Where do you interview?
Thompson Coburn has participated in interviewing at the following locations:
Job Fairs
Cook County Bar Association Minority Job Fair (Chicago, IL)
Lavender Law Career Fair (Chicago, IL)
Southeastern Law School Consortium (Atlanta, GA)
St. Louis Diversity Job Fair (St. Louis, MO)
Law Schools
What is your review and formal interview process?
All resumes received are reviewed by a member of the legal recruiting department and a member of the Employment Committee. If a candidate is selected for an interview, a member of the legal recruiting team will contact the student by email to arrange a date and time that is convenient for the student.
What kind of candidate are you looking for?
When choosing whether to accept a candidate, we consider many factors. Significant weight is given to those with strong academic credentials and who are actively involved in their law school and community – this includes law journals, moot court/mock trial experience, extracurricular activities, volunteer work and prior work experience. These efforts show you can thrive in our dynamic environment. We equally value your potential to translate your legal education and experiences into the skills and client service approach that distinguishes Thompson Coburn from other law firms. Your ability to communicate effectively, listen attentively, work well with others and problem solve are tantamount to your success at Thompson Coburn.
Which offices hire law students?
We currently offer our Summer Associate Program to second-year laws students in our Chicago, Dallas, New York, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C. offices. While we typically hire more second-year law students, we do consider and accept first-year law students.
What is your approach to clerkships?
Typically, third-year law students that have been offered a full-time position upon graduation, but who have been given an opportunity to clerk are welcome to complete clerkships.
How long is the Summer Associate Program?
The program is typically 10 weeks long, and begins mid-to-late May.
How big is your Summer Associate Program?
We build our summer associate classes based on our projected future needs for attorneys in specific practice areas. When we hire summer associates, we are anticipating their transition into the firm after graduation from law school.
What is your acceptance rate?
All second-year summer associates are considered for a full-time position upon completion of law school. All first-year summer associates are considered for a second-year summer associate position. More information on acceptance rates is available on our NALP forms, located here.
Do you provide travel reimbursements?
All other reasonable travel costs will be reimbursed by the firm after the legal recruitment team receives a completed NALP reimbursement form. The form can be found here.
What is appropriate office attire?
Thompson Coburn has adopted a ‘Dress for your Day’ dress code that allows staff and attorneys the discretion to select appropriate dress related to their business needs on each workday. ‘Dress for your Day’ dress is intended to be more relaxed (up to and including jeans and/or athletic shoes) when staff and attorneys have a workday that does not involve meetings with clients, vendors, other professional meetings, etc. Consideration of a day’s activities should always be used when determining what to wear to the office, and it is the expectation that clothing appropriate for the nature of that day’s business be worn.
Can summer associates pursue pro bono opportunities?
Thompson Coburn encourages all of its lawyers to participate in pro bono activities for which we give credit as for billable work.
Does the firm have any diversity initiatives?
Thompson Coburn is committed to creating and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace culture that recognizes the contributions individuals with different backgrounds and experiences bring to our clients and our firm. Below are just a few ways in which we strive to exceed our diversity goals:
More information on the firm’s diversity initiatives and women’s initiatives can be found throughout our website.