Summer Associate Jobs in Illinois
Summer associate jobs in Illinois are concentrated in law, finance, consulting, and investment banking, with Chicago anchoring one of the most active recruiting markets in the country for early-career talent at the pre-offer stage. Most hiring runs through Chicago, with smaller pipelines in Evanston and Naperville, where firms like Kirkland & Ellis, Sidley Austin, and Deloitte maintain major Illinois operations. The most in-demand specialties are corporate transactional work, litigation, and financial advisory. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Showing 5 of 26+ Summer Associate jobs
Our Summer Program offers a strong educational component supported by practical learning opportunities. Summer Associates work closely with Seyfarth partners, who are committed to their professional development. A team of partner and associate mentors provides individualized feedback and coaching.
Our program is unique in that Summer Associates are assigned to a specific department for the entire summer. This structure allows for deeper knowledge, insights, and experiences in a particular practice area, better preparing associates for their first year as attorneys and beyond. Despite this focus, Summer Associates will have numerous opportunities to meet and engage with attorneys across departments both office-wide and firm-wide.
Please submit your resume, cover letter, undergraduate transcript, law school transcript (when available), and a writing sample.
As a Summer Associate, you will work alongside our attorneys on real client matters. A specialized curriculum tailored to your specific department will bridge the gap between academic learning and practical experience. Summer Associates will:
- Work on actual client cases and projects
- Attend client meetings
- Shadow attorneys on a variety of deals and cases for hands-on learning
- Completed one year of law school by the spring of 2027 and expecting a JD in May 2029
- Demonstrated academic achievement
- An appreciation for collaboration and teamwork
- A clear interest in Real Estate, evidenced by coursework, certificate programs, or prior work experience
Our Summer Program offers a strong educational component supported by practical learning opportunities. Summer Associates work closely with Seyfarth partners, who are committed to their professional development. A team of partner and associate mentors provides individualized feedback and coaching.
Our program is unique in that Summer Associates are assigned to a specific department for the entire summer. This structure allows for deeper knowledge, insights, and experiences in a particular practice area, better preparing associates for their first year as attorneys and beyond. Despite this focus, Summer Associates will have numerous opportunities to meet and engage with attorneys across departments both office-wide and firm-wide.
Please submit your resume, cover letter, undergraduate transcript, law school transcript (when available), and a writing sample.
As a Summer Associate, you will work alongside our attorneys on real client matters. A specialized curriculum tailored to your specific department will bridge the gap between academic learning and practical experience. Summer Associates will:
- Work on actual client cases and projects
- Attend client meetings
- Shadow attorneys on a variety of deals and cases for hands-on learning
- Completed one year of law school by the spring of 2027 and expecting a JD in May 2029
- Demonstrated academic achievement
- An appreciation for collaboration and teamwork
- A clear interest in Real Estate, evidenced by coursework, certificate programs, or prior work experience
See All 26 Summer Associate Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Summer Associate JobsSummer Associate Jobs by City in Illinois
Where Illinois roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Summer Associate Job Market in Illinois
A snapshot from current Illinois openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
What Illinois Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in summer associate jobs across Illinois.
- Currently enrolled in an accredited JD, MBA, or related graduate program in good standing
- Completed at least one year of law school or a relevant graduate degree program
- Strong academic record demonstrated through GPA, law review, or moot court participation
- Prior internship, clinic, or legal research experience in a relevant practice area
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills for client-facing and courtroom work
- Proficiency with legal research platforms such as Westlaw or LexisNexis
Summer Associate Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a summer associate in Illinois?
Becoming a summer associate in Illinois typically requires enrollment in an ABA-accredited law school or a top MBA program, with firms recruiting heavily after the completion of the first year. Most large Chicago law firms recruit through on-campus interviews coordinated by law school career services offices. No Illinois bar license is required for a summer associate position, but strong academic performance, relevant coursework, and clinic or journal experience improve a candidate's standing significantly.
Which companies hire summer associates in Illinois?
Employers hiring summer associates in Illinois right now include Seyfarth Shaw LLP, Constellation Energy, and AbbVie, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Chicago's concentration of Am Law 100 firms, Big Four consulting offices, and global investment banks makes Illinois one of the deepest markets in the country for summer associate recruiting.
Which Illinois cities have the most summer associate jobs?
Chicago, Morris, and Clinton account for the largest share of summer associate openings in Illinois. Chicago leads by a wide margin because it is home to the headquarters and major offices of the firms that run the largest summer associate classes, while Evanston and Naperville draw activity from regional law firms and professional services companies with suburban campuses.
Are there remote summer associate jobs in Illinois?
Yes, but they're rare. Summer associate roles are designed around in-person mentorship, client exposure, and team integration, so most firms require on-site presence throughout the summer. About 83% of summer associate openings tied to Illinois are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, and those tend to be in research-heavy or document-review assignments rather than client-facing rotations.
How can I get hired as a summer associate in Illinois with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path for candidates without prior firm experience is applying through a first-year diversity fellowship or 1L summer program, which large Chicago firms like Jenner & Block and Winston & Strawn run specifically for students without traditional legal internship backgrounds. Law school clinics, judicial externships through Illinois courts, and pro bono work through the Chicago Bar Foundation also signal readiness. A strong first-year GPA and law journal membership carry the most weight at the screening stage.
Where can I find and apply to summer associate jobs in Illinois?
You can find and apply to summer associate jobs in Illinois on Migrate Mate, which lists current Illinois openings updated regularly. Search for roles that match your practice area interest and class year, then apply directly to the positions that fit your background.
See All 26 Summer Associate Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Summer Associate Jobs