2027 1L Summer Associate

AbbVie•North Chicago, IL

2d•$58,656 - $103,500

About The Position

AbbVie 1L Summer Associates participate in a summer internship immersed in the company’s in-house legal and compliance teams. Under the supervision of AbbVie attorneys and compliance officers, associates learn about and handle real-world matters while assigned to one legal or compliance department for the duration of the internship. Available academies include Patent Legal; Clinical R&D Legal; Corporate Legal; Strategic Transactions; Global Commercial Legal; Operations, Privacy, and Technology; Litigation/Employment/Compliance; and the Office of Ethics and Compliance. Work varies by academy and may include patent prosecution and intellectual property matters, clinical-trial legal and regulatory support, corporate legal work, acquisition and collaboration transactions, commercial legal guidance, operations and privacy matters, litigation and employment counseling, or compliance policy, training, monitoring, and investigations. All summer associates research and present on a legal or compliance issue related to their work. They meet and work with AbbVie in-house and outside counsel and compliance professionals and receive ongoing guidance and professional development from a manager and mentor. By the end of the summer, associates are expected to gain practical experience at a global biopharmaceutical company, understand the role of in-house counsel and compliance officers as trusted business advisors, build business relationships and leadership experience, and develop legal writing and communication skills.

Requirements

Must complete the first year of law school at an ABA-accredited law school during the 2026–2027 academic year.
Must be enrolled in law school during the semester following the internship.
Strong undergraduate academic background, including in relevant disciplines.
Ability to perform complex legal research and analysis.
Excellent communication, leadership, and project management skills.
A bachelor’s or graduate degree in a scientific or engineering discipline is required for the Patent Legal Academy.
Submit a statement explaining how the internship will be career transformative and enable the applicant to be a leader within the legal profession or greater community.

Nice To Haves

A bachelor’s or graduate degree in a scientific or engineering discipline is recommended for the Clinical R&D Legal Academy.

Responsibilities

Work on real-world legal or compliance matters under the supervision of AbbVie attorneys and compliance officers.
Serve in one of the available legal or compliance academies for the duration of the summer internship.
Research and present on a legal or compliance issue related to assigned work.
Work with AbbVie in-house and outside counsel and compliance professionals, and partner with a manager and mentor.
Depending on academy assignment, support work involving patent prosecution and intellectual property litigation; clinical-trial legal and regulatory matters; corporate legal matters; strategic transactions; commercial legal guidance; operations, privacy, and legal technology; litigation, employment, labor, immigration, and compliance; or ethics and compliance activities.
For the Office of Ethics and Compliance Academy, support policy assessments, training initiatives, monitoring of business practices, and investigations.
For the Patent Legal Academy, tasks may include drafting materials for U.S. and foreign patent prosecution, listing patents in the FDA Orange Book, analyzing freedom-to-operate issues, addressing contractual issues, evaluating biopharmaceutical patent and trade secret litigation issues, and participating in strategy meetings.
For the Clinical R&D Legal Academy, support clinical trial design and launch transactions, analyze patient-related matters, and provide global regulatory advice relating to pipeline programs.
For the Strategic Transactions Academy, perform legal work related to acquisitions and collaborations, assess antitrust risks, and support venture capital transactions.