Summer Associate Secondment Forum

[pavementfan]

I’m a 2L headed to a v20 in a major market this summer. A few days ago my firm reached out and offered me to spend a few weeks of the summer in-house. I’m not particularly interested in this company, and I would have to relocate to a very random state, but I figure it could be a nice change of scenery (and bolster my resume). On the other hand, I’m wondering if I would be missing out on networking opportunities to try to establish myself within my desired practice group. The secondment would provide an opportunity to engage with that practice area as well. I’m very torn. I’ve heard that secondments are what associates are asked to do when they are expendable/ or what SA's are asked to do when a class is too big. Does anyone have thoughts?

[almostperfectt]

I might just live under a rock but I've NEVER heard of summer associates being seconded out.

Just because how weird it is (to me), I wouldn't look at it positively on a resume. The whole point of the summer program is to chill at the firm drinking and do nothing while meeting as many people as possible so you can figure out what group you want to work in. If I was told this was non-negotiable (or even recommended) I would start interviewing for other 2L summer positions.

[pavementfan]

This is definitely a choice and was offered to all associates. I could take it or leave it. It would be for a little under 1/3rd of the big law summer and all housing/transportation expenses would be covered. More of an opportunity than an obligation. There are a lot of 1L diversity programs where you split between a firm and a company, so my sense is that this is similar.

[Anonymous User]

do you have to "network" at your firm and/or practice group of choice (formally or informally) to get an offer to join? is there a rotation system once you join to make up for not being around during a chunk of the summer? it's not the case at my firm but interviewed at a few where SA offers to join practice groups were given at the end of the summer (and sometimes based on who they knew/liked best/did the most work in that practice during the summer).

[MergerQueen]

Did anybody else spit out their Irish coffee when they saw the title to this thread? LMAO; I was like these kids are getting bold as hell...

[Anonymous User]

This would strike me as weird on a resume, too. If you aren’t interested in the company or the location, and the firm just offered this to your entire class (and isn’t targeting you for this), I would not do it.

If for some reason you are going through 3L OCI, and I was interviewing you, I’d be very skeptical of a seconded summer (because I’ve never heard of it) and I might assume the worst.

[jotarokujo]

i'd probably take it. secondments are known to be more chill than working at the firm. my friend seconded as a corporate summer at an nyc firm, and he went on to have a great career. i wouldn't see it as weird at all, it's probably going to be good experience

[almostperfectt]

i'd probably take it. secondments are known to be more chill than working at the firm. my friend seconded as a corporate summer at an nyc firm, and he went on to have a great career. i wouldn't see it as weird at all, it's probably going to be good experience

Am I missing something here? There is objectively nothing more chill than being a summer associate. Most of my summer associate class spent the summer eating lavish lunches and laying on the floor of their offices hungover becauase of the 'mandatory' open bar events every night. And every summer afterwards was the same until covid (except for that one summer they tried to ban hard liquor for 'health purposes')

[pavementfan]

Did anybody else spit out their Irish coffee when they saw the title to this thread? LMAO; I was like these kids are getting bold as hell...

Wait why is this funny haha, would love a dose of self-awareness if I'm missing something

[pavementfan]

do you have to "network" at your firm and/or practice group of choice (formally or informally) to get an offer to join? is there a rotation system once you join to make up for not being around during a chunk of the summer? it's not the case at my firm but interviewed at a few where SA offers to join practice groups were given at the end of the summer (and sometimes based on who they knew/liked best/did the most work in that practice during the summer).

Very good questions that I need to be sure to ask the firm, thank you!

[almostperfectt]

Did anybody else spit out their Irish coffee when they saw the title to this thread? LMAO; I was like these kids are getting bold as hell...

Wait why is this funny haha, would love a dose of self-awareness if I'm missing something

Because of how weird this concept is.

Secondment is usually used for established associates to either 1) create a pipeline to going in-house at a client or 2) strengthen client relations generally (I'm sure there are other reasons). For a law student to already be thinking about secondment, the title comes across as though you are planning to request to spend a chunk of your "summer associate position" (which is literally just drinking and socializing) doing the partners' jobs by focusing on client relations and business development.

Can you tell us what firm is doing this?

