For more than ninety years, Damon Morey has taken the role of attorney and transformed it into that of the trusted advisor, advocate and business partner. In the courtroom and in the boardroom, our attorneys define success not simply by what they know but, more importantly, by how committed and responsive they are, how well they understand the needs and objectives of the client, and how innovative they can be. It’s with this same sense of personal commitment and partnership in mind that we have designed Damon Morey’s Summer Associate Program.

Firm culture and values matter. Throughout the recruiting process, we seek out those candidates with the right mix of character, competencies, and calling needed to best serve our clients and make Damon Morey an engaging, collegial place to work. To put it simply, we carefully hire summer associates with two key hopes in mind – one, that they will continue on as associates after graduation and, two, that they will eventually become partners with our firm.

Program Overview
All experiences are not created equal. Our partners feel it is important to offer summer associates a practical understanding of the legal profession while also providing important insight into the people and culture of Damon Morey.
For approximately twelve weeks during the summer, summer associates, limited only by their drive and performance, are given assignments which might typically be reserved for first or second year associates at other firms. By giving “real lawyer” assignments, our attorneys are better able to assess a person’s performance and potential, and participants gain a realistic glimpse of what it is like to be a practicing attorney at Damon Morey.

The Mentor Program
Each summer associate is assigned two mentors, one partner mentor and one associate mentor. These individuals ensure that the summer associate is receiving a reasonable number of assignments and that the summer associate is satisfied with the range of assignments. These mentors are also available to address any general questions or issues that might arise during the course of the summer.

Evaluations and Feedback
Each time a summer associate completes a project, the assigning attorney completes an evaluation form and is encouraged to discuss the work product directly with the summer associate. Additionally, the Chair of the Recruiting Committee conducts formal mid-summer and end-of-summer reviews with all participants to discuss each person’s progress.

Internal and External Networking Opportunities
In addition to valuable hands-on work experience, summer associates will also have numerous opportunities to network with legal professionals inside and outside of the firm. Summer associates participate in weekly partner lunches, which provide them with the opportunity to get to know our partners and have candid discussions about the firm and individual departments and practice groups. In addition, our summer associates are given the opportunity to meet with Judges and other civic leaders to better understand both where their legal careers can take them and the importance of giving back to the community.

Other Exciting Program Opportunities
Because we understand the importance of quality of life issues, our summer associate program also incorporates a myriad of other social events including off-site outings, weekly softball games, and an annual attorney summer party. Previous summer associates experienced the following:

• Attended a Sabres game
• Attended a Buffalo Bisons game
• Enjoyed a meal overlooking Niagara Falls
• Attended a mid-summer mixer in their honor
• Attended a barbecue at a partner’s house
• Went for a wild ride on the Whirlpool Jet Boat, then a sunset dinner overlooking the Niagara Gorge.