2L Summer Associate Program
About Gunster
At Gunster, we are passionate about our work, love a challenge, value teamwork and strive for service excellence. We measure our success by our clients’ loyalty, our people’s career satisfaction, our continuous growth and the results we achieve.
Our firm invests heavily in our summer associates, preparing them to join our firm when they graduate from law school. Through our 2L Summer Associate Program, we identify students who will join—and stay—with the firm through their careers, learning, growing, thriving and becoming shareholders.
Our Ideal Candidates
We seek second-year law students with a strong academic record from diverse backgrounds who are intelligent, enthusiastic, driven and passionate about law practice. Successful candidates are collaborative, effective communicators with a team mindset.
Our Summer Associate Program
Throughout our 10-week program, summer associates contribute meaningfully to client representations, gaining valuable, real-world experience in a diverse, business-focused law firm. They hone their legal and professional skills, experience different practice areas and issues, and receive regular, actionable feedback. A mid-summer evaluation helps summer associates narrow down their practice preferences and helps in determining assignments for the remainder of the summer.
All summer associates are assigned a shareholder mentor and an associate advisor to help them learn more about the firm and guide them through the summer program. We encourage summer associates to attend practice group meetings to develop professional relationships across all practices and offices, and we help them do so.
We limit our program to fewer law students than many of our peer firms to ensure each participant receives the time and attention needed to learn and develop the practice skills necessary to become a successful associate.
Program Highlights
Multiple practices
Summer associates work on assignments from various Gunster practices and can narrow their practice interests as the summer progresses.
Training
Participants sharpen their writing and analytical skills through daily guidance and a formal feedback and evaluation process. Participants also learn about the practical aspects of being an attorney and what it’s like to be a Gunster associate.
Mentoring
Gunster shareholder mentors and associate advisors help program participants acclimate and navigate day-to-day issues and share strategies for success.
Firmwide exposure
Summer associates have multiple opportunities to work and socialize with attorneys and other professionals throughout Gunster’s 12 offices across the state.
Real-world practice
When appropriate, summer associates attend trials, hearings, client meetings, closings and phone conferences.
And a little fun
Numerous social activities provide summer associates with occasions for informal (and often invaluable) internal networking. Visit Gunster on LinkedIn, Facebook and X.
Interested applicants may review our NALP profile documents:
Gunster’s Firmwide Profile
Fort Lauderdale office (FTL) Profile
Jacksonville office (JAX) Profile
Miami office (MIA) Profile
Tampa office (TPA) Profile
West Palm Beach office (WPB) Profile
Contact
For additional information, please contact:
Brad A. Sprayberry, Esq.
Chief Talent Officer
bsprayberry@gunster.com
Direct line: 561.650.0783
