Orientation and Training
Law students who participate in the firm's summer program receive a realistic experience of the Parr Brown culture and practice. Students work on actual client matters and attend trials, hearings, depositions and client meetings—when appropriate. Summer clerks are given the broadest possible experience by working with many different attorneys in the firm.
The Summer Clerk Program Coordinators have the primary responsibility for overseeing work and social activities. A weekly meeting is held for summer clerks, during which assignments, social activities, and other functions are planned and coordinated.
Each attorney that assigns work is encouraged to provide an informal evaluation directly to the summer associate. In addition, the attorneys complete written evaluations for each project assigned. Evaluation reports are submitted to the firm's Recruiting Committee for reference in discussions with individual associates during periodic work reviews. Summer clerks can expect to have two formal reviews—a mid-summer review and a final review.
On several occasions during the summer, representatives of different practice groups meet with the summer clerks to discuss their respective practice area and to provide practical instruction on an aspect of the attorney's work. These short seminars provide helpful information for beginning practitioners and reflect the firm's ongoing commitment to practice development.
Associates that join the firm after graduation participate in a nine-session training program including such topics as getting along with opposing counsel, entity selection considerations, essentials of pleadings, real property transactions and documents, written discovery, due diligence in commercial transactions and taking depositions.
"Summer associates are made to feel welcome and offered the same courtesy and respect as a senior partner. The attorneys are genuinely interested in training the summer associates and getting to know them personally. Summers complete a wide variety of challenging and stimulating projects. Parr Brown is a place where you look forward to work each day."
Jonathan Brinton, University of Virginia
Joined the firm in 2005
