2027 2L IP-Technology Transactions Summer Associate

Fenwick & West•Santa Monica, CA

25d•$225,000

About The Position

Fenwick began as a group of upstart lawyers in Silicon Valley with a big vision for the business of technology. Today, with a team over 500 lawyers strong and seven offices strategically located in tech hubs across the United States, we remain committed to constant evolution, in partnership with our clients, to broaden our shared horizons. We’re a diverse and spirited team of unconventional minds, close collaborators, and passionate advocates with as much technical insight as legal prowess. Our clients, from startups to market leaders, are changing the world through relentless innovation, and we are standing right beside them to help make it happen. Our lawyers are constantly redefining what is possible when it comes to the practice of law and partnering with our clients at every stage of growth. We were named both Life Sciences Practice Group of the Year and Technology Practice Group of the Year by Law360 in 2024, recognitions that reflect our commitment to staying strategically ahead in these fast-evolving fields. We are also consistently ranked a Chambers first-tier firm for delivering deep experience and technical skills that help innovators at the forefront of their industries shatter boundaries and redefine what’s possible. We are seeking qualified second year law students to join our Technology Transactions Practice. Students who apply should expect to complete the equivalent of four semesters of law school prior to the start of the 2027 Summer Program. Fenwick’s Technology Transactions Practice is a subset of our top-tier IP Practice Group. As a Tech Trans summer associate, you will gain substantial experience and engage in a wide-range of assignments, receive opportunities to connect with our attorneys and clients and integrate with the Firm. Those assignments may include exposure to: (i) a wide variety of commercial agreements involving tech companies (from start-ups to public companies), and (ii) IP expertise and support in M&A and financing projects. Please submit a cover letter, current resume, and law school transcript. Cover letter should confirm interest in our Technology Transactions Practice and office location (Santa Monica, Silicon Valley, San Francisco or New York). Applicants will be evaluated holistically on the merits of their application materials and interviews. Applications may be submitted without a current law school transcript but will not be considered complete until that transcript is received. Transcripts may be sent to [email protected] when available. Fenwick also offers a 2L Scholarship. In addition to our regular Summer Associate salary, there also will be an opportunity to receive up to $50,000 (gross) in scholarship funds. At the end of the summer, each Scholar will be eligible to receive an offer to join the firm after graduation from law school, contingent upon satisfactory law school grades, work evaluations, and performance feedback. Our 2L Scholarship is open to 2L law students who: 1. Have demonstrated a commitment to a more inclusive legal industry; 2. Are enrolled full-time in an American Bar Association-accredited law school with an anticipated graduation date of May 2028 at the time of application; and 3. Can participate in and complete Fenwick's 2027 Summer Program. If you would like to also apply for our Scholarship please include a personal statement of no more than 300 words that articulates the ways in which your background, life experiences, values, character, and worldview influence your decision to apply for the Scholarship. Applicants are also encouraged to provide illustrations of their commitment to a more inclusive legal industry and provide information around their specific interest in a summer associate position with Fenwick. This statement should be included with your other application materials. Although our application portal will open December 1, interviews are not expected to begin immediately, so please do not infer anything about the status of your application if you do not hear from us within a certain time period. If you have any questions about the status of your application, please reach out to [email protected]. The anticipated annual compensation for this position, which will be paid on a pro-rated basis, is: $225,000. At Fenwick, we believe that our partners and employees are our most important asset. Helping you and your families achieve and maintain good health - physical, emotional, and financial - is the reason we offer a comprehensive benefit program. We provide benefits to eligible employees under plans such as Healthcare, Life Insurance, Health Savings Accounts, Flexible Spending Accounts, and Wellbeing. The anticipated annual compensation for this position, which will be paid on a pro-rated basis, is: $225,000 For more than five decades, Fenwick & West has helped some of the world’s most recognized companies become, and remain, market leaders. From emerging enterprises to large public corporations, our clients are leaders in the technology, life sciences and cleantech sectors and are fundamentally changing the world through rapid innovation. Having worked alongside such progressive and cutting edge companies for so long, our culture has come to reflect the entrepreneurial spirit of our client base. Unlike traditional law firms, we move at our clients’ speed and have earned the reputation as a go-to law firm for growing companies that need insightful, strategic counsel to help tackle the challenging issues that arise when the law cannot keep up with their pace of innovation. With the same passion for excellence and innovation reflected in our client base, our firm is making revolutionary changes to the practice of law through substantial investments in proprietary technology tools and processes. Our clients demand—and deserve—new ways to receive best-in-class legal services more effectively. At Fenwick, we are proud to be shaping our legal services to do just that. We are proud to have been named one of the Best Places to Work in the Bay Area for the twelfth year. Fenwick & West LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and, as such, conducts all employment-related activities without regard to unlawful consideration of race, religion, color, marital status, national origin, age, sex, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity, gender, genetic characteristics or any other classification protected by applicable local, state or federal employment discrimination laws. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all. At the discretion of the recruiting department, we accept submissions by agency recruiters when a fee agreement has been established between the firm and the agency. Agency recruiters, please submit candidates here. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. To view our privacy policy click here.

Requirements

qualified second year law students
Students who apply should expect to complete the equivalent of four semesters of law school prior to the start of the 2027 Summer Program
demonstrated a commitment to a more inclusive legal industry
enrolled full-time in an American Bar Association-accredited law school with an anticipated graduation date of May 2028 at the time of application
Can participate in and complete Fenwick's 2027 Summer Program