Summer Program

The environment at Pryor Cashman is informal, eclectic, and friendly. Office doors are open, partners and associates mingle, and lawyers and staff greet each other by their first name.

Our summer associates become a part of our firm on their first day at our offices. From virtually the moment they walk in the door, they get involved in real cases, real deals, and real lawyering – work that gives a clear demonstration of what it’s like to be a practicing attorney at our firm.

We hire summer associates expecting that they will return to Pryor Cashman as lawyers and typically ask just three to five attorneys to join our summer associate program. With only a handful of slots available each year, we look for likeminded talent from the outset, students with exceptional aptitude whose attitude and approach resonate with our own.

Pryor Cashman regularly receives top rankings in Vault's Best Midsize Law Firms in New York list. Anonymous comments from our associates praise their experience at the firm:

  • “Very congenial.”
  • “Great work-life balance.”
  • “...I'd like to remain here and can see my future here.”

Hear From Our Former Summer Associates

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We take great pride in the fact that over the past nine consecutive years, we have made offers to 100% of our summer associates for full-time employment, all of which have been accepted.

“'What do you think?' is not normally a question a Summer Associate expects to hear. By the end of my summer at Pryor Cashman, however, I grew accustomed to my work having a real impact and my input being respected by partners and associates alike.”

Itai RazCounsel

Assignments

In Pryor Cashman's summer program, there is no formal rotation system. Instead, to experience the diversity of our clientele and practice areas, summer associates receive work assignments in many different practice groups. Additionally, we make every effort to tailor assignments to each associate's specific interests.

While working closely with seasoned lawyers, summer associates are given substantive, practical legal training and "real world" experience in as many practice groups as they want to explore.

Training + Evaluation

We train and mentor our summer associates as intensively and enthusiastically as we do our full-time attorneys. Hands-on training is the norm, and we take every opportunity to include summer associates in meetings, negotiations, closings, depositions, and court appearances. We prefer to assign discrete but fairly complex questions that call upon them to demonstrate creative thinking, research, and analysis, while still working closely with our partners and more senior associates.

Because of the small size of our summer class, and the firm's lean approach to staffing, our summer associates, genuinely learn by doing. Working side-by-side with partners and senior associates, they receive one-on-one training to help refine their work product and develop their legal skills -- rare in most summer programs. The close contact enables them to form real relationships with our lawyers and receive valuable feedback and guidance on their work.

At the end of the program, we meet with each summer associate individually to review their overall performance. Our decision concerning full-time employment is generally shared at the time our summer associates complete their season with us.

1L Summer Associate Fellowship

Pryor Cashman is dedicated to fostering diversity, individuality, equity, and inclusion both within the firm and across the legal profession. As a 1L Summer Associate Fellow, you will be a part of Pryor Cashman’s Summer Associate program, gaining valuable experience and responsibilities that provide a realistic idea of what being an attorney at the firm is like. 1L Summer Associate Fellows are required to spend 10 weeks at the firm and are compensated at the same rate as our 2L Summer Associates.

Program Eligibility:

We’re looking for candidates who demonstrate exceptional personal and professional experience and contribute diverse life experiences to our firm culture. Candidate eligibility for this position requires students to currently be in their 1L year at an ABA-accredited law school in the U.S, and must establish they maintain excellent academic performance, communication skills, and leadership at their schools, within their previous professional roles and in the broader community. Candidates must be authorized to work in the U.S and demonstrate their strong commitment to Pryor Cashman and joining the firm full-time upon graduation from law school.

Application Process:

Our 2027 1L application process will open on November 13, 2026. Your completed online application must include the following materials: an updated resume, your undergraduate transcript (official or unofficial will suffice), a complete first-semester transcript from your law school, if available (official or unofficial will suffice), and a statement addressing your interest in diversity and inclusion and how you will continue to promote diversity in the legal community (750 – 1,000 words).

Summer Program Contact

Our application process for 2027 1L candidates will open on November 13, 2026, and our application process for 2028 2L candidates will open on December 15, 2026.