2026 1L Summer Associate - DC Office

Kelley Drye • Law School Legal Intern • Washington, DC, US • 6h ago

Kelley Drye & Warren’s DC office is looking for first year law students to join the 2026 summer program. The summer program in Washington, DC is designed to give law students insight into life at Kelley Drye as a junior associate. There is no better way to discover what makes our firm unique than to be a part of the action. After a summer with us, we are confident that you will appreciate the results we achieve for our clients, the depth of our professionalism, and the down-to-earth atmosphere that we enjoy at Kelley Drye.

Kelley Drye’s DC office serves clients in a broad range of industries, from regulations and technology to manufacturing and marketing. The centerpiece of the DC program is the personalized rotation schedule, which allows you the opportunity to work closely with attorneys in different practice areas and contribute to their client matters. During the summer, associates rotate through up to three of the following practice groups: Advertising & Privacy, Communications, Environmental & Energy, Government Contracts, Government Relations & Public Policy, International Trade & Customs, Litigation, and Real Estate. The program is structured to provide a glimpse into three designated practice groups, while also allowing the flexibility to sample assignments from other areas of law as well.

The summer experience at Kelley Drye is not just limited to the office. Summer associates are encouraged to take advantage of all the interesting and exciting opportunities that a DC practice has to offer, such as attending hearings on the Hill, observing our Trade partners argue in front of the International Trade Commission, or watching an Advertising attorney at an FTC hearing.

The 2026 program will take place in our new DC office at The Wharf — a buzzing, waterfront neighborhood. Whether you’ve lived in DC your whole life, or this is your first summer here, we are confident that firm traditions will allow you to get to know your coworkers off the clock while taking in the best parts of DC life.

For more information on Kelley Drye, please visit www.kelleydrye.com. If you are interested in applying for the 1L summer associate position, please submit your cover letter, resume, undergraduate transcript, and 1st semester law school transcript once available.

Apply here