Summer Associates
Join Our Team
Law students interested in applying to our summer associate program from either the University of Colorado Law School or the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, should apply through their on-campus interview program.
Applicants from out-of-state law schools should submit their materials through the link below.
The deadline for out-of-state students to apply for 2024 summer associate positions is July 10, 2023.
We look for top-performing, motivated law students who are seeking a career with a dynamic and thriving firm. If you share our firm values of excellence, respect, community, shared commitment and integrity, we invite you to apply for a summer associate position to learn more about us.
Summer associates at Otten Johnson are given substantive projects from all of the firm’s practice areas, as well as opportunities to attend hearings and meetings with clients and other parties. Of course, summer associates have opportunities to meet with all members of the firm community—professional staff and attorneys alike—to socially integrate into the firm.
FAQs
What is Otten Johnson’ s summer associate program like?
After assigning a dedicated associate mentor to each summer associate, our program provides hands-on experience in all of our practice areas. Attorneys from each practice area assign projects through our director Summer Program Coordinator not only to ensure the proper distribution of workload, but also to acquaint summer associates with the breadth of the firm’s practice – and with as many attorneys as possible. When possible, we make an effort to account for a summer associate’s practice area interest(s) when assigning projects.
What are the career prospects for summer associates?
Unlike many firms, we do not hire an inflated number of summer associates, only to hire a few associates. We instead hire the number of summer associates we expect to need as full-time associates such that each summer associate has the opportunity to earn an offer for full-time employment following graduation.
Through recruitment via law schools (both in the form of on-campus interview programs and soliciting applications) and direct recruitment, our Recruiting Committee works to identify candidates who will excel at Otten Johnson not only as summer associates, but also as attorneys. One benefit of our approach is to promote collaboration – instead of competition – among summer associates, an ingredient key to success at the firm.
How do you evaluate summer associates?
We evaluate how well summer associates demonstrate our firm values of excellence, respect, community, shared commitment and integrity. Summer associates receive direct, project-specific and prompt feedback from our assigning attorneys. More importantly, we schedule formal evaluations at the middle and end of the summer, carefully designed to gauge whether each summer associate is progressing satisfactorily.
What is the firm’s billable hour requirement for full-time attorneys?
Our expectation is that attorneys will bill at least 1,750 hours annually.
What is the salary for summer associates?
$3,075.00 per week.
What is the starting salary for new associates?
$170,000.00 per year.
