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!

Past Virtual Events

See Yourself at Sidley: An Introduction to Sidley and Mastering the Art of Networking
Tuesday, November 19, 2024

See Yourself at Sidley: Transactional Practice Group Overview
Wednesday, January 22, 2025

See Yourself at Sidley: Litigation Practice Group Overview
Tuesday, February 11, 2025

See Yourself at Sidley: Regulatory and Enforcement Practice Group Overview
Monday, March 3, 2025

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 inclusion 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.

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 expanded on the success of this program with the Built to Succeed® Scholarship. The Built to Succeed® Scholarship is awarded to a limited number of second-year law students who show exceptional leadership qualities, have strong academic performance, and whose unique backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences will contribute to an inclusive and dynamic law firm. Students are recognized for their capacity to lead and serve, as well as their commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities. At Sidley, we are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion, equal opportunity, and fairness within the legal profession. We encourage scholarship applicants to thoughtfully demonstrate how their experiences, values, and aspirations align with these principles.

The Built to Succeed® 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
  • Applicants must submit a personal statement (500 words or less) addressing the qualifications for the Built to Succeed® Scholarship. Applicants are encouraged to discuss what they believe gives them the potential to be an exceptional leader and how those characteristics could benefit the legal profession and Sidley.

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

• Overcoming Adversity: Personal experiences navigating socioeconomic challenges, first-generation college or law school attendance, or overcoming systemic barriers in pursuit of education and career goals.
• Resilience: Demonstrated ability to navigate complex personal or professional challenges while making meaningful contributions to academic, professional, or community settings.
• Intellectual Curiosity and Critical Thinking: A track record of engaging with different viewpoints, challenging assumptions, and fostering constructive dialogue on legal and social issues.
• Commitment to Community Engagement: A history of community advocacy, service, or leadership, whether through volunteer work, lived experience or mentorship.
• 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® Scholarship is intended to defray the costs of the recipients’ legal education.

Application Timeline

The Built to Succeed® 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. 

Past Virtual Events

See Yourself at Sidley: An Introduction to Sidley and Mastering the Art of Networking
Tuesday, November 19, 2024

See Yourself at Sidley: Transactional Practice Group Overview
Wednesday, January 22, 2025

See Yourself at Sidley: Litigation Practice Group Overview
Tuesday, February 11, 2025

See Yourself at Sidley: Regulatory and Enforcement Practice Group Overview
Monday, March 3, 2025

Additional Resources

Built to Lead℠
Sidley Learning & Development
Chambers Associate Profile

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.

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 a required 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

Sidley’s 2026 2L Summer Associate job application portal will open on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. Sidley is offering two online application review timeframes for candidates to consider: a “See Sidley Sooner” Early Application Period and a General Application Period. Applying directly through Sidley’s job portal is the most effective way to apply for a summer associate position with Sidley. Please note that this year the majority of Sidley’s offices will not participate in On-Campus Interviews (OCI). For more information, please view our timeline below.

SIDLEY’S 2L SUMMER ASSOCIATE 2026 APPLICATION TIMELINE

SIGN UP TO RECEIVE A NOTIFICATION WHEN OUR 2L APPLICATION OPENS

1Ls

Individual Sidley offices hire first-year law students for summer associate positions. The firm generally considers applications from November to February. At this time, the 1L application process is closed. Please check back next fall for information regarding the application process for 1L positions in our 2026 Summer Associate Program.

Built to Succeed® Scholarship

Sidley will award a limited number of the Built to Succeed® Scholarships in the amount of $50,000 (less any applicable withholdings and taxes) to selected 2026 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® Scholarship page.

How to Apply

To apply for the Built to Succeed® 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® 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.