Summer associate programs at Biglaw firms across the country have yet to begin, but the recruiting landscape already looks very different from even a few years ago. With law students now being heavily precruited and traditional interview programs playing a much smaller role, many future summers have already secured their spots well in advance. Against that backdrop, Vault has released its closely watched rankings of the best summer associate programs earlier than ever, arriving before summer programs have kicked off.
Hot on the heels of Vault’s rankings of the most prestigious law firms and the law firms with the best quality of life comes the career website’s ranking of the best summer associate programs in Biglaw. Junior associates (first- through third-year attorneys) who summered at their current firms were asked to rank their experiences on how much fun the program was and how well it prepared them for life at the firm through six different categories (attorney interactions, substantive assignments, training and mentoring, preparation for associate life, quality of events, and satisfaction with firm-sponsored social opportunities and social interactions). From those ratings, Vault ranked the best summer associate programs in three categories: Attorney Interactions, Career Development, and Social Experiences. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that several of the firms that made the Top 10 list for having the best quality of life made the Top 10 for having the best summer associate program.
There was once again a huge amount of movement in the Top 10 this year. Which firms made the cut? Without any further ado, here are the Top 10 Firms With the Best Summer Associate Programs based on Vault’s Annual Associate Survey for 2027:
- Clifford Chance US (+3)
- Morgan Lewis (+1)
- O’Melveny & Myers (-2)
- Eversheds Sutherland (+4)
- Williams & Connolly (+14)
- Wiley Rein (not ranked)
- Seward & Kissel (not ranked)
- Proskauer Rose (+23)
- Choate Hall Stewart (not ranked)
- Ropes & Gray (+37)
Clifford Chance, Morgan Lewis, O’Melveny, Ropes, and Proskauer each made appearances in the Top 10 for firms with the best quality of life. Let’s give these firms a round of applause for keeping their attorneys happy from their days as summers through their days as junior associates, and another round of applause for the previously unranked firms that finally made their way onto the list.
Here are the Top 3 Best Summer Programs for Attorney Interactions:
- Clifford Chance US
- Morgan Lewis
- Wiley Rein
Here are the Top 3 Best Summer Programs for Career Development:
- Eversheds Sutherland
- O’Melveny & Myers
- Clifford Chance US
Here are the Top 3 Best Summer Programs for Social Experiences:
- Clifford Chance US
- Williams & Connolly
- Wiley Rein
Congratulations to all 50 of the Biglaw firms that made the latest edition of the Vault Best Summer Associate Program rankings — and an even bigger congratulations to Clifford Chance for coming out on top in this ranking. How did your firm do? Email us, text us at (646) 820-8477, or tweet us @atlblog to let us know.
Best Law Firms to Work For (2027) [Vault]
Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on Linke
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