Law Students

Morris Nichols seeks to hire highly qualified second-year law students from top-tier law schools throughout the United States for its summer class. From time to time, we also hire outstanding first-year law students and welcome applications from those interested in joining our summer program.

Hiring Process

We conduct on-campus interviews during the fall and participate in a number of job fairs.  Most of our summer associates are hired through these interview programs, but we encourage applications from all qualified law students.

Based largely on the recommendation of the on-campus interviewer, select candidates are invited to visit our office in Wilmington, Delaware. During their visit to Morris Nichols, law students will meet with both partners and associates. This provides an opportunity for candidates to learn more about Morris Nichols from a variety of perspectives. Our goal is to not only identify law students who will excel at the firm, but also for applicants to walk away from their visit with a deeper understanding of our firm, areas of specialization, and culture so that they can determine if Morris Nichols is the right place for them to build their legal careers.

Students from schools that we do not visit who wish to be considered for our summer associate program should forward a cover letter, resume, transcript and writing sample to Eli Webster, Manager, Professional Development and Legal Recruitment.

On-Campus Interview Schedule

During the 2022 recruiting season, we visited 16 law schools and attended two job fairs, including the annual Delaware Minority Job Fair and Philadelphia Area Diversity Job Fair.

We strongly encourage qualified applicants whom we are unable to meet to apply directly by sending us a cover letter, resume, transcript and writing sample.

Resume Collection

Morris Nichols also collects resumes from the following law schools.

Summer Program

The Morris Nichols summer associate program is an integral part of our recruiting process and is designed to provide summer associates with meaningful exposure to the firm, its lawyers and professional staff, and its clients. Throughout the summer, associates get a realistic view of work at the firm as well as an introduction to some of what Wilmington and the surrounding areas have to offer young professionals.

The summer associate program is approximately 10 weeks long and usually begins in mid-May. Prior to starting, we collect information about your areas of interest and assist with housing for those joining us from out of town. At the beginning of the program, each summer associate is assigned an associate mentor to provide the summer associate with guidance on the firm and its practices.

Flexibility and Substantive Work Experience

Because few law students know with certainty the type of law they would like to practice, our program provides an opportunity for summer associates to interact with many lawyers and to work on assignments from several of the firm’s practice groups. Two members of Morris Nichols' Recruiting Committee are specifically designated to coordinate work assignments for all summer associates. Although we encourage summer associates to experience a variety of legal work, if they express an interest in a specific practice, we make every effort to accommodate their request.

Summer associates work on the same sophisticated matters assigned to our junior associates.  Summer associates frequently attend client meetings, drafting sessions, closings, negotiations, depositions, hearings, oral arguments and trials. In addition to short-term assignments, summer associates often participate in one or two “long-term” assignments in an area of their preference. These assignments allow the summer associate to experience the development of a matter over a period of time and in a more in-depth manner.

Training and Feedback

Training for summer associates at Morris Nichols is conducted both formally and informally. This typically includes seminars and workshops in professionalism, legal writing, written discovery, deposition skills, evidence, expert witnesses, and trial advocacy, as well as informal lunch meetings with our firm’s practice groups.

Summer associates receive meaningful and timely feedback to help their professional development. The firm actively encourages all lawyers working with summer associates to provide contemporaneous feedback on every project. In addition, members of the firm’s Recruiting Committee also meet with each summer associate formally at least twice during the summer to discuss his or her work and to provide a final review.

Social Events

Our summer social events provide opportunities for summer associates and their families to get to know Morris Nichols lawyers and each other, as well as explore Wilmington and the surrounding areas.  In recent summers, those events have included a wine tasting dinner, Phillies games, a 5k run, a crab feast, a golf outing, and small group dinner parties at the homes of some of our senior partners. There are also many more informal social opportunities available to our summer associates, including lunches, dinners, softball games and outings to local Wilmington events.

Pro Bono and Community Service

Summer associates often work on pro bono assignments. The summer class also participates in local service projects. These projects have included preparing meals at the Ronald McDonald House for families residing there, serving lunch at the Emmanuel Dining Room, and assembling care packages for deployed military through Operation Gratitude.

Diversity Fellowship

Promoting diversity in the legal profession and building a diverse team of lawyers is a priority for the firm. The firm prioritizes increasing diversity within its ranks and in the legal profession more generally. In 2021, Morris Nichols spearheaded a pilot 1L diversity fellowship in collaboration with other Delaware law firms. To learn more about the 1L fellowship for the summer of 2023, interested candidates may contact Eli Webster for additional details.