Each summer Brooks Kushman hires four to six law students to participate in our summer associate program. The program is designed to expose the summer associate to all areas of our practice and to involve the summer associate actively in interesting and diverse legal matters. The firm hires summer associates with the hope and expectation that they will become associate attorneys at the firm.

Our firm will be participating in on-campus recruiting at select Michigan law schools in the fall.

We also will accept applications directly from the candidate. Click here for information on applying for a summer associate position.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Are only second year law students eligible for the summer associate program?
No. First year law students and, in exceptional cases, third year law students may apply.
Must I have a background in science or engineering to apply to your summer associate program?
For patent prosecution, a background in science or engineering is required. The firm offers other practice areas including trademarks and copyrights and litigation in which a scientific or engineering background is not a prerequisite.
Can I split the summer between Brooks Kushman and another law firm?
Yes. Candidates should note their interest in dividing the summer between law firms on their initial application.
What are the dates of your summer associate program?
Normally our summer associates join us between one and three weeks after the completion of the school year. However, because of the size of our firm, we can be flexible with regard to start and end dates.
When are decisions made about the hiring of law students for the summer associate program?
We typically make those decisions in February or March. However, special consideration will be made for outstanding candidates.
When are decisions made about the hiring of full-time associate positions?
Summer associates are given feedback throughout the program about their potential to join the firm as a full-time associate. Our summer associates are given priority in the hiring process, and our firm has a strong track record of making offers for full-time employment to our summer associates. The actual hiring decisions usually are made in the fall following their summer at the firm although the timing of the offer may vary.
What sort of training and what kind of experiences will I receive as a summer associate?
The firm makes every effort to craft projects and responsibilities consistent with an individual's interest and to cover all areas of intellectual property law so as to assist the law student with his or her future career decisions.
Will I have a mentor?
The firm provides a senior associate or partner as a mentor in the law student's expressed area of interest to insure that the summer experience is both enjoyable and beneficial to the individual and the firm.

Careers

“The environment at Brooks Kushman is conducive to learning and attractive to someone who is self-driven. I am free to search for new projects and work on them at my own pace. I enjoy learning about the aspects of intellectual property law that interest me most and getting a feel for what will be expected of me as an associate.”

~ Mike Van Eesbeek, 3L University of Windsor and Detroit Mercy Law Schools

“Everyone was willing to help the summer associates learn and they also included us in social activities. The assignments I was given allowed me to explore all the facets of patent law. One minute I’d be working on a research project and the next, I’d be writing an amendment; there was always something new to do.”

Summer Associates | Careers | Brooks Kushman P.C.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Careers

~ Mike Van Eesbeek, 3L University of Windsor and Detroit Mercy Law Schools

~ Rebecca Uryga, 3L DePaul University College of Law