Summer Associates

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. 

Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt often hires new attorneys through its summer associate program. The program is designed as a time for careful evaluation and serious consideration of law students for future employment. It is the firm's desire to extend offers of employment to all second-year summer associates exhibiting exceptional work performance.

Schwabe’s Summer Associate Committee consists of attorneys who are also members of the firm’s Hiring Committee. The purpose of the committee 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.

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Summer 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 also help prepare legal updates, articles and speeches for continuing education projects. For additional hands-on experience, we encourage summer associates to volunteer with our firm-sponsored pro bono clinic, under the supervision of senior attorneys.

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 Advisors

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 an advisor, who, along with assigning attorneys, 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 attorneys 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 Diversity Fellowship

1L Summer Associate Diversity Fellowship Program

Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt 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 a diverse workplace provides superior service to our clients and an enriched environment for our attorneys and staff. We are looking for individuals who demonstrate aptitude, leadership, teamwork, initiative, and strong verbal and written communication skills.

As one means of meeting this commitment, the firm has established its 1L Diversity Fellowship Program.  The fellowship provides for a paid 10-week summer associate position in either our Portland, Oregon, Seattle, Washington, or Anchorage, Alaska office for the summer following the successful completion of the first year of law school.  In addition, the recipients will receive a $10,000 academic stipend to help defray tuition and expenses for their second year of law school.

Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt recognizes that diversity exists in many different forms, including gender, race, national origin, religion, age, veteran status, political affiliation, disability,  gender identity, and sexual orientation. The firm will place particular emphasis on candidates who are members of groups that are historically under-represented in the legal profession and at Schwabe.

Criteria:

Applicant must:

• be a first-year law student in good standing for the degree of Juris Doctor at an ABA accredited law school;
• possess an undergraduate and law school record of academic achievement, capacity, and leadership that evidences promise for a successful career in the legal profession;
• contribute to the diversity of the law school student body and the legal community; and
• demonstrate a commitment to practice law in the Pacific Northwest upon completion of law school.

Submissions to include:

• Resume
• Short cover letter stating your geographical preference (Portland or Seattle)
• Complete undergraduate transcript (unofficial acceptable)
• Law school transcript reflecting 1L first semester grades (unofficial acceptable)
• A two-to four-page statement of interest which describes:
  • your interest in the fellowship with Schwabe
  • leadership roles you have held and what you learned
  • community-service organizations or projects in which you have participated
  • other qualifications, professional experiences, or indicators of success that you believe uniquely qualify you to join Schwabe's team
• Writing sample (that has not been significantly edited by others) reflecting your legal analysis abilities (not to exceed seven pages)

We are not accepting applications for the 2023 summer program. We encourage law students to visit this site in spring of 2023 to learn more about ways to apply for future summer program opportunities at Schwabe.

Michelle Baird-Johnson
Director of Talent Acquisition and Integration
Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt
1211 SW 5th Avenue, Suite 1900
Portland, OR 97204
503-796-2484 (direct)
503-796-2900 (fax)
AttorneyRecruiting@schwabe.com

You may use this email address to ask questions about the process.

1L Fellowship Opportunities

Multnomah Bar Association Bar Fellows Program, Gregoire Fellows Program

Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt is proud to partner with the Multnomah Bar Association Bar Fellows Program and the Gregoire Fellows Program to avail diverse law students an opportunity to work and learn in a firm environment. To learn more about these programs, please visit:

• MBA Fellows Program
• Gregoire Fellows Program (University of Washington)
• Gregoire Fellows Program (Seattle University)

2L Hiring Process

2023 2L Summer Associate

Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt 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, initiative and strong verbal and written communication skills to join the 2023 Summer Associate Program in our 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.

Summer Associates begin in June and receive a weekly salary of at least $2,600. During the summer, associates receive formal and informal evaluations of their work from a dedicated advisor 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. Schwabe also has opportunities to volunteer at the firm-sponsored pro bono clinic.

Criteria:

• Applicants are preferred to have a top 25% class ranking or equivalent GPA at an ABA accredited law school
• Moot Court and/or Law Review experience is preferred

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. The firm will make reasonable accommodations for religious beliefs and for the known needs of qualified applicants and employees with disabilities.

Direct your materials to Michelle Baird-Johnson, Director of Talent Acquisition and Integration. 

Applications for a 2L position in the 2023 Summer Associate Program are now closed.

Submissions to include:  

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

Candidates selected for callback interviews will be interviewed on a predetermined date in late summer/early fall.

Michelle Baird-Johnson
Director of Talent Acquisition and Integration
Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt
1211 SW 5th Avenue, Suite 1900
Portland, OR 97204
503-796-2484 (direct)
503-796-2900 (fax)
AttorneyRecruiting@schwabe.com

You may use this email address to ask questions about the process.  However, to apply for the position, please click the link as outlined in the instructions above.

2L Patent Summer Associate

Portland or Seattle 2023 2L Patent Summer Associate

Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt 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 seeking a highly motivated second-year law student who demonstrate aptitude, leadership, teamwork, initiative, and strong verbal and written communication skills to become a Patent Summer Associate at Schwabe for the summer of 2023 in either our Portland, Oregon or Seattle, Washington office.

We are looking for people who embrace an entrepreneurial spirit and take initiative. A strong desire to practice intellectual property law in a regional setting is key.

The summer associate program will be held in-person and will start on June 5, 2023; summer associates receive a weekly salary of $2,600. Summer associates receive formal and informal evaluations of their work from a dedicated advisor and a number of assigning attorneys.

Criteria:

• Applicants are preferred to have a top 25% class ranking or equivalent GPA 
• Applicants must possess a technical background, with a focus in either computer science or electrical engineering
• Willingness to work in-person in the Portland or Seattle office at least three days per week

Schwabe requires proof of COVID-19 vaccination for employment.

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. The firm will make reasonable accommodations for religious beliefs and for the known needs of qualified applicants and employees with disabilities.

Applications for the 2023 2L Patent Summer Associate are now closed.

Candidates selected for callback interviews will be interviewed at the Portland or Seattle office.

Submissions to include:  

• Resume;
• Cover Letter;
• Law school transcript (unofficial acceptable);
• Complete undergraduate transcript (unofficial acceptable);
• References; and
• Writing sample - reflecting applicant's writing and legal analysis which has not been significantly edited by others (not to exceed five pages)

Direct your materials to Michelle Baird-Johnson, Director of Talent Acquisition and Integration. 

You may contact AttorneyRecruiting@schwabe.com to ask questions about the process.  However, to apply for the position, please click the link as outlined in the instructions above.

Contact Us

Michelle Baird-Johnson
Director of Talent Acquisition and Integration
Direct: 503-796-2484
AttorneyRecruiting@schwabe.com

Alvin Ma
Recruiting Specialist
Direct: 503-796-2487
AttorneyRecruiting@schwabe.com