Law Students
Overview
Please select an open position below to apply online.
Faegre Drinker was founded on core values of integrity, excellence, diversity and inclusion, shared commitment, teamwork and collaboration, mutual respect and service to others. Our culture is firmly rooted in relentless client focus and mutual trust that empowers collaboration. We are committed to our communities and to building a diverse and inclusive firm that reflects those communities and our clients.
What We Offer
Engaging work and supportive mentors make Faegre Drinker an ideal first – and hopefully last – place for law students to work. Beginning with our summer associate program, we provide support and training to help law students and new lawyers build the skills and behaviors to grow a sophisticated legal practice and develop rewarding client relationships.
Who We’re Seeking
Law students who have strong academic records, entrepreneurial spirits, diverse perspectives and collaborative mindsets will find opportunities to succeed and eventually develop into successful partners or long-term contributors with national reputations.
How You’ll Grow
Summer associates receive a hands-on, meaningful experience. We encourage your growth with challenging work, intensive professional development programs, personalized mentoring and coaching, and respectful yet candid feedback. You’ll be able to participate in pro bono work and connect with peers and our lawyers throughout the summer.
When and Where to Join Us
Our summer program will begin in June and is available in many of our U.S. offices. Programs include our Chicago, Dallas, Des Moines, Denver, Florham Park, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., offices. Our needs in each office vary so please be sure to check out our job openings for a list of offices seeking summer associates for this coming summer.
Career Development
Jumpstarting Your Practice
New associates participate in a firmwide orientation program to integrate into the firm and understand law firm life. In addition to covering benefits and technology, we hold interactive programs and panel discussions on topics such as the basics of lawyering and working with support professionals, so you can hit the ground running.
Building Your Career
We provide training on topics critical to success in today’s legal environment, including:- Practice and technical skill proficiency
- Development of behavioral competencies
- Understanding the business of operating a law firm
- Business development
- Client service
Mentoring for Success
We connect each associate with an advisor who focuses on career development and planning. Associates actively participate in their career planning by communicating practice goals and objectives. By collaborating closely with senior lawyers on legal work, associates experience valuable coaching.
Growing Through Feedback
Associates receive ongoing feedback from supervising lawyers so they can continually improve. Through our formal evaluation process, new lawyers are evaluated mid-year during their first year, and all lawyers are reviewed annually. Evaluations include a self-assessment, individual and group evaluations, and an in-person evaluation meeting with the lawyer's practice group.Community
Diversity & Inclusion
At Faegre Drinker, we promote a culture of diversity and inclusion. Through our commitment to progress and innovation on diversity and inclusion, Faegre Drinker is equipped to better understand the needs and objectives of our clients and communities. And by promoting the perspectives of professionals that span all dimensions of diversity, we create an inclusive workplace for our employees that helps address underrepresentation in the legal profession and fosters an environment of creativity, innovation and mutual respect.
Connected to the Community
Pro bono is part of who we are and what we do at Faegre Drinker, every day. Throughout our history, Faegre Drinker attorneys and staff have fought for the causes that appeal to their sense of justice and are important to our communities. Since 2015, we have devoted more than 230,000 hours to pro bono work, providing legal counsel, courtroom advocacy and skilled representation to a host of pro bono causes and clients.
Commitment to Justice & Equity
Together, we provided nearly 65,000 hours of pro bono service last year, working to ensure access to justice for all and making a positive difference in our communities.
Law firms are uniquely positioned to analyze and advocate to change laws and policies encouraging, perpetuating or allowing racial injustice, and much of our pro bono practice indirectly addresses the consequences of structural racism.
Core areas of pro bono focus include:
- Civil rights
- Voting rights
- Criminal justice
- Reentry and second chances
- Housing
Faegre Drinker Women
Faegre Drinker has been recognized as a top law firm for women. We are committed to supporting the recruitment, retention, advancement and leadership development of the firm’s women professionals by:
- Building connections
- Facilitating business and client development opportunities
- Benchmarking progress
- Collaborating on policies
- Offering training and other development programs
Rankings & Awards
We are a high-performance culture at Faegre Drinker. View our Rankings & Awards.
What Our Summer Associates Say
Inclusive Environment
"Faegre Drinker’s commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion is important to me as a daughter of immigrants and first-generation college graduate. Faegre Drinker’s commitment to diversity was exemplified all summer long from special programming during the Minnesota Summit. It was clear that it was important that Faegre Drinker gives diverse summer associates a space to feel welcomed and heard. Further, the Diversity & Inclusion group check-ins were reassuring of the firm’s commitment to help diverse attorneys succeed in their careers from the very beginning. The firm’s mindset that was emphasized throughout the summer served as a reminder to myself to always embrace my diversity because it contributes towards a well-rounded perspective in all places."
