Summer Program

Our "See Yourself at Sidley" virtual programming, specifically designed for law students, offers a unique opportunity for aspiring legal professionals to gain an in-depth understanding of Sidley, our people and our summer program. Join us and see what makes Sidley a remarkable place to launch and grow your legal career. We look forward to welcoming you to our virtual programming!

Upcoming Virtual Events

See Yourself at Sidley: An Introduction to Sidley and Mastering the Art of Networking
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
3:30-4:15 pm ET | 2:30-3:15 pm CT | 12:30-1:15 pm PT
Register Here

Your Career Begins Here

The goal of Sidley’s summer program is to provide law students with a realistic experience of what it is like to be a lawyer at Sidley. As a summer associate, you can expect the opportunity to work on substantive and complex matters, as well as participate in a variety of training and professional development programs.

Our 2025 Summer Program balances local office programming with national firm events. From professional development seminars and pro bono panels to diversity and well-being sessions, our program is an enriching and rewarding experience.

See yourself at Sidley. Hear from our lawyers about how Sidley’s summer associate program has impacted their careers.

Limitless Opportunities

In most offices, you are able to choose your own assignments and create a workflow that best suits your professional interests. We also provide practical on-the-job training, such as writing seminars, mock trials, and mock negotiation exercises, to help you build your skillset and sharpen your critical thinking.

We offer a world of opportunities to make your mark – join our summer associate program and discover why Sidley is a great place to begin your career.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Summer Program

Sidley has long been one of the most prominent and progressive proponents of law firm diversity, creating opportunities for lawyers of all backgrounds regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, physical ability or beliefs. Our programs support diverse and women law students and lawyers each step of the way in their career – from law school, to the first day as a summer associate and into partnership.

In 2022, Sidley launched Built to Lead®, an executive leadership program uniquely designed to help associates become world-class, business-savvy lawyers. This program features MBA-level executive training at top business schools along with professional development and personal career coaching opportunities.

We are proud to expand on the success of this program with the Built to Succeed Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship^℠. The Built to Succeed Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship℠ will be awarded to a limited number of second-year law students who show exceptional leadership qualities and have demonstrated contributions to equity and inclusion initiatives. Students are recognized for their capacity to lead and serve, as well as their commitment to making a significant impact on inclusion efforts in their schools and communities. We are excited to launch this scholarship as part of our mission to continually attract, retain, and promote to partnership and leadership, outstanding lawyers who share the firm’s commitment to diversity and inclusion and reflect the communities we serve.

The Built to Succeed Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship℠ awards $50,000 (less any applicable withholdings and taxes) to selected Sidley 2L summer associates. Scholarship recipients will receive $25,000 upon joining Sidley as a summer associate, and the remaining $25,000 will be paid after joining the firm as a full-time associate. Leadership development opportunities will be available for scholarship recipients during the summer program.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

A scholarship applicant must:

• Be a full-time law student in the second year of classes at an accredited law school.
• Receive and accept an offer for a summer associate position with Sidley.
• Submit the following documents:
  • Resume
  • Current law school transcript
  • Completed application form
  • Personal statement (500 words or less) addressing the qualifications for the Built to Succeed Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship℠, including a description of the applicant’s strengths; contributions, through community service or otherwise, to equity and inclusion initiatives in an academic or professional setting; and how they have overcome adversity, such as a personal or family history of educational or socioeconomic disadvantage, and have demonstrated the tenacity and talent to excel in the legal profession. Applicants are encouraged to discuss what they believe makes them a great leader and how those characteristics could benefit them in the legal profession and at Sidley.

Scholarship recipients will be selected from among the eligible applicants who have demonstrated academic excellence and leadership qualities, including through:

• Demonstrated ability to overcome adversity, such as first-in-family college attendance or socioeconomic disadvantage;
• Ability to bring a unique perspective to the firm based on life experiences;
• Demonstrated contributions to equity and inclusion initiatives or to equity and inclusion more generally, among all underrepresented groups in the legal profession;
• Other exemplary contributions.

Expectations of Scholarship Recipients

• Scholarship recipients must receive and accept an offer to join Sidley’s summer associate program for its entirety after their second year of law school.
• Sidley’s Built to Succeed Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship℠ is intended to defray the costs of the recipients’ legal education.

How to Apply

To apply for the Built to Succeed Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship℠, applicants must submit their resume, current law school transcript, a completed application form, and a personal statement.

