Starting your first legal job as a summer associate at a Big Law firm can feel daunting. After soaking up doctrine during a year or two of school, it can be challenging to move from the theoretical to actual practice. A few basic tips will smooth the transition from new hire to summer associate pro. Entering a Big Law environment can be intimidating, but remember, every attorney there was once in your shoes.

Get to know the humans beyond the hustle. A huge part of figuring out whether a firm is a good fit is whether you like the people, so embrace the social aspect of your summer. While many lunches with attorneys were spent talking about navigating the job, many were also focused on dissecting the NBA finals, spoiling the new season of “Love Island,” and laughing about what Olympic event we thought we could qualify for if we trained for a year straight.

If getting to know busy attorneys feels overwhelming, start with your fellow summer associates. You’ll likely turn to your peers for help before approaching a supervising attorney, so appreciate that you’re all on the same team and navigate the process together.

Some of my favorite moments were when office neighbors knocked on my door just to say hello. These interactions frequently created valuable bonding opportunities for us to share what we were working on and to learn from one another.

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