Law360 Pulse, Summer Associate Survey:

Background
Law360 Pulse’s third annual Summer Associates Survey homes in on the process law students undergo when looking to pair with a firm for a summer associateship, examining their criteria for selecting firms, looking at which firms were the most popular and investigating the on-campus interview experience. We will be revisiting the students to assess their associateship experience in Part II of the survey later this year. The Summer Associates Survey is part of a series of surveys that radically expand the data-driven insights available as part of Law360 Pulse, a news service focused on the business of law.

Methodology
Law360 Pulse conducted the first part of the Summer Associates Survey from March 1 to April 2, 2023. We received 1,191 responses from law students, of whom 428 were in their 1L year, 543 in their 2L year, 183 in their 3L year, and 29 attending either part-time or only evening classes. Among the participants, 55% were women and 41% were men. Two percent said they preferred not to disclose their gender and 1% identified as nonbinary. The survey was anonymous and will not connect any individual response with any person.

Law360, These Firms Are Where Summers Want To Work:

Students underwent an average of 5.93 interviews during their early interview weeks, with an average success rate of 43% in landing them, up from 34% last year. New York University School of Law had the highest success rate, at 76%, followed by Harvard Law School at 70%, the University of Michigan Law School at 68% and the University of California, Berkeley School of Law at 64%.

Among firms, Kirkland & Ellis LLP took the No. 1 spot, drawing the most on-campus interview bids for the third year in a row, followed by Cooley LLP, Sidley Austin LLP, Latham & Watkins LLP and Jones Day.

This year, law students said not getting hired was their biggest concern, with 36% expressing the fear, an increase of 12 percentage points from 2022, according to the survey.