Summer Associate Program

Where excellence meets opportunity

Commit to the future of law.

Choosing to summer at Goodwin means committing to excellence, interacting with the world's most leading and innovative clients, and experiencing life as an associate alongside the most talented and elite legal minds.

What does excellence look like at Goodwin? It starts with you.

Designed to be a comprehensive and engaging experience, our Summer Program is a launchpad for you to develop the skills, insight, and experience to confidently bring your expertise into the legal world.

With our guidance, you’ll grow your network, find valuable mentorship, and gain exposure to some of the world’s most recognizable companies and major players. During our ten-week program, you’ll be empowered to shape your own professional development and career aspirations while enjoying the experience alongside others equally driven to succeed.

The Goodwin Excellence Program provides a $50,000 stipend to eligible students who join our 2027 Summer Program and complete qualifying legal work during their 2026 1L summer.

Eligibility

2L candidates who accept an offer to join our 2027 Summer Program are eligible to receive the stipend (provided they spend their 2026 1L summer in a qualifying position).

Qualifying positions* may include:

At a company or organization aligned with Goodwin’s industries of focus: technology, life sciences, healthcare, private equity, investment funds, or real estate
At a public interest or nonprofit organization, government, or academic institution

*Subject to approval and conditions apply.

Stipend Details

The $50,000 stipend is paid in two installments:

$25,000 payable in Summer 2026 following confirmation of an approved qualifying 1L summer position; and
$25,000 payable upon the successful completion of the 2027 Goodwin Summer Program.

Students who accept an offer to join the 2027 Summer Program during or after Summer 2026 are eligible to receive only the second $25,000 installment, payable upon successful completion of the 2027 Summer Program.

Receipt of the first payment is subject to a clawback provision if the student ultimately does not join Goodwin for the 2027 Summer Program. Receipt of the second payment is subject to the successful completion of the 2027 Goodwin Summer Program.

Complete an assessment by Suited. If you've already completed the assessment, log into your Suited account and share your results by accepting our invitation to connect. Please ensure that you use the same email address for both your application and assessment. Refer to their Student Resource Guide for more info.

Goodwin has partnered with Suited, a candidate screening platform, to help us better understand our applicants and expand access to our Summer Associate program. Our goal is to make the recruiting process as fair and seamless as possible, so that we can find candidates who will be fulfilled in their roles and complementary to our culture. Your results will be used as just one of many factors in evaluating your candidacy.

New York City Local Law No. 144 Notice: Pursuant to New York City Local Law No. 144, Goodwin provides the following disclosures: Goodwin uses the automated employment decision tool Suited to assess candidates who seek employment with the firm as attorneys, including candidates who reside in New York City. Suited exclusively collects and analyzes psychometric data provided by individual candidates during each candidate’s assessment. Goodwin retains candidate scores generated by Suited for three (3) years. For more information regarding Goodwin’s use of Suited, please contact Karen Rameika.

Goodwin’s most recent bias audit of Suited can be accessed here.

By The Numbers

13%

compound annual growth rate in firm revenue (2020-2024)

33

law schools represented in the 2026 class

99%

of Summer Associates receive an entry-level offer

92%

of Summer Associates accept their entry-level offer

Your Experience

Elite Work

Training

Mentorship

Culture

Pro Bono

Opportunity, Inclusion, Belonging

Goodwin’s Summer Associate Program really helped me get real-world experiences for the theoretical concepts I learned in law school and feel prepared to handle those topics in my day-to-day career.
Jordan Kijewski
Associate, Summer Class of 2023

One thing I really appreciated about the summer program is the free-thinking, welcoming culture at Goodwin where no question is too small and there’s always someone to help. That ongoing mentorship is something I saw as a summer associate, and it’s kept me here as a sixth year.
Ben Halper
Associate, Summer Class of 2019

The culture here is very innovative and people are always open to hearing about new and efficient ways of doing things.
Evelynn Chun
Associate, Summer Class of 2021

At every client meeting during my summer program, I was introduced as a new member of the team. That inclusion was a sign to me of a culture that encourages you to raise your hand, ask questions, and truly be part of the process.
Gabriel Choi
Associate, Summer Class of 2019

Finding Your Focus

With several core industries and services to choose from, finding the one for you is the first step. Hear from our lawyers about what to expect, highlights, and more.