A Day In The Life Of An Associate Lawyer At King And Spalding
A day for an associate at King & Spalding "can vary greatly," ranging from office work like "reviewing materials related to the case" to active involvement in the legal process, such as "taking a deposition" or even "presenting oral advocacy on behalf of clients." This variety, coupled with the significant responsibility given to associates—often a one-on-one relationship with a partner—"moving the case forward"— highlights the dynamic and engaging nature of the role.
Legal Practice, Litigation, Client Communication, Case Management, Trial Advocacy
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
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Christopher Jew
Associate (lawyer)
King & Spalding, LLP
University of California, Davis
USC Gould School of Law, J.D.; UCLA Anderson School of Management, MBA
Economics
Healthcare, Medical & Wellness, Law
Legal
Worked 20+ Hours in School, Veteran
Video Highlights
1. Associates work on cases with a high degree of responsibility and autonomy, often having a one-on-one relationship with a partner.
2. A day can vary significantly, involving tasks such as reviewing case materials, taking depositions, and presenting oral arguments in trials or arbitrations.
3. The legal process, from complaint to trial/arbitration, is highlighted, showing the diverse steps in which an associate participates.
Transcript
What does a day in the life of an associate at King and Spalding look like?
A day in the life can vary greatly. That's one of the reasons why practicing law, and specifically practicing law at a large firm like King and Spalding, is great. They give us a lot of responsibility over the cases we have.
The way we work on cases is usually one associate to one partner, at least in our group. Ideally, this means that I, as the associate, am taking responsibility for the case and moving it forward. Things can vary from a very high level.
A case involves a process where one side makes a complaint against the other. The parties then exchange information about the case. In our legal system, we want claims to be tried in accordance with the truth and all available information, subject to legal rules for information exchange. This then leads to either trial or arbitration, with many other steps along the way.
A day-to-day involves me being somewhere in that process for the cases I'm responsible for. This can vary from being in the office working on a brief or reviewing case materials, to taking a deposition where I try to develop facts by talking to involved parties. It can also involve going to trial or arbitration and presenting oral advocacy for our clients.