Please contact Tabitha Hill with any questions regarding the scholarship: tabitha.hill@sidley.com.

Application Timeline

The Built to Succeed Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship℠ application is now closed. Please check back in the spring for information regarding next year’s application process.

Please note that the scholarship application is not an application for employment. You must apply separately for a summer associate position.

We know that you’ll be thoroughly researching the law firms you’ll be interviewing with, and we want to help you learn as much about Sidley as possible. We hope you find the resources on this page useful in preparing to meet us during the recruiting season.

For more information, see How to Apply.

Upcoming Virtual Events

See Yourself at Sidley: An Introduction to Sidley and Mastering the Art of Networking
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
3:30-4:15 pm ET | 2:30-3:15 pm CT | 12:30-1:15 pm PT
Register Here

Additional Resources

2L Recruiting Application Timeline
Opportunity Without Limits
Built to Lead℠
Sidley Learning & Development
Chambers Associate Profile
Built to Succeed Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship℠

Check Us Out in Vault

Each year, we interview accomplished students at top law schools for our summer associate program, seeking candidates we believe will be successful associates and ultimately develop into future partners of the firm. In addition to academic success, Sidley values drive, integrity, confidence, leadership, and maturity as well as strong interpersonal skills.

APPLY HERE FOR 1L SUMMER ASSOCIATE POSITIONS

Sidley uses the Suited Assessment as part of our candidate evaluation and recruitment process to expand our consideration of candidates beyond traditional hiring metrics. Information on what is measured by the assessment, Suited’s data retention policies, and how to request a reasonable accommodation may be found here. Completing the assessment is an optional part of our recruiting process and the assessment can be completed here. For more information regarding Sidley’s use of Suited, please contact us at sidleylegalrecruiting@sidley.com. To see the results of our AEDT bias audit required under New York City Local Law 144, please click here.

2Ls

This year, in addition to OCI recruiting at top schools around the country, Sidley is offering two online application review timeframes for candidates to consider: an Early Application Period and a General Application Period. Our Early Application Period for 2025 Summer Associate Applications will open on May 31, 2024. By participating in our Early Application Period, you will receive a decision from Sidley earlier in the recruitment process. For more information, please view our timeline below. 

1Ls

Individual Sidley offices occasionally hire first-year law students for summer associate positions. The firm generally considers applications from November to February. Interested 1Ls should click here to apply to the office(s) in which they are interested in working.

SIGN UP FOR 1L APPLICATION & ENGAGEMENT NOTIFICATIONS

Built to Succeed Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship^℠

Sidley will award a limited number of the Built to Succeed Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion Scholarships^℠ in the amount of $50,000 (less any applicable withholdings and taxes) to selected 2025 Sidley 2L summer associates. Scholarship recipients will receive $25,000 upon joining Sidley as a summer associate and the remaining $25,000 will be paid after joining the firm as a full-time associate.

For more information, visit the Built to Succeed Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship^℠ page.

How to Apply

To apply for the Built to Succeed Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship℠, applicants must submit their resume, current law school transcript, a completed application form, and a personal statement.

Please contact Tabitha Hill with any questions regarding the scholarship, tabitha.hill@sidley.com.

Application Timeline

The Built to Succeed Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion Scholarship℠ application is now closed. Please check back in the spring for information regarding next year’s application process.

Please note that the scholarship application is not an application for employment. You must apply separately for a summer associate position.

Recruiting Contacts

If you have questions about the summer associate program or recruiting process, please reach out to the contact in your office of interest.

Boston: Lauryn Bronstein, lbronstein@sidley.com
Chicago: Olivia Schmit, CHLegalRecruiting@sidley.com
Dallas: Kate Robinson, kate.robinson@sidley.com
Houston: Ellie Tamplain, ellie.tamplain@sidley.com
Century City/Los Angeles: Susan McGrady, smcgrady@sidley.com
Miami: Taylor Baker, taylor.baker@sidley.com
New York: Katrina Heinig, kheinig@sidley.com
Palo Alto: Lauren Johnston, lauren.johnston@sidley.com
San Francisco: Lauren Johnston, lauren.johnston@sidley.com
Washington, D.C.: Sarah Bergen, sbergen@sidley.com

EEO Statement

Sidley is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applications will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, religion, disability, citizenship status, national origin, veteran status and any other factor protected by applicable law.