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Summer associate skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Leslie Heaphy Ph.D.,

Andrea Schneider

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical summer associate skills. We ranked the top skills for summer associates based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 16.0% of summer associate resumes contained powerpoint as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a summer associate needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 summer associate skills for your resume and career

1. PowerPoint

Here's how summer associates use powerpoint:

Researched and presented retail opportunities including new locations and concepts using Excel and PowerPoint proficiency.
Performed firm strategy research and created PowerPoint presentations for management and executive teams.

2. Litigation

Here's how summer associates use litigation:

Conducted depositions, participated in client interviews and assisted in trial and deposition preparation in corporate and tort litigation matters.
Engaged in complex commercial litigation proceedings in multiple federal and state jurisdictions, as well as regulatory investigations.

3. Financial Models

Here's how summer associates use financial models:

Performed company valuations by creating comprehensive financial models utilizing discounted cash flow and comparable company analysis.
Created integrated financial models to value a corporation under various capital structures and operating assumptions.

4. Due Diligence

Due diligence refers to the process of auditing, investigating, or reviewing done to confirm the authenticity of relevant facts. In addition to this, it also refers to the evaluation of a party's financial records to determine whether one should enter into a transaction with the said party or not.

Here's how summer associates use due diligence:

Represented mid-cap logistics company in proposed acquisition of competitor: Drafted public diligence memorandum and high level due diligence follow-up questions.
Analyzed target companies and markets for strategic due diligence in luxury goods Conducted market and channel interviews Performed financial and market analysis

5. Legal Memos

A legal memo (legal memorandum) is an informal record of a specific legal issue for helping the parties to remember specific points or for future reference. It's generally written by a law student, a paralegal, or a lawyer.

Here's how summer associates use legal memos:

Drafted and researched legal memos and preliminary contracts for international businesses.
Drafted multiple legal memos describing potential liability exposure for large corporations.

6. Private Equity

Private equity is a kind of investment that consists of capital that is not listed publicly. It involves funds such as pension funds and private investors that directly invest in private companies instead of indulging in public exchanges.

Here's how summer associates use private equity:

Researched and reported on Latin American private equity market for a competitive analysis incorporated into a strategic review of the Fund.
Reviewed, negotiated, and drafted confidentiality agreements for private equity firms; oversaw successful execution of several dozen such agreements.

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7. Legal Issues

Here's how summer associates use legal issues:

Drafted memorandum to answer various energy related legal issues including issues related to voluntary pooling, lease assignments, and corporate transfers
Researched various legal issues concerning commercial litigation, arbitration, employee benefits and executive compensation, and securities regulation.

8. Financial Analysis

Here's how summer associates use financial analysis:

Compiled industry reports and performed company-specific financial analysis in order to determine the impact of Chinese macro-economic policies on domestic companies.
Supported senior analysts through financial analysis and primary research of major players in the enterprise mobile management and data security markets.

9. Intellectual Property

Intellectual properties refer to individuals' intangible or non-physical wealth, which results from their imaginations and intellect.

Here's how summer associates use intellectual property:

Organized data for the investigation of intellectual property violations in China on behalf of a major manufacturer of musical instruments.
Completed a research project on intellectual property law relating to trademark issues; participated in a mergers and acquisitions negotiation

10. Business Development

Business development is the ideas or initiatives that work to make business work better. Selling, advertising, product development, supply chain management, and vendor management are only a few of the divisions involved with it. There is still a lot of networking, negotiating, forming alliances, and trying to save money. The goals set for business development guide and coordinate with all of these various operations and sectors.

Here's how summer associates use business development:

Developed skills related to market/demographic research, the valuation of banks and loan analysis while working to further business development opportunities.
Interacted daily with the firms' business managers relating to potential business development issues including associated risks and liabilities.

11. Real Estate Transactions

Here's how summer associates use real estate transactions:

Worked directly with attorney's on various projects involving contracts, estate planning, real estate transactions, and corporate law
Organized all aspects of real estate transactions involving co-ops, condominiums, and residential homes, and assisted with closings.

12. Market Research

Market research is a collective effort to collect information related to a consumer's needs and wants. It is a systematic approach that involves recording and analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data. Market research helps a business to identify a target market correctly and identify the gaps in potential consumer's expectations.

Here's how summer associates use market research:

Prepared pitch proposals and marketing materials in Software, Internet, Semiconductor and Hardware sectors, involving valuation analysis and market research
Assisted portfolio managers in conducting market research, asset allocation forecasting & modeling, portfolio construction and eventual investment decisions

13. Discounted Cash Flow

Discounted cash flow (DCF) is a form of analysis often used in real estate management and development, investment firms, and valuation of a company's finances or patents. This method attempts to predict the amount of funds one would receive after investing a certain amount of money into a project.

Here's how summer associates use discounted cash flow:

Valued electronic display business using discounted cash flow and comparable company analyses.
Performed property valuation employing Discounted Cash Flow modeling and market data approaches.

14. Interrogatories

Here's how summer associates use interrogatories:

Composed questions in anticipation of a deposition after reviewing the case file, interrogatories, and other discovered information.
Assisted in all aspects of discovery including answering interrogatories, responding to document requests, and attending depositions.

15. Law Firm

Here's how summer associates use law firm:

Contributed to collaborative memo on regulatory issues facing tech start-ups for entertainment and technology law firm.
Assisted Managing Director with preparing presentations to law firms on effective investigative interviewing techniques.

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What skills help Summer Associates find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on summer associate resumes?

Leslie Heaphy Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Kent State University

-Online teaching experience
-Flexibility in teaching modalities
-Research and critical thinking continue to be important
-Digital technology
-Ability to ask good questions
-Writing skills
-Understanding facts

What summer associate skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Andrea Schneider

Professor of Law, Marquette University

Law school graduates should focus on developing client interaction skills and dispute resolution skills, including active listening, understanding emotional intelligence, and non-defensive communication. The need for low-cost legal assistance, particularly in large urban areas, in foreclosure, eviction, unemployment, and bankruptcy will be significant. Volunteers with legal training will be needed to address unprecedented impacts on individuals in many areas of the law. They could also work on the software or technological skills that law school may not have provided but which will make them even more attractive to employers after the pandemic.

What type of skills will young summer associates need?

Richard Meltz

Senior Advisor and Internship Manager Staff, The Ohio State University

For global affairs careers, many skill sets are sought. Language skills are valuable. All job seekers need basic computer skills. Word processing, spreadsheet and data analysis, excellent writing and communication skills are sought. Aside from these basic skills, the range of skills employers seek becomes more specