Applying To Our Summer Program

We seek talented and motivated individuals who share our well-known commitment to excellence. We assess candidates for summer associate positions based on an overall evaluation of their background and strengths. This evaluation includes, but is by no means limited to, academic distinction in law school and undergraduate education. We also look for students with strong motivation and initiative, the ability to take on responsibility, and enthusiasm for private law practice. The firm has long been committed to the highest standards of the profession and public service, and we look actively for new lawyers to continue in that tradition.

1L Summer Applicants

Applications for 2027 1L Summer Associate positions will open on November 1, 2026. Please see below for a list of positions.

Patent Litigation: Our 1L Patent Litigation Summer Program offers aspiring patent litigators the opportunity to receive in-depth training and tailored mentoring from lawyers in our award-winning Patent Litigation practice. This position is available in our Los Angeles, New York, Palo Alto, and San Francisco, and Washington offices.

2027 1L Patent Litigation - Job Description

Corporate M&A: Our 1L Corporate M&A Program offers aspiring transactional lawyers the opportunity to receive in-depth training and tailored mentoring from lawyers in our Chambers-ranked M&A practice. This position is available in our Washington office.

2027 Corporate M&A - Job Description

Life Sciences: Our 1L Life Sciences Summer Program offers interested law students the opportunity to work with our lawyers on a broad and exciting range of matters in the life sciences industry. This position is available in our Boston office.

2027 1L Life Sciences - Job Description

Life Sciences Transactions: Our 1L Life Sciences Transactions Summer Program offers interested law students the opportunity to work with our lawyers on a broad and exciting range of transactional matters in the life sciences industry. This position is available in our Washington office.

2027 1L Life Sciences Transactions - Job Description

2L Summer Applicants

Applications for 2028 2L Summer Associate positions will open on December 1, 2026. Please check back for a link to our applicant portal. Complete the form below to stay connected and receive future updates from Covington.

Our 10-week Summer Associate Program offers law students the opportunity to work with our lawyers on a broad and exciting range of legal matters. This position is available in our Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Palo Alto, San Francisco, and Washington, DC offices.

Candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, undergraduate transcript, writing sample, and list of references. A law school transcript should be submitted when available. You can learn more about our reference policy in our FAQs. If you wish to apply to more than one office, please submit a separate application for each location.

We will also be participating in a limited number of law school-sponsored interview programs in January, with participation varying by office. Students are encouraged to consult their Career Services Offices for current information. Students may apply through their preferred application method, whether through our applicant portal or through a school-sponsored interview program.

Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis throughout the winter, with timelines varying by office. We ask that students update their application with a law school transcript as soon as first-semester grades are available. Offers will not be extended without a final first-semester transcript.

Covington & Burling LLP is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in any aspect of employment, including hiring, salary, promotion, discipline, termination, and benefits, on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, sexual orientation, family responsibility, disability (including physical handicap), or any other improper criterion.

At Covington, we strive to maintain the highest standards of integrity to ensure the commercial success and reputation of our firm. One means by which we do this is through conducting pre-employment candidate due diligence screening. The pre-employment screening we may conduct on prospective partners, lawyers, and employees includes review of information relating to public social media presence, and verifications of claimed education and employment history. Additional due diligence may be undertaken as appropriate to the requirements of the role. All candidate due diligence screening is conducted in accordance with applicable local laws.

View Covington job applicant privacy notice here: https://www.cov.com/en/job-applicant-privacy-notice