Law Students and Judicial Clerks

The Summer Associate Program is our primary source for recruiting first-year associates at Ballard Spahr. The goal of our Summer Associate Program is to provide a strong foundation of key skills, valuable experience, and important relationships that will allow our summer associates to launch successful careers at the firm.

We review our hiring needs for entry level associate candidates on an ongoing basis. If you are interested in an entry level associate position after graduation from law school or upon completion of a judicial clerkship, we welcome you to submit an application here and we will keep your materials on file to review if any positions become available.

Summer Associate Training

Ballard Spahr is committed to developing attorneys at all levels of the firm, from summer associates to senior partners. In addition to extensive on-the-job training, our summer associates also participate in a series of speakers and workshops that cover a variety of topics such as legal research, writing, pro bono work, firm history, and business development.

Exceptional service and remarkable alliances with clients are hallmarks of the firm. Investing in the personal and professional development of our summer associates is a part of that commitment.

Summer Associate mentorship and feedback

We believe in transparency, and our summer associates receive continual feedback directly from the lawyers with whom they work.

We have a formal evaluation process that includes a midsummer check-in and end-of-summer review that encompasses valuable feedback from our lawyers on the quality of the summer associate's research, analysis, communication, judgment, and overall work product.

In addition to receiving personalized feedback from senior attorneys, each summer associate is assigned a mentor who will informally respond to any questions that may arise throughout the summer.

Summer Associate Social Events

The Ballard Spahr Summer Associate Program includes a variety of social and networking events to allow summer associates to get to know one another, our attorneys, and the communities in which they work.

Examples of past events in various offices include:

• Baseball game and stadium tour
• Golf tournament
• Team cooking challenge
• Crab feast
• Scenic walk/run and BBQ

We will be participating in on-campus interviews at the schools and job fairs listed below. If we will not be attending OCI at your school, we encourage you to submit an application through our website (here).

Information regarding 1L and 2L Diversity Fellowship opportunities for our 2022 Summer Program will be posted as applications open. All Diversity Fellowship and Summer Program application links can be found here as they become available.

Diversity Fellowships (2L)

Phoenix Diversity Legal Writing Program

Through the Phoenix Diversity Legal Writing Program, Ballard Spahr will select one 2L student to work in its Phoenix office throughout the spring semester.

Diversity Fellowships (1L)

Move the Needle Diversity Pipeline Collective

In partnership with PNC, Ballard Spahr hires one 1L student through this program to work in Washington, DC.

Philadelphia Diversity Law Group – Fellows Program

In partnership with the Philadelphia Diversity Law Group (PDLG), Ballard Spahr is excited to welcome one 1L from this program into its summer program in Philadelphia. The application process for this program is coordinated by PDLG. For more information, click here.

Please check back often as we expect additional opportunities to be posted throughout December.

Atlanta NALP Form

Baltimore NALP Form

Boulder NALP Form

Delaware NALP Form

Denver NALP Form

Las Vegas NALP Form

Los Angeles NALP Form

Minneapolis NALP Form

New Jersey NALP Form

New York NALP Form

Philadelphia NALP Form

Phoenix NALP Form

Salt Lake City NALP Form

Sioux Falls NALP Form

Washington, D.C., NALP Form