Midway through the first ever virtual summer associate program, we checked in with four summer associates about their experience so far. Three months on, Tejaswini Gupta, a 1L Diversity Fellow with the Washington, DC office, reflects on being part of a unique cohort.
"In this unprecedented year, I was a part of a cohort of summer associates who were all doing their first virtual internship, but not once did I feel a disconnect. The Firm found unique and innovative ways to make us all feel connected. For example, I received a candle with a Washington, DC scent to help me feel like I was in DC!"
Opportunities to make meaningful relationships
The feeling of connection was made possible through myriad different virtual events organized by the Recruiting team. They created opportunities for us to develop meaningful relationships. We had a wine tour, an escape room, a murder mystery night, a paint night and my favorite—the house tours. For these, each partner regaled us with stories about their career journey, their struggles and triumphs. Even sitting across a screen, I felt more connected than I had ever imagined.
A friendly and collaborative international environment
If I ever expressed a wish to find out more about a particular area of the law, I was given every opportunity to engage with that team. Aside from being assigned a case, most teams would openly invite me to their team meetings or happy hours so I could be introduced to all the lawyers.
Every lawyer I reached out to was happy to chat with me, even from other offices across the globe. I remember having an informational meeting with a partner and only in the end learning that they were in another country where it was close to midnight and even then, they were happy to talk some more!
“My summer was filled with such memorable moments where I not only got to work on some insightful and challenging assignments, but also made friends and connections that are sure to last a lifetime.”
Growing up, I had the opportunity to live across three continents. This was the impetus to work for a firm with a large international presence, and I found that at White & Case. I discovered that the offices outside of the US are an integral part of the team. Most of our team meetings had an almost equal split of US and international lawyers, which was very exciting to me. I saw how lawyers in the Firm manage cross-border work among different offices where each one handles a specialized function.
The reality of global mobility and the chance to learn new languages
I was amazed to see the breadth of different languages spoken at the Firm and learned that White & Case fosters this international connection by enabling lawyers to work in our offices across the world. Even as a summer associate, I had the opportunity to learn a new language from my home office through a Firm-organized language class.
Pursuing new areas of interest and plans to return
I am looking forward to two more years of law school, during which I plan to take classes in some of the new areas of interest I discovered over the summer. I am also very excited for my next summer as a 2L summer associate with White & Case. I cannot wait to be back in the exhilarating environment of the Firm with even more zeal and see familiar faces while making new connections as well. I hope I am able to physically be in the DC office, but from my experience this summer, I know the Firm will ensure that I have a meaningful experience either way."
