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2025 Cleary Gottlieb 1L Practice Group Summer Associate Program and Cleary Scholars Program – New York

New York, New York

Shaan Saeed

Clients around the world turn to Cleary to handle their most challenging assignments, including innovative deals, large transactions and high-profile corporate matters. In a constantly changing legal environment, we believe clients are best serviced by confident, creative, and well-rounded lawyers with a variety of perspectives and experiences. Cleary is pleased to announce our 1L Practice Group Summer Associate Program and our 1L Cleary Scholars Program, to expose first-year law students to a variety of practice groups to better prepare them for the versatile nature of the legal industry. Cleary Gottlieb welcomes talented law school students to join our community and collaborate with our lawyers on an exciting range of matters across our world class practice, while creating meaningful relationships with colleagues and clients.

1L Practice Group Summer Associate Program

Our 1L Practice Group Summer Associate Program offers a unique opportunity to students who have completed their first year of law school (class of 2027) to work with up to three practice groups among others in one of Cleary’s U.S. offices. Each summer’s 10-week program will include:

  • In-depth legal training, mentoring, and substantive client work experience in one or more of Cleary’s practice groups, including Antitrust, Corporate, Bankruptcy & Restructuring, Real Estate and Tax.
  • The opportunity to participate in a client internship of up to 3 weeks in duration during the 10-week summer program.
  • A weekly salary of $4,327

1L Cleary Scholars

Students applying to our 1L Practice Group Summer Associate Program are also welcome to apply to our scholarship program. At Cleary, championing diversity, equity and inclusion is one of our core values and is central to how we approach our legal practice. Cleary recognizes the value of supporting and maintaining a diverse community with many different perspectives and experiences as we serve clients around the world. In support of our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, we are pleased to offer scholarships to selected 1L Practice Group Summer Associates with a demonstrated interest in building a more inclusive legal community. These scholarships are designed to create opportunity and access for law students to enter and succeed in private legal practice and help mitigate the cost of law school.

1L Practice Group Summer Associates selected as Cleary Scholars will also receive:

  • The opportunity to earn up to $50,000 (less withholding taxes) in scholarships ($10,000 upon receiving and accepting an offer to return as a summer associate for your full 2L summer; $20,000 upon receiving and accepting an offer to return as an associate following your 2L summer; $20,000 upon joining the firm as a first-year associate)

Participation Criteria

The application process for the 1L Practice Group Summer Associate Program and the 1L Cleary Scholars Program is open to all law students, regardless of race, color, citizenship, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, military service, disability, religion, or any other characteristic or condition protected by applicable law. We strongly encourage law students across a variety of backgrounds to apply.

Candidates must attend an ABA accredited law school.

Candidates must be able to participate in the 2025 summer program for a minimum of 10 weeks.

Candidates will be assessed on the following factors:

  • Demonstrated interest in one or more of Cleary’s practice areas
  • Academic and leadership achievements
  • Application
  • Scholarship recipients may not split their summer with another law firm or other organization.

Application Process

Timeline: Applications will be accepted online from December 1, 2024 through January 10, 2025.

Guidelines: Selected candidates who receive an offer will have 14 days to respond to offer. General offers to join the summer program will remain open in accordance with law school timing guidelines.

Requested Application Materials & Process:

  • Resume
  • Law school transcript (unofficial copy is acceptable and first semester grades should be provided as a supplement if not available when application is submitted)
  • Undergraduate transcript (unofficial copy is acceptable)
  • Contact information for two professional and/or academic references
  • Cover letter expressing interest in one or more of Cleary’s practice groups, including Antitrust, Corporate, Bankruptcy & Restructuring, Real Estate and Tax
  • In order to be considered for the 1L Practice Group Cleary Scholars Program, candidates must first receive an offer for the 1L Practice Group Summer Associate Program
  • Applications for the Cleary Scholars Program will be considered separately by a Scholarship Committee and candidates will be notified of a decision separately

Application Supplement for 1L Cleary Scholars

Candidates who wish to apply for the Cleary Scholars program should also submit a personal statement (limited to 500 words or fewer) addressing the following:

  • your interest in and commitment to helping to build a more inclusive legal industry
  • if applicable, your interest in the Cleary Scholars Program in order to help support the payment of educational debt

Application Submission Information

Deadline:
Rolling Consideration

Contact Organization to Apply