly experience our collaborative environment.

  • You’ll work on client teams alongside associates and shareholders, conducting research and drafting memoranda and pleadings.
  • Throughout the summer, you may have the opportunity to attend client meetings, depositions, arbitrations, real estate closings, and appellate arguments, and occasionally to assist with trials.
  • You may help prepare legal updates, articles, and speeches for continuing education projects.
  • For an additional hands-on experience, we encourage summer associates to volunteer with our firm-sponsored pro bono clinic, under the supervision of senior lawyers.

To help our summer associates bond as a class, we’ll provide opportunities for you to collaborate throughout the summer by traveling between our offices.

Mentors and Supervisors

Each summer associate is paired with a mentor who provides coaching and support—usually a former Schwabe summer associate who understands the summer experience. Your mentor will not assign your work or formally evaluate you.

You’ll also be assigned a supervisor, who, along with assigning lawyers, gives you formal and informal feedback on your work.

We view this as a two-way process and look forward to hearing your comments about your summer experience.

Social Activities

We love to have fun and we hope you’ll join us! Firm social events let you spend informal time with lawyers at all levels, enjoying lunches, happy hours, and some of our favorite pastimes. Recent events have included rock climbing, food truck wars, kickball, white-water rafting down the Deschutes River in Central Oregon, room escape adventures, and softball, just to name a few.

Compensation

Our summer associate salaries are competitive with other firms in the area. Each year we review compensation and make adjustments to correspond with current market rates. 

1L Summer Associate

‎1L Summer Associate Diversity Fellowship Program‎

Schwabe is committed to fostering the growth of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the firm to reflect the rich diversity of our society and to grow diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession. We believe that diverse legal teams provide superior service to our clients and improves the inclusiveness of our firm.

As one means of promoting diversity and inclusion at Schwabe, the firm long has offered ‎opportunities for 1L students to gain real-world experience as summer associates at Schwabe.  For ‎the summer of 2025, Schwabe is proud to partner with the Multnomah Bar Association Bar Fellows Program and the ‎Gregoire Fellows Programs again.

The Multnomah Bar Association Bar Fellows Program and the Gregoire Fellows Program provide diverse law students an opportunity to work and learn in a firm environment. To learn more about these programs, please visit:

2L Summer Associate

Schwabe is one of the top law firms serving the needs of businesses in the Pacific Northwest, providing a broad range of transactional and litigation services to the Northwest’s leading companies. We are looking for people who demonstrate aptitude, leadership, teamwork, and strong verbal and written communication skills to join the 2026 Summer Associate program in our Anchorage, Portland, or Seattle office.

We are looking for people who embrace an entrepreneurial spirit and take initiative. A strong desire to practice law in a regional setting is key. We are looking for our firm’s future leaders.

Summer Associates begin in early June and receive a weekly salary of at least $2,700. During the program, summer associates receive formal and informal evaluations of their work from a dedicated supervisor and a number of assigning attorneys. Summer associates can expect to work with associates and shareholders conducting research and drafting memoranda, pleadings, and legal updates for continuing education purposes.

Criteria:

  • Applicants are required to be attending an ABA-accredited law school;
  • A top 25% class ranking or equivalent GPA is preferred; and
  • Moot court and/or law review experience is preferred.


Our application portal for 2L applications for the 2026 Summer Associate Program will open on May 1, 2025. Applications are considered on a rolling basis. The posting will close when positions have been filled or by 5:00pm Pacific Time on August 8, 2025, whichever comes first. We advise interested applicants to apply as early as possible.

Click Here to Apply

Submissions must include the following items: 

  • Resume
  • Cover letter
  • Complete undergraduate transcript (unofficial acceptable)
  • Law school transcript (unofficial acceptable)
  • References
  • Writing sample (that has not been significantly edited by others) reflecting your legal analysis abilities (not to exceed seven pages)

Please direct your materials to Michelle Baird-Johnson, Senior Director of Talent Acquisition and Integration. All materials should be in PDF format.

Schwabe is committed to cultivating and celebrating diversity, equity, and inclusion because it makes our firm better. People from historically underrepresented backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, ‎ancestry, national origin, age, sex, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other status protected ‎by law. 

Diversity

Schwabe comprises more than 160 lawyers and over 200 staff from diverse backgrounds—giving back to their communities, doing great legal work for amazing clients, and representing their communities at Schwabe.

Pro Bono

Improving access to justice and providing legal services to underserved and disadvantaged.