Summer Associate Program

• One or more summer associates accept a legal matter for representation in late May/early June.
• Each summer associate team must be supervised by an associate and/or partner at the firm, admitted in New York, who will be the attorney of record, supervise all work done by the summer associates, and attend all court hearings with the summer associates.
• Supervising attorneys are responsible for bringing the matter to conclusion once the summer associates have left the firm. We cannot guarantee that matters will conclude during the summer.

Please note that many of our clients are Spanish-speaking and cannot communicate in English. Many firms staff these matters with paralegals or other firm employees who can serve as interpreters and gain a rewarding pro bono experience. Please let us know if you have any special language concerns or can offer interpretation and/or translation skills in connection with these matters.

• Multi-firm CLE trainings in each of the practice areas are scheduled in late May/early June. Trainings are two or two-and-a-half hours long, depending on the practice area, and include an interactive question and answer session to address issues that may arise.
• All summer associates must attend the trainings or watch our video trainings relevant to their assigned matters. We strongly suggest that summer associates attend the live trainings so that they can ask questions about their cases and the substantive areas of the law. Supervising attorneys must attend the trainings or watch our video trainings if they have not practiced in, or been trained in, the relevant practice area. We forward matter descriptions and copies of clients’ documents in advance of the training sessions to enable firms to complete conflicts checks.
• Firms may request matters of each type. Requests for additional matters beyond the limits specified below will be placed on a waitlist and, to the extent available, additional matters will be provided once all participating firms’ initial requests have been satisfied.

• We supply our detailed substantive and procedural practice manuals electronically to firms prior to the trainings so that firms can copy and distribute the manuals in advance to their participating summer associates and supervising attorneys.
• Our experienced staff attorneys provide intensive mentoring during the course of the representation until the matter is concluded.

To enhance and complement the summer program, we also offer each participating firm a personalized question and answer session (Q&A) midway through the summer.

• The Q&A can be scheduled at the firm for one hour so that summer associates and their supervisors can meet with their Her Justice mentors to discuss their cases and share common issues that arise during the course of the representation.
• Depending on the cases handled in the summer, in-person meetings for individual teams with their Her Justice mentors can be scheduled as well.
• We recommend booking Q&A sessions well in advance, if possible.

• Family Court—Orders of Protection, Custody/Visitation, Child and Spousal Support 
  Summer associates are introduced to an area of family law and practice and see how litigants who are indigent or working poor fare in our city’s Family Courts. We select matters with a Family Court appearance scheduled during the summer so that summer associates will have the opportunity to go to court and appear in the case at least once.
• Supreme Court—Litigated Divorces
  Litigated divorces have issues that need to be decided by a judge, such as equitable distribution of a house or pension, custody, child support or maintenance. Summer associates handling litigated matters will meet with their clients, and prepare and file the initial pleadings. They may see responsive pleadings, prepare an emergency motion for support, participate in the commencement of negotiations with opposing counsel, and attend a court appearance before the end of the summer.

Each firm may request up to 6 Litigated Matters, designating a preference for one or more practice areas. We will try to honor preferences, but firms will be assigned matters based on availability.

• Uncontested Divorces
  Summer associates are introduced to Supreme Court practice and to the basics of matrimonial law in New York State. Teams handling uncontested matters will meet with their clients and prepare the initial and final pleadings before the end of the summer. There is usually no court appearance for uncontested divorce matters.
  Firms handling divorces are required to use the latest version of Drafting Libraries divorce software, which is available for purchase at www.draftinglib.com. Please contact us for further information.
  Each firm may request up to 4 uncontested divorce matters.
• Non-litigated Immigration Matters
  Summer associates working on immigration matters are introduced to basic immigration law concepts and practices, and assist clients in preparing affidavits and supporting documents for filing with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
  • VAWA Self-Petitions and Battered Spouse Waivers enable immigrant women who are domestic violence victims to seek lawful permanent residence in the U.S. for themselves and their children without the permission or assistance of their abusive husbands. After the summer, the firm will be responsible for continuing to represent the client through her grant of adjustment of status. This may involve attending an informal hearing before a USCIS officer.
  • U Nonimmigrant Status is offered to a victim of certain crimes, like domestic violence and rape, who cooperates in the investigation or prosecution of her abuser. U Nonimmigrant Status allows a client and her family members to work and live lawfully in the U.S., and creates a pathway to their being able to obtain lawful permanent resident status. It also allows derivative family members living abroad to travel to the U.S. and reunite with the victim. After the summer, the firm will be responsible for continuing to represent the client and any derivative family members through the grant of U Nonimmigrant Status. There is no court appearance or interview associated with petitions for U Nonimmigrant Status.
  • Adjustment of Status for Approved U Nonimmigrants allows individuals with U Nonimmigrant status to apply for green cards. This remedy is available to U Nonimmigrants who fulfill several requirements including having been continuously physically present in the United States for at least three years since their original U Nonimmigrant approval. After the summer, the firm will be responsible for continuing to represent the client through the grant of lawful permanent residency. There are no court appearances or interview associated with this petition.
    Each firm may request up to 2 immigration matters. Firms can specify a preference for VAWA Self-Petition, Battered Spouse Waiver, or U Nonimmigrant Status matters and we will try to honor preferences, but firms will be assigned matters based on case availability.