Noemi Aguirre, 2022 (Northwestern Pritzker School of Law), Chicago Office
Excellence Without Arrogance
"Faegre Drinker was the first law firm I ever interviewed with, and from that first interview, I had a feeling Faegre Drinker was the right firm for me. Faegre Drinker really stood out to me because I could tell that every person I spoke with not only genuinely enjoys working at the firm, but they also genuinely enjoy the people that they work with. Now after spending my summer at the Faegre Drinker Indianapolis office, I know that the welcoming and friendly environment that I experienced during the interview process really is the culture of the firm as a whole. I really appreciated the time and effort the Recruiting team put into planning and coordinating the summer associate program for us - they always made sure we had the resources we needed to be successful, and that we were having fun doing it! The whole Faegre Drinker team put such an emphasis on ensuring that summer associates got meaningful and enjoyable experiences, and that we made intentional connections throughout the firm. I especially appreciated the amount of time and effort each of the mentors, advisors, and work coordinators spent with us throughout the summer - their guidance and help was invaluable. Overall, I can't speak highly enough of my experience, and I am really looking forward to joining the Indianapolis office next fall!"
Tory Blackwell, 2022 (Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law), Indianapolis Office
Supportive Culture
"From day one, the partners, associates, and support staff welcomed and treated my summer class not as temporary interns, but as integral members of the overall organization. Faegre Drinker's commitment to teamwork and collaboration was evident through the variety of social events, professional development opportunities, and informal attorney networking across offices. Throughout the summer, I was able to work on a variety of projects in my practice groups of interest and see my final work products be shared with clients or other attorneys. Completing these real-life projects gave me confidence to start at the firm as a first-year associate and I could not be more excited to continue to work with, and learn from, the impressive members of the Faegre Drinker team."
Bob Bullington, 2022 (Loyola University Chicago School of Law), Chicago Office
Professional Development
"As a summer associate, I felt like Faegre Drinker prioritized my professional development from the moment I walked through the door. It’s called the practice of law for a reason, and Faegre Drinker immediately assigned me to real cases with challenging issues to practice law at a high level. Partners, associates, and staff consistently provided guidance and expertise, and I became a better researcher, writer, and advocate every day of the program. The summer made clear to me that everyone in the Faegre Drinker community is invested in my success, and I am now equally excited for and invested in the success of my peers, the firm, and our clients."
Ed DeLuca, 2022 (Temple University Beasley School of Law), Philadelphia Office
Diverse Perspectives
"From the beginning of the summer program, Faegre Drinker made it clear that diversity and inclusion was a central focus of the firm’s culture. As a diverse summer associate, I always felt that my voice was heard and that my opinions and experiences were respected by those around me. The Diversity Collective played a major role in this. Through diversity-focused programming and mentorship, they fostered positive relationships and provided summer associates with the resources needed to thrive at the firm. Furthermore, the Collective provided opportunities for diverse summer associates to come together."
Mason Medeiros, 2021/2022 (University of Minnesota Law School), Minneapolis Office
Challenging Work
"My summer with Faegre Drinker was the most valuable legal experience I've had so far. From my first week, I was working with both partners and associates on real client matters. In addition to providing quick and detailed feedback on my assignments, everyone I worked with made it a point to keep me involved in and updated on the status of cases and motions. The attorneys at Faegre are very welcoming and generous with their time, and I felt like a part of the team from day one. I am so excited to return as an associate next fall!"
Kaylee Racs, 2022 (Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, Arizona State University), Los Angeles Office
Mentorship & Support
"After participating in Faegre Drinker’s Summer Associate program during my 1L and 2L summers, I was confident in my decision to start my legal career at the firm’s Chicago office. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work at a large, prestigious law firm; however, as a diverse, first generation law student, I was anxious about whether I would fit into the culture of the firm during my 1L summer. Fortunately, my anxiety dissipated within the first few days of the program. I immediately felt welcomed, appreciated, and respected by every member of the Faegre Drinker team. One of the aspects I appreciated most about Faegre Drinker was that the firm structures its summer program to ensure that you will have support at every step of the way. Throughout the duration of the program, I was able to rely on my associate advisor, partner mentor, diversity mentor, work coordinator, and legal administrative assistant. Moreover, Faegre Drinker fosters an environment where I felt comfortable approaching any attorney or staff member to ask a question or seek help on an assignment. I am beyond grateful for the invaluable legal experience I gained and the genuine relationships I developed while working at Faegre Drinker these past two summers. There is no other firm I would rather start my career at, and I am thrilled that I have the opportunity to join the Chicago office next fall!"
Niko Spilson, 2021/2022 (Michigan State University College of Law), Fort Wayne Office
Recruitment Contacts
| Firm-Wide Contact | |
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Dyana Barninger Senior Director of Lawyer & Consultant Recruiting dyana.barninger@faegredrinker.com |
| Summer Program Contacts | |
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Emily Coveyou Associate Recruiting Manager Des Moines, Minneapolis emily.coveyou@faegredrinker.com |
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Frannie De Simone Associate Recruiting Manager Florham Park, New York frannie.desimone@faegredrinker.com |
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Lauren Murray Associate Recruiting Manager Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. lauren.murray@faegredrinker.com |
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Sarah Nestle Associate Recruiting Specialist Fort Wayne, Indianapolis sarah.nestle@faegredrinker.com |
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Nadine Ott Associate Recruiting Manager Chicago, Dallas nadine.ott@faegredrinker.com |
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Honna Swanson Associate Recruiting Coordinator Denver, Los Angeles honna.swanson@faegredrinker.com |