Quinn Emanuel Trial Lawyers
OUR SUMMER PROGRAM
What You See is What You Get
Our summer program is designed to provide a complete picture of what life is really like as an associate at the firm -- as well as what the people are really like. No smoke and mirrors. Real work as part of a team on real cases. Summer associates are given the widest possible variety of work experience. Our summer associates are not relegated to the library to write research memos. They are considered team members and given assignments on active cases. They participate in client meetings and witness interviews. They draft pleadings and discovery requests and responses. Summer associates often see their work put to immediate use. When asked to do research, summer associates are usually also asked to write that portion of the brief
We also arrange for summer associates to observe trials, hearings and depositions. When the firm has trials -- and this past summer we had several going on -- summer associates will work as part of a trial team, participate in strategy sessions, and see our lawyers in action and perhaps how their ideas play out.
Work assignments take into consideration each summer associate's interests. Summer associates complete a form prior to their arrival, and the assigning partners keep track of assignments to ensure that summer associates have variety. Our goal is for you to have an accurate idea of what it is like to work full-time at the firm.
One of the highlights of the summer is the Summer Mock Trial. Each office has a week long mock trial program taught by former Assistant U.S. Attorneys and Assistant District Attorneys who are now partners at the firm. They present a set of facts for a hypothetical case and instruct the summer associates on the nuts and bolts of trying a case before a jury, from interviewing witnesses, to jury selection, cross examinations, opening statements, and closings. On the final day of the trial the firm hires temporary employees from a local employment agency to act as "jurors" (the same agency that we use for our clients' actual mock trials) and the summer associates try the case. The jury deliberates and renders a verdict and afterwards they and the "judge," a partner at the firm, provide feedback. It is a great experience for learning what it is like to actually prepare and try a case.
And, We Have a Little Fun Too
That work hard and play hard thing? We do. We want team work. We want our lawyers to direct their competitive fire at opponents and not at each other. Partners, associates and summer associates build friendships outside the traditional boundaries of work. Our firm events help break down the conventional barriers and hierarchies that characterize many law firms.
Summer Events
Summer events are a great way for summer associates to get to know partners and associates alike, and the respective cities they are working in. The Summer Associate Program enables law students to experience firsthand the firm's culture of camaraderie.
This summer in Los Angeles, for example, we hosted or participated in the following events: dinner at Yamashiro (Hollywood), dinner at the Magic Castle, bowling at Lucky Strikes, a cooking class, the Western Center for Law and Poverty Fair Shake Benefit, the Mock Trial Kick-Off Reception at the BonaVista Lounge in downtown LA, the Mock Trial Party at The Standard in downtown LA, a trip to Disneyland, the annual 4th of July Party at John Quinn's house, a barbeque at Bill Urquhart's house, the Bet Tzedek's Justice Ball, a wine tasting in Santa Barbara, a Dodgers game, a Tiki Cruise and a Malibu Beach Party.
In Northern California we hosted an office picnic, a party at Claude Stern's house, a day at the races, a cooking school, a party at Pier 23, a summer party, a women's dinner, a scavenger hunt, a go-kart race, and a Sonoma wine trip.
Rose Bowl Party
In Los Angeles, over 1,400 clients, staff, attorneys and summer associates attend our annual Rose Bowl Party. It's our very own private carnival on the field of the Rose Bowl. There are rides, bungee jumping, rock walls, game booths and psychics! The party starts in the early afternoon and goes until late at night. The live band, barbeque and drinks keep the adults entertained while the hot dog on a stick and ice cream truck keep the kids happy. This year some of the partners organized a game of touch football on this renowned football field.
Annual Firm Hike
Our second biggest event is our annual firm hike. We had 65 attorneys go on the hike this year including 25 summer associates. John Quinn goes every year too. It is actually his brainchild (he's a tri-athlete). This year, the hike was in Durango, Colorado. We had hikers fly in from LA, San Francisco, New York and the Silicon Valley. People hiked for about 30 miles in three days up to elevations of 14,000 feet. It's a great bonding event because people hike together, cook together, camp together and on the final night we rent out a restaurant and stay in a hotel to celebrate.
Other years the hike was in such places as Olympic National Park, Washington; Bend, Oregon; Big Sur, California; Wind River, Wyoming; Grand Canyon, Arizona; and Zion Canyon, Utah.
Our 2007 Summer Program
In 2007, we had 57 summer associates from Harvard (11), Stanford (7), Boalt (4), Chicago (2), Columbia (2), Cornell (1), Fordham (2), Georgetown (2), Hastings (6), Michigan (1), Northwestern (1), NYU (7), Penn (2), Texas (6), UCLA (1), USC (1), UVA (1), Yale (1).