All good things must come to an end, dear readers, and so too this blog. Just eight weeks ago, my fellow summer associates and I arrived at WilmerHale DC, eager to break in our new padfolios and experience the life of an attorney firsthand. Now, the summer has flown by and it is nearly time to wrap up our assignments and stack our calendars with a few final decadent lunches. Ashes to ashes, dust to snack breaks. 

As a loyal reader of my blog, you may have picked up the subtle theme running through these posts: WilmerHale DC is a great place to work. Because this is my last chance to drive that message home, I figured that I would lay out what has made my experience so worthwhile:

First, over the course of the summer, WilmerHale has done everything possible to make us feel like an integral part of the firm. We have been entrusted with challenging assignments and expected to produce work that can quickly be turned around for clients. We have assisted with hearing prep, asked questions in witness interviews, joined client calls, and sat in on practice group meetings where WilmerHale lawyers discuss the firm’s approach to cutting-edge issues in their fields. Senior attorneys have even taken the time to walk summer associates through some of the firm’s most high-profile matters, answering our burning questions and highlighting the contributions of their more junior colleagues.

Second, the firm hires great people and brings us together for social events at a steady but manageable clip. Last week, for example, we went to an escape room in Georgetown. I am proud to report that my team escaped our Titantic-themed room with one minute to spare after a series of increasingly exasperated hints from the manager. I have assured my fellow summer associates that this still counts. This week we had the incredible privilege of joining the firm for an evening reception at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. I lived in DC for only a few months after the museum opened in 2016, and I had never been able to visit it before. Getting the chance to walk through the massive museum without crowds and take in exhibits spanning centuries of black history felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

And third, WilmerHale has made it clear that they are invested in us over the long haul. Associates and partners alike have devoted hours of their time to our training—helping us build stronger leadership skills, walking us through a mock deposition, guiding us toward more effective public speaking strategies, and teaching those of us who have yet to learn what a security is how to read a corporate term sheet. As much as I love a good afternoon digging through Westlaw, I have really enjoyed the opportunity to hone some of the skills that WilmerHale expects us put to work once we return as full-time lawyers.

Thanks for taking the time to read my updates, and have a great rest of your summer!