You've got a friend. Many, in fact.
Life as a Summer Associate can be somewhat overwhelming. We know that. After all, you have a very short period of time in which to get to know the firm's lawyers, experience the firm's work, and demonstrate your abilities. With this in mind, we ask several of our lawyers to take primary responsibility for your stay at Foley Hoag and to offer you their guidance, counsel and support.
As a Summer Associate, you will have a mentor who will oversee your professional development. Your mentor will act as a source of information on all aspects of the firm and the Summer Program, help you to select work assignments, give advice on how to proceed with assignments, and assist in resolving issues such as conflicting deadlines. Your mentor will ensure that you receive feedback from your supervising lawyers and provide his or her own comments on all of your written work. Your mentor will see the progression of your work from the beginning to the end of the summer; as such, one thing is certain:
Feedback from your mentor is often some of the most valuable training you will receive.
We also ask a few of our First Associates to act as your "buddies" and take responsibility for your integration into life at the firm. They will introduce you to lawyers and staff, make sure that you have plenty of opportunities to meet and talk with your colleagues over lunch or in other situations, provide advice on life as a new lawyer at Foley Hoag, and answer any questions that you may be hesitant to ask of your mentor or our Legal Recruiting personnel.
Mentoring does not stop after your Summer Associate experience, though. Foley Hoag offers many opportunities for lawyers of all levels to seek guidance from other lawyers, civic leaders, and the corporate community, as well as opportunities to give back by serving as mentors. We thought we’d share three examples of programs of which we’re particularly proud:
- Foley Hoag is a founding member of The Boston Lawyers Group, a consortium of large Boston law firms, and government and corporate legal offices dedicated to increasing the number of lawyers of color practicing in Boston. Foley Hoag’s lawyers are highly active in the BLG’s efforts, serving on its Executive Committee, interviewing law students at BLG job fairs, mentoring local first year law students of color, and participating in career panels and mock interviews held for students at Boston-area law schools. The firm currently donates office space to the BLG's executive staff.
- Several Foley Hoag lawyers have participated in the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Boston’s Future Leaders program, a prestigious initiative that seeks to identify the leaders of tomorrow and engage them in the business and civic life of the community by providing a platform for professional development and significant opportunities for growth and exposure.
- Foley Hoag is also a long-time supporter of the efforts of The Partnership, Inc., an organization working to make a lasting change in the Boston community by fostering key relationships among existing and emerging leaders and developing programs to strengthen the retention of minority executives and professionals. A number of Foley Hoag Associates have served as Fellows of this program, and the firm provides office space to the executive staff of The Partnership.