A complete application must include: 

• Current resume.
• Cover letter.
• Undergraduate, graduate (if applicable), and law school transcripts (unofficial versions are acceptable).
• A legal writing sample (10-page maximum). 

We evaluate all applications for the fellowship and consider the following factors: 

• Academic achievement – A demonstrated record of academic achievement and excellent writing and interpersonal skills, as well as experience that will contribute to a successful career in the legal field.
• Patent litigation interest – Applicants must have a demonstrated interest in practicing law in patent litigation.
• Technical background – Applicants with a technical degree or background in computer science, electrical engineering, physics, and/or similar areas are preferred.
• Perspective – Life experiences that have shaped your perspectives and professional goals.

Please click the “Apply Here” link on this page to apply and indicate the office(s) for which you wish to be considered.

• Start date: November 14, 2025.
• End date: January 16, 2026.
• Application materials should be submitted in PDF form and will be considered on a rolling basis from November 14, 2025, through January 16, 2026.
• Please follow your law school’s guidelines pertaining to application timing.

Please submit the following materials:

• Resume;
• Undergraduate, graduate (if applicable), and unofficial law school transcript (if law school transcript not available at the time of application, one must be provided as soon as available);
• Writing sample (maximum 10 pages); and
• Cover letter describing your areas of interest and geographic preferences.

If you would also like to be considered for our Inclusive Leaders Fellowship, a highly selective opportunity offering mentorship, leadership development, and a financial stipend, please select “yes” in response to the related question in the application and include a Personal Statement with your materials. To learn more about our Fellowship, the requirements for the Personal Statement, and the financial stipend, please see below.

Our Summer Associate Program is the primary path to full-time associate hiring at Perkins Coie. Summer Associates receive meaningful, substantive work—research, drafting, analysis, and client-facing projects—alongside skilled attorneys and mentors. Our Summer Associates regularly attend hearings, client meetings, depositions, and deal closings, and can work on pro bono matters, as well as participate in professional development activities and attend social events that help build lasting relationships across the firm.

The two-summer structure allows participants to return for a second summer, building on their first-year experience with increased responsibility, deeper client engagement and relationship building, and further development of core legal skills.

Perkins Coie LLP is an international law firm recognized for its collaborative culture, commitment to excellence, and people-first approach. The firm has been named Fortune’s Best Places to Work list for 23 consecutive years, reflecting our belief that exceptional work happens in a culture of respect, growth, and inclusion.

Summer Associates are hired to join a specific practice within the firm. Applicants are encouraged to select the practice area that best matches their academic or professional background, skills, and interests, and to describe this connection in their cover letter and application materials. While we understand interests may evolve, transfers to other practice areas are uncommon.

The summer program is designed to help students build a solid foundation in their chosen area of law and develop meaningful, long-term connections within that practice. Students should view their selection as a multi-year opportunity to deepen their expertise and contribute to the important work of the firm and practice group.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis beginning December 1, 2025. Early applications are encouraged. All materials must be uploaded in PDF format. Candidates can expect updates on their status by late January 2026.

All first-year students in good standing at an ABA-accredited law school are encouraged to apply. Perkins Coie is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability status, or any other identity.

• Fellows will participate in dedicated programming designed to deepen the skills and perspectives needed to lead inclusively within the firm and the profession; the Fellowship culminates with a Capstone project.
• Fellows spend two summers at Perkins Coie—10 weeks after their 1L year and another 10 weeks after their 2L year—gaining hands-on experience and a deep connection to the firm.
• Upon satisfactory completion of each 10-week summer program, Fellows will receive a $20,000 stipend, in addition to their summer associate salary.
• Fellows who are granted and accept an offer to join Perkins Coie as an associate after law school graduation will receive an additional $10,000 stipend upon their return to the firm as an associate.

The Inclusive Leaders Fellowship reflects Perkins Coie’s long-term investment in cultivating a strong and connected firm culture. Fellows are invited to make a reciprocal investment—bringing the same spirit of inclusion, collaboration, and leadership they’ve demonstrated in their academic, campus, and community endeavors to their work at the firm. Together, this small, distinguished cohort helps influence the next generation of firm leadership and ensures that Perkins Coie remains a place where people thrive because of their different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

All first-year students in good standing at an ABA-accredited law school are encouraged to apply for the Inclusive Leaders Fellowship. Perkins Coie is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability status, or any other identity.

In addition to the materials provided as part of your employment application for our Summer Associate program, a complete application for the Inclusive Leaders Fellowship Program must include a one-page personal statement (see guidance below).

Application Deadline: Applications will be considered on a rolling basis beginning December 1, 2025. Early applications are encouraged. All materials must be uploaded in PDF format. If first-semester grades are not yet available, please submit all other materials and provide your transcript once grades are released. Candidates can expect updates on their status by late January 2026.

Your personal statement is an opportunity to articulate how you think, lead, and contribute to the communities around you. We evaluate applications holistically, with particular attention to how candidates reflect the mindsets and behaviors of inclusive leadership. Please read more about inclusive leadership.

We encourage you to share experiences that demonstrate the following qualities:

• Commitment: Examples of your commitment to inclusion, diversity, and opportunity for all; ways these objectives align with your personal values.
• Courage: How you’ve spoken up, challenged bias, or taken action to advance inclusion—even when it required risk or discomfort.
• Cognizance of Bias: Ways you are mindful of personal and organizational blind spots; ways you self-regulate to support fairness.
• Curiosity: Examples of times when you sought out new perspectives, learned from difference, or showed openness to experiences that expanded your understanding.
• Cultural Intelligence: How you’ve built relationships or worked effectively across lines of difference—whether cultural, experiential, or ideological.
• Collaboration: How you empower individuals and leverage the thinking of those from a variety of perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences.

You do not need to address every quality explicitly, but your statement should illustrate how you approach leadership in inclusive, thoughtful, and collaborative ways—and how you hope to continue developing these skills as part of the Perkins Coie community.

Perkins Coie seeks summer associates who have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership in and service to the community, and dedication to excellence in the legal profession. All candidates must be enrolled in and in good standing at an ABA-accredited law school.