[jotarokujo]

i'd probably take it. secondments are known to be more chill than working at the firm. my friend seconded as a corporate summer at an nyc firm, and he went on to have a great career. i wouldn't see it as weird at all, it's probably going to be good experience

Am I missing something here? There is objectively nothing more chill than being a summer associate. Most of my summer associate class spent the summer eating lavish lunches and laying on the floor of their offices hungover becauase of the 'mandatory' open bar events every night. And every summer afterwards was the same until covid (except for that one summer they tried to ban hard liquor for 'health purposes')

the marginal amount you learn from the additional weeks at the firm is almost certainly going to be less than what you'll get out of the weeks in-house. But that experience is useless if you have no interest in going in house, so i'd say that's the determining factor

[almostperfectt]

i'd probably take it. secondments are known to be more chill than working at the firm. my friend seconded as a corporate summer at an nyc firm, and he went on to have a great career. i wouldn't see it as weird at all, it's probably going to be good experience

Am I missing something here? There is objectively nothing more chill than being a summer associate. Most of my summer associate class spent the summer eating lavish lunches and laying on the floor of their offices hungover becauase of the 'mandatory' open bar events every night. And every summer afterwards was the same until covid (except for that one summer they tried to ban hard liquor for 'health purposes')

the marginal amount you learn from the additional weeks at the firm is almost certainly going to be less than what you'll get out of the weeks in-house. But that experience is useless if you have no interest in going in house, so i'd say that's the determining factor

Why did you quote me if you were going to fail to acknowledge anything I said?

Also, if you're talking about learning anything substantive at a firm from its summer program, you clearly have no idea what you're talking about.

[pavementfan]

Did anybody else spit out their Irish coffee when they saw the title to this thread? LMAO; I was like these kids are getting bold as hell...

Wait why is this funny haha, would love a dose of self-awareness if I'm missing something

Because of how weird this concept is.

Secondment is usually used for established associates to either 1) create a pipeline to going in-house at a client or 2) strengthen client relations generally (I'm sure there are other reasons). For a law student to already be thinking about secondment, the title comes across as though you are planning to request to spend a chunk of your "summer associate position" (which is literally just drinking and socializing) doing the partners' jobs by focusing on client relations and business development.

Can you tell us what firm is doing this?

Prefer not to for anonymity's sake but it's a big NY firm with a smaller DC practice I guess you can say. I didn't even know a secondment was a "thing" until I received an email about this opportunity and it would certainly not cross my mind to ever request something like that. I know summer is all about socializing, but figured it could be an interesting 2-week experience, that's all.

[pavementfan]

i'd probably take it. secondments are known to be more chill than working at the firm. my friend seconded as a corporate summer at an nyc firm, and he went on to have a great career. i wouldn't see it as weird at all, it's probably going to be good experience

Am I missing something here? There is objectively nothing more chill than being a summer associate. Most of my summer associate class spent the summer eating lavish lunches and laying on the floor of their offices hungover becauase of the 'mandatory' open bar events every night. And every summer afterwards was the same until covid (except for that one summer they tried to ban hard liquor for 'health purposes')

the marginal amount you learn from the additional weeks at the firm is almost certainly going to be less than what you'll get out of the weeks in-house. But that experience is useless if you have no interest in going in house, so i'd say that's the determining factor

Right, I guess beyond learning I'm equally concerned about the "building relationships component". I am certainly interested in eventually working in-house, though not at this company and not on the West Coast.

[stickershocked]

I think you will regret not summering at the firm.

[pavementfan]

I think you will regret not summering at the firm.

I would be doing 2 months at the firm and 2 weeks in-house.

[stickershocked]

I think you will regret not summering at the firm.

I would be doing 2 months at the firm and 2 weeks in-house.

Based on the information you've provided, sounds like pretty limited upside. And on top of that, one thing that people are picking up on (which is 100% true for me), which is difficult to overstate, is that being a summer associate is literally the peak of your career.

[pavementfan]

I think you will regret not summering at the firm.

I would be doing 2 months at the firm and 2 weeks in-house.

Based on the information you've provided, sounds like pretty limited upside. And on top of that, one thing that people are picking up on (which is 100% true for me), which is difficult to overstate, is that being a summer associate is literally the peak of your career.

I think this is all I needed to hear! Thanks for the (kindly put) advice

[Anonymous User]

It is a demand and not a request.

What do you think will happen if you say no to a demand before you're even a full-time employee?

[otisreadingcomp]

If this is the firm I think it is, you really do not have to do a secondment. They allow for those, but the summer is much more fun at the firm than working on secondment.

This being said you will get some nice experience, but it's really not worth it yet in my opinion.

[pavementfan]

It is a demand and not a request.

What do you think will happen if you say no to a demand before you're even a full-time employee?

from

It's emphatically not a demand, not even close...

[nixy]

It is a demand and not a request.

What do you think will happen if you say no to a demand before you're even a full-time employee?

Pretty sure an option offered to all summer associates isn't a demand, or they could just...demand it.

[Anonymous User]

I did a few weeks at a client during my 1L summer and it was worth it because (1) even less work than at the firm, (2) completely remote so I went on vacation, (3) less stressful re quality of work product / no expectation to socialize.

Don't think I'd give up those weeks at the firm 2L, though.

[Anonymous User]

This is definitely a choice and was offered to all associates. I could take it or leave it. It would be for a little under 1/3rd of the big law summer and all housing/transportation expenses would be covered. More of an opportunity than an obligation. There are a lot of 1L diversity programs where you split between a firm and a company, so my sense is that this is similar.

So this is Morgan Lewis?