Law Students | Careers

GET YOUR CAREER OFF TO A GREAT START.

Overview

There is a simple formula for our success: hire outstanding people, develop their potential and support their careers in delivering superb client service. For over 100 years, we’ve used that formula to create an exceptional firm focused on success – for our clients and for everyone who works here.

Learn more about our summer associate program in the navigation to the left.

We are now accepting 2025 Summer Associate applications for the following positions. Candidate materials will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Applications for these positions will be accepted until 11:59pm CT on January 20, 2025. Click here to apply to our current openings.

Please see below for more information on how to apply to the Colorado Pledge to Diversity Program for our Denver Office.

Denver

Colorado Pledge to Diversity Program
One first-year law student will be selected to join the 2025 Summer Associate Program through the Colorado Pledge to Diversity Program. Law students from the University of Colorado Law School, the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and the University of Wyoming College of Law are eligible to apply. Application instructions will be made available to eligible students through the participating law schools’ Career Services Office in December. In addition, our Colorado Pledge to Diversity clerk will also be named a Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) 1L Scholar.

Minneapolis

Twin Cities Diversity in Practice 1L Summer Rotation Clerkship
Four first-year students will be selected to join our 2025 Summer Associate Program and spend seven weeks at Dorsey and three weeks working at an in-house legal department at Prime Therapeutics, UnitedHealth Group, US Bank or Xcel Energy. In addition, our Twin Cities Diversity in Practice 1Ls will also be named as Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) 1L Scholars.

Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) 1L Scholars Program
One first-year law student will be selected to join our 2025 Summer Associate Program as a Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) 1L Scholar. Law students who have a demonstrated record of academic achievement and a commitment to promoting diversity in the legal community are encouraged to apply.

Dorsey & Whitney 1L Diversity Fellowship
This fellowship will award $10,000 for the 2025-2026 school year to a selected first-year law student who has a demonstrated record of academic achievement and a commitment to promoting diversity in the legal community. Recipients who return to Dorsey for the summer following their second year of law school will receive an additional $10,000 for the 2026-2027 school year, and an additional $10,000 if they join the firm as an associate. This is the nineteenth year that Dorsey has offered the Diversity Fellowship. In addition, the Diversity Fellowship recipient will also be named a Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) 1L Scholar.

1L Summer Associate
First-year law students who have strong interpersonal skills; ambition; and diverse perspectives, experiences and interests are encouraged to apply.

Salt Lake City

Dorsey & Whitney 1L Diversity Fellowship
This fellowship will award $10,000 for the 2025-2026 school year to a selected first-year law student who has a demonstrated record of academic achievement and a commitment to promoting diversity in the legal community. Recipients who return to Dorsey for the summer following their second year of law school will receive an additional $10,000 for the 2026-2027 school year, and an additional $10,000 if they join the firm as an associate. This is the nineteenth year that Dorsey has offered the Diversity Fellowship. In addition, the Diversity Fellowship recipient will also be named a Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) 1L Scholar.

Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) 1L Scholars Program
One first-year law student will be selected to join our 2025 Summer Associate Program as a Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) 1L Scholar. Law students who have a demonstrated record of academic achievement and a commitment to promoting diversity in the legal community are encouraged to apply.

Seattle

Dorsey & Whitney 1L Diversity Fellowship
This fellowship will award $10,000 for the 2025-2026 school year to a selected first-year law student who is interested in gain exposure to the Trusts & Estates practice group and has a demonstrated record of academic achievement and a commitment to promoting diversity in the legal community. Recipients who return to Dorsey for the summer following their second year of law school will receive an additional $10,000 for the 2026-2027 school year, and an additional $10,000 if they join the firm as an associate. This is the nineteenth year that Dorsey has offered the Diversity Fellowship. In addition, the Diversity Fellowship recipient will also be named a Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) 1L Scholarhttps://www.lcldnet.org/programs/1l-scholars/candidates/.

1L or 2L Patent Summer Associate
An undergraduate degree and background in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or software engineering is required.

View our current openings
View our NALP Directory pages
Candidate online application help

Dorsey is committed to providing disability and religious-based reasonable accommodations, as well as menopause, pregnancy, and lactation-related reasonable accommodations. If you require a reasonable accommodation during the application and hiring process, or if you have questions about a workplace reasonable accommodation, please contact us at 612-492-5033. Dorsey & Whitney LLP participates in E-Verify.

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MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR SUMMER!

U.S. Summer Associate Program

Dorsey is one of the largest law firms in the United States with approximately 550 attorneys firmwide. Dorsey has offices across the United States and in Canada, Europe, and Asia. The Firm’s largest office is in Minneapolis.

Each summer, we host law students who demonstrate strong interpersonal skills, intelligence, ambition, maturity, and an interest in Dorsey. Click on the links below for more information about each of these great summer programs.

View our current openings

Online application help

Dorsey & Whitney LLP participates in E-Verify.

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Why Dorsey?

Dorsey’s lawyers exemplify the Firm’s commitment to colleagues, clients, and community. Our lawyers’ vibrant personal and professional lives are enhanced by Dorsey’s cutting edge parental leave and flexible workplace policies. Dorsey’s lawyers and staff work to provide clients a competitive advantage with superb legal skills, practical wisdom and a deep understanding of their business and industry.

Firm Recognitions

Diversity Recruiting Programs

Pro Bono

Each summer Dorsey’s summer associates work on challenging and inspiring pro bono projects.
Each year all summer associates receive the opportunity to participate in Dorsey’s pro bono program!
Up to 100 hours of pro bono work count towards an attorney’s hours requirement.
In 2023, we provided over 26,000 hours of pro bono legal services to low incoming individuals and nonprofit organizations.

Training

Dorsey U, the Firm’s in house professional development department, facilitates over 600 hours of internal training annually.
In their first year at the Firm, new associates at Dorsey attend two New Lawyer Training sessions specifically designed for those new to the Firm or to the legal practice. These sessions bring together new attorneys from across Dorsey’s 21 offices to learn about the Firm as a whole as well as their individual practice areas.
Dorsey U programs are taught by our own lawyers and the best outside instructors. We train in our state-of-the-art conference room facilities with technology links to all offices. Programs are digitally recorded, providing a ready archive of just-in-time training.
Dorsey & Whitney LLP is an Accredited Continuing Legal Education Provider in New York and California. Eligible programs are also regularly accredited in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, Washington, and certain other states where Dorsey has offices. To supplement Dorsey U CLE Training, we encourage our lawyers to attend and teach at the best external CLE programs, both locally and nationally, through tuition and travel reimbursement.

New Associates

Dorsey hires new associates directly from law school and following judicial clerkships. Most of our new associates are hired through our summer associate program, but we welcome applications from interested third-year law students or judicial clerks. The firm offers year-for-year credit (up to two years) for federal or highest state court clerkships; credit for other clerkships is determined on a case-by-case basis.