Law Students and Judicial Clerks
Overview
Summer Associate Candidates
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.
Summer associates at Ballard Spahr receive substantive, on-the-job training. They complete meaningful assignments, participate in pro bono projects, develop mentor relationships with associates and partners, and have at their disposal a range of innovative training programs and valuable networking opportunities. They work side-by-side with our attorneys and are invited to attend department and practice group meetings throughout the summer.
A highlight of our program is the annual firmwide Summer Associate Retreat, when summer associates from all offices travel to Philadelphia for training, networking, and social events. This experience promotes the development of relationships with colleagues across all practices and office locations.
You've worked hard—and you're almost there. We look forward to helping you discover your passion in the legal industry and to supporting you as you build a career.
Entry Level Associate Candidates
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 your materials through the resume collect links on the “Apply Now” tab. We will keep your materials on file to review if any positions become available.
Summer Program
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 writing, depositions, transactional drafting, pro bono work, and leadership 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 an associate and partner mentor who will informally respond to any questions that may arise throughout the summer.
Summer Associate Social and Networking 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:
- Dinner at partners' homes
- Bowling night
- Baseball game
- Group workout class
- Scenic walk/run and BBQ
Diversity Fellowships
Ballard Spahr is committed to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce because it believes that diversity of thought, perspectives, and backgrounds is inextricably intertwined with our ability to provide superior client service.
The Diversity Fellowship Program is open to all actively-enrolled 1L law students without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, age, national origin, handicap or disability, citizenship, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, transgender status, sex stereotyping, genetic information, ancestry, veteran status, or any other category protected by applicable law. For more information on Ballard’s commitment to equal employment opportunity, see: https://www.ballardspahr.com/Careers.
We are excited to host 1L Diversity Fellows in several office locations each year. Our Ballard Spahr 1L Diversity Fellows join our Summer Associate Program, and they also have the unique opportunity to spend some time working as interns in the legal departments of our partner organizations.
Additionally, certain practice groups hire 2L Diversity Fellows to give students the opportunity to take a deep dive into a specific area of law during the Summer Associate Program. Availability of 2L Diversity Fellowships varies from year to year based on practice group hiring needs.
All Diversity Fellowship and Summer Program application links can be found here when they become available.
2025 1L Diversity Fellowships:
Baltimore – Ballard Spahr & McCormick 1L Diversity Fellowship
Denver – Ballard Spahr & Denver International Airport 1L Diversity Fellowship
Minneapolis – Ballard Spahr 1L Diversity Fellowship (client partner information coming soon)
Philadelphia – Ballard Spahr & Corteva 1L Diversity Fellowship
Philadelphia – Ballard Spahr & GSK 1L Diversity Fellowship
Salt Lake City – Ballard Spahr 1L Diversity Fellowship (client partner information coming soon)
2025 2L Diversity Fellowships:
New York – Ballard Spahr & The New York Times 2L Diversity Fellowship
Additional Programs:
Philadelphia Diversity Law Group (PDLG) – 1L Fellows Program
The application process for this program is coordinated by PDLG. For more information, click here.
FAQs
Rising 2Ls (or equivalent) can apply directly through the applications posted on our website and/or through OCI or job fairs in which we participate. If you are applying to Ballard through OCI or a job fair and would like to be considered for an earlier screening interview, we encourage you to also submit a write-in application through our website.
We anticipate posting all 2L applications here in early May.
After we conduct initial 15-20 minute screening interviews for select candidates, the top candidates will be invited for callback interviews. The format of our callback interviews can vary slightly depending on office location, but they typically include meeting with approximately four to six lawyers. Callback interviews may take place in person or virtually depending on the office location and the student’s availability.
Once the callback interview is complete, we will do our best to respond to all candidates as soon as possible. We encourage you to keep us updated if you have any deadlines of which we should be aware.
You can view our Step-by-Step Summer Program Application Guide here. If you have questions as you move through our interview process, please reach out to the designated recruiter on the “Contact Us” page.
We aim to expose summer associates to as many lawyers and practice areas as possible during the Summer Program so that they can make informed decisions about their legal careers.
Ballard Spahr’s assignment coordinators (mid-level and senior-level associates) solicit interesting assignments for summer associates to work on over the course of the program. In some cases, our assignment coordinators will assign work based on summer associates’ interests and the firm’s needs. We also have an “assignment pool” that allows summer associates to directly select assignments that interest them. Our assignment coordinators meet regularly with summer associates to help them navigate their work load, connect with new lawyers, and take advantage of all opportunities and resources that are available during the summer and beyond.
If a summer associate position in a particular office is expected to focus on certain practice areas in light of a specific business need, that information will be posted with our application and it will also be discussed with candidates during the hiring process.
Yes. Each summer associate is assigned an associate and partner mentor. These mentors make sure that the summer associate is integrated and fully immersed in the firm's culture and activities. Associate mentors are typically junior-level or mid-level associates whose experience is close to that of our summer associates.
Yes! Pro bono work is an integral part of the culture of Ballard Spahr and we ensure that all summer associates work on at least one pro bono assignment. Prior to the start of the Summer Program, we ask summer associates to provide their pro bono areas of interest so that we can do our best to match them with assignments in those areas.
Ballard Spahr consistently ranks in the top tier of the Am Law Pro Bono Survey. Please visit the Pro Bono section of our website to learn more about the firm's commitment to the communities in which we live and work.
Ballard Spahr's Summer Associate Program lasts for ten weeks.
Apply Now
Thank you for your interest in Ballard Spahr's Summer Associate Program!
Upcoming Recruiting Events
January 8, 2025
3:00 PM ET | 2:00 PM CT | 1:00 PM MT | 12:00 PM PT
1L Diversity Fellowship Virtual Information Session and Panel
Register Here
2025 Summer Program – 1L Applications
We are now accepting 1L Summer Associate applications for the positions posted below. The deadline for all 1L applications is January 17th, 2025.
Please refer to the detailed instructions provided through each application link for more information, including eligibility and required materials.
BALTIMORE | 1L Diversity Fellowship (Ballard Spahr/McCormick)
DENVER | 1L Diversity Fellowship (Ballard Spahr/Denver International Airport)
MINNEAPOLIS | 1L Diversity Fellowship – client partner information coming soon
PHILADELPHIA | 1L Diversity Fellowship (Ballard Spahr/Corteva)
PHILADELPHIA | 1L Diversity Fellowship (Ballard Spahr/GSK)
PHILADELPHIA | 1L PDLG Fellow – apply directly through the Philadelphia Diversity Law Group Fellows Program (here)
SALT LAKE CITY | 1L Diversity Fellowship – client partner information coming soon
If you do not see a posted position above that matches your interests, we welcome you to submit your materials through the general resume collect posted below. We will keep your materials on file in case any additional positions become available, and we look forward to keeping in touch as we prepare for 2L hiring for the 2026 Summer Program.
ALL BALLARD OFFICES | 1L Summer Associate Resume Collect
2026 Summer Program
Please check back in the spring for more information on 2L hiring for the 2026 Summer Program. Click here if you would like to be notified when our applications open.
Entry Level Associate Candidates
We do not currently have any entry level associate positions available, but we review our hiring needs on an ongoing basis throughout the year. We encourage you to submit your materials through the resume collect links below and we will keep your materials on file to review if any positions become available.
2025 Entry Level Associate Candidates | Judicial Clerk*
2025 First Year Associate Candidates | 3L or Other Entry Level Candidates*
*We are not accepting submissions from outside agencies or search firms for these positions.
Need Assistance?
Summer Associate and entry level associate applicants with disabilities may contact Attorney Career Advancement of Ballard Spahr LLP via telephone (215-864-8339) or by email (fedenl@ballardspahr.com) to request and arrange for accommodations.
Contact US
For questions about summer associate or entry level associate opportunities, please reach out to the appropriate recruiting contact below:
Atlanta, Boulder, Delaware, Denver, Los Angeles, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Washington D.C.
Lisa Feden, Director of Legal Recruiting
fedenl@ballardspahr.com | 215.864.8339
Baltimore, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Sioux Falls, General Recruiting Inquiries
Hannah Eshleman, Legal Recruiting Specialist
eshlemanh@ballardspahr.com | 215.861.7308