2L Summer Associate

Job Description

2027 2L Summer Associate – Birmingham | Thompson Coburn LLP

The Tone:
This is a seasonal early career role at Thompson Coburn LLP, located in Birmingham, AL. Thompson Coburn LLP is a prominent law firm that makes a significant commitment to its future talent pipeline, investing substantial resources to meticulously train and thoroughly prepare summer associates for successful careers in the legal profession. This comprehensive program is specifically designed to provide robust, real-world experience, enabling summer associates to perform substantive work for actual clients and thoughtfully explore diverse areas of legal practice that align with their individual interests. The firm deeply values its summer associates, considering them essential to its long-term success and embodying its overarching mission of Total Commitment to its clients, its people, and its community through this dedicated investment in talent.

The TL;DR
• Role: Early Career
• Type: Seasonal
• Location: In-person, Birmingham, AL

• Mission: To actively participate in a comprehensive 10-week summer program, gaining practical legal experience, deeply learning the firm’s unique culture and diverse practice areas, and contributing meaningfully to its core mission of total commitment to clients, colleagues, and the wider community.

What You’ll Actually Do
• Perform Client Work: Execute substantive, real legal work for actual clients, providing valuable contributions to ongoing cases, transactions, and various legal projects, thereby developing crucial practical legal skills.
• Explore Practice Areas: Proactively utilize the firm’s unique work assignment system to thoroughly explore and gain valuable exposure to individual areas of legal interest, tailoring the summer experience to personal career aspirations.
• Receive Mentorship: Regularly engage in structured meetings with both an assigned partner mentor and an associate mentor, benefiting from their extensive experience, personalized guidance, and strategic career advice.
• Learn Firm Operations: Acquire an in-depth, holistic understanding of the firm’s distinctive culture, its wide array of practice areas, and the operational nuances and collaborative environment across its different offices.
• Engage with Firm Mission: Actively learn how the firm successfully executes its overarching mission of Total Commitment to its clients, its people, and its community, participating in firm-wide initiatives and social events.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Currently enrolled as a second-year law student (2L), actively pursuing and demonstrating strong progress towards an anticipated Juris Doctor degree, expected in 2027. Career level: Entry-Level.
• Experience: None explicitly stated as a prerequisite for this 10-week summer associate program.
• Skills: Strong capabilities in Legal Research, Legal Writing, Analytical Thinking, and Professional Communication are fundamental domain skills essential for successfully performing real work for clients and engaging with mentors.