For a law student, each summer associate experience is transformative. “If you had recorded me on my first day as a summer associate and then again on my last day, I think you would see how much I grew professionally. The confidence that I built during my summers at Hinckley Allen was incredible,” said associate Emily M. Covey who spent two summers with the firm before joining full-time in 2021. Covey shares her thoughts on how these two summers with the firm prepared her for her legal career.
How did you become a summer associate at Hinckley Allen?
The opportunity to become a summer associate after my 1L year came through the Cultural Diversity Initiative program at UCONN Law. I worked as a summer associate first in 2019. The attorneys and staff at Hinckley Allen were welcoming and the experience was well rounded because I got to work with the various practice groups and many different attorneys at different levels.
I had such a positive experience that I was excited to return in 2020. Even though my second year here as a summer associate was remote due to the pandemic, the firm worked hard to make the experience dynamic and well-rounded again. They also focused on making sure the experience was fun and social, introducing us to many different attorneys across the offices via video. Despite the changing world, Hinckley Allen did a great job at adapting to it and still offering a robust program.
Tell us about the summer associate program.
Hinckley Allen tailored the program to include our interests and offer a lot of variety in the assignments we worked on which I appreciated. As a summer associate, we updated treatises and tracked the citation history of court cases to find out if the law in your cases is still considered “good law” or if it has been overturned or challenged. We also drafted memos based on research and during my second year here, I worked on a compendium for the firm which was a collection of what the state of Connecticut had adopted for liabilities under COVID-19 cases which was a very timely project.
I made it my mission to learn from attorneys in different practice groups and the summer associate program at Hinckley Allen encouraged that. During my two summers here, I found that I enjoyed the type of collaboration that comes from transactional work. It was that experience that made it clear to me that I wanted to join the corporate practice which is where I work today.
At the end of each summer associate experience, you have a full evaluation where you meet with not only the advisor that has been helping you, but also legal talent management. They gather evaluations and feedback from the attorneys you’ve worked with about your work product, and also soft skills like professionalism, communication, and how you connect with people in the office. These skills are crucial to providing excellent client service and allow you to collaborate effectively with your team at the firm.
What is the culture like at Hinckley Allen?
Hinckley Allen is a very welcoming place. Even as a summer associate, I felt comfortable working closely with my colleagues and the attorneys. Communication is very open at the firm, and everyone genuinely wants you to succeed.
No one in my family has a legal background, so I really had no idea what to expect coming into a law firm. Thankfully, the summer associate liaisons, Partners Mike Tentindo in the Boston office and Dave DeBassio in Hartford, help guide you through the summer experience, along with assigned mentors. They become your point person for any work or personal questions that might come up during your time at the firm. You also have partner and associate mentors who take you out to lunch and check in on you throughout the summer to make sure that your experience is engaging and fulfilling. Having a support system made it a lot less intimidating.
I left both summers with deep gratitude for Hinckley Allen. A lot of my peers had their 2020 summer associate programs canceled and Hinckley Allen understood how vital summer experiences are for law students and they made it happen.
What advice do you have for summer associates?
I want to encourage summer associates to keep their options and minds open to new experiences. When you are a lawyer, you are a lifelong learner. If you approach your summer associate program with curiosity and a willingness to learn, you will leave with skills, connections, and relationships that will enhance and shape your career.
Learn more about the Summer Associate program here.
