Memorial Day has come and gone, and in the legal profession, that means that summer associate season is nearly upon us. Soon, scores of law students will descend upon the largest firms across the country to experience the best of what Biglaw has to offer. These firms spare no expense to impress their would-be associates with fun times — and fun work, too.
But what matters most to summer associates, and which firms did they like best heading into the summer?
The 2025 Summer Associates Survey, conducted by Law360 Pulse, includes a number of insights into the summer associate world, and what seems to be at the top of law students’ minds is job security. Just like last year, summer associates remain highly concerned about not receiving an offer, with 28% of survey respondents reporting that as their biggest worry. On the bright side, that’s down from 37%, which was the concern level on being no-offered Law360 logged in 2024.
Students are also quite worried about their ability to connect with colleagues and receive appropriate mentoring (23%), as well as their ability to manage their workload (23%). While we know it’s easier said than done, law students do not need to be this anxious — you will be okay, and we’re fairly confident that the vast majority of you will exit your summer associate programs with a job offer in hand.
Now, before we get to the “dream” firm rankings, let’s discuss the methodology used by Law360 Pulse. Law student survey respondents — made up of 55% 1Ls, 42% 2Ls, and about 3% 3Ls, part-time, or evening students — ranked firms by geography, diversity of practice areas, firm reputation, culture, personal fit, billable hour expectations, partnership prospects, and alumni networks.
Without further ado, here are the top firms on the Top 25 “Dream” Firm list:
1. Kirkland: 76 mentions
2. Latham: 52 mentions
3. Sidley: 26 mentions
4. Holland & Knight: 24 mentions
5. Jones Day: 23 mentions
6. Morrison Foerster: 22 mentions
7. Skadden: 21 mentions
8. White & Case: 20 mentions
9. Gibson Dunn: 19 mentions
9. Greenberg Traurig: 19 mentions
9. Norton Rose: 19 mentions
9. Vinson & Elkins: 19 mentions
Click here to see the full list.
Congratulations to all of the firms that earned the respect and appreciation of this season’s summer associates. Best of luck to these law students as they take the first steps into their budding careers.
What Do Summer Associates Want? These Firms [Law360]
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at 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 LinkedIn.
