Law Students and Judicial Clerks

Law Students

1L and 2L Summer Associate Program

Parsons Behle & Latimer recruits from a diverse pool of first- and second-year law students to participate in its Summer Associate Program with the goal of them becoming practicing attorneys at Parsons. If you are looking to develop your legal career, serve sophisticated clients, and work alongside some of the best attorneys in the Intermountain West, Parsons is the place for you. Now, some details…

Who: Parsons is a regional firm located in the Intermountain West with national expertise in a multitude of practice areas. We are a firm full of talented, diverse, engaging people, and our practice groups are ranked among the best in the Intermountain West. 

What: Our Summer Associate Program is an important component of our culture. The program offers us an opportunity to get to know exceptional law students from a variety of backgrounds who, we hope, will one day become Parsons’ attorneys and the lifeblood of our firm. In turn, the program provides law students with the real-work opportunity to understand the practice of law in a private firm and what an Associate position at Parsons will be like. Many of our most successful and long-tenured attorneys began their career as summer associates at Parsons.

The key components of the Summer Program are mentorship, training, quality work, social activities, and feedback. Each summer associate is assigned a mentor to help answer questions and collect feedback from attorneys about the summer associate’s work. Writing workshops and other structured legal training sessions are offered throughout the summer. Our Recruiting Committee meets several times with each summer associate to ensure that they are making progress, getting the work in the practice areas that interest them, meeting firm goals, and integrating into the Parsons community. All of this furthers our goal to develop motivated and highly skilled summer associates who are seeking permanent employment as associates. 

Where: Parsons has offices across the Intermountain West, including in Lehi, Park City, Salt Lake City and St. George, Utah; Boise, Idaho Falls and Rexburg, Idaho; Reno, Nevada; Helena and Missoula, Montana; and Jackson, Wyoming. Many of our lawyers are admitted and actively practice in other states as well. While we consider ourselves to be a “regional” law firm, our practice is national.

When: Our Summer Associate Program traditionally starts in late May or early June each year. Our summer associates are typically with us for 10 to 12 weeks, depending on their availability. 

Why: As a law student, it can be hard to differentiate one firm from another. Many have similar practice areas, similar-looking websites, and similar compensation schemes. So why should you choose Parsons? We’ll give you three reasons.

First, we are a group of hard-working lawyers who understand the importance of excellent legal work and life outside the workplace. We know that keeping our attorneys happy and productive also means understanding they are more than just attorneys. They are parents, skiers, snowboarders, river rafting guides, musicians, professors, community volunteers, and more. Parsons’ compensation system recognizes this understanding.

Second, we are committed to fairness, belonging, and access to justice. It is Parsons’ strategic goal to become a leader among businesses in our communities and law firms in our region. We are a founding member of the Utah Center for Legal Inclusion and are committed to opposing racism and other forms of discrimination and promoting equal opportunity.

Third, we value, promote and support community service. Parsons’ attorneys are expected to be community leaders and to give back through public service. Our attorneys have been repeatedly recognized for their commitment to pro bono service, which we approach with the same dedication, expertise, and commitment as we do in serving our clients.

How: Unless students have been notified that Parsons will be conducting on-campus interviews, law students interested in applying to Parsons’ Summer Associate Program in one of our offices should apply by email to Susie Headlee, Director of Recruiting and Legal Services (sheadlee@parsonsbehle.com). The deadline for 1L summer associate positions is January 31, the year of the Summer Program. The deadline for 2L summer associate positions is July 31, the year prior to the Summer Program. (If Parsons is visiting your law school for on-campus interviews, please follow your law school’s deadlines.)

Applicants should provide a cover letter, resume, transcript, and a writing sample. The firm also appreciates an optional and short (usually one page) personal statement describing a time the applicant faced an academic or professional ethical dilemma and how the applicant resolved it.

All applicants must have unrestricted U.S. employment authorization and be eligible to practice law in their preferred state following graduation.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Judicial Clerks

Parsons also welcomes motivated and highly-qualified attorneys who are seeking permanent employment as associates following their judicial clerkships.

When you arrive at Parsons, your journey is just beginning. We provide our attorneys with the resources to achieve success in the legal marketplace. To that end we invest heavily in our attorneys and offer them mentors, continuing legal skills training, and opportunities to engage in business development training and initiatives. We strive to make all attorneys essential team members that contribute to our clients' success as well as the success of the firm. 

Judicial Clerks interested in applying for a permanent associate position at Parsons should apply by email to Susie Headlee (sheadlee@parsonsbehle.com). Applicants should provide a cover letter, resume, transcript and writing sample. An optional and short (typically one page) statement describing a time the applicant faced an academic or professional ethical dilemma is appreciated. Also, please let us know when your clerkship ends, your legal area of interest, and the location of the office you prefer to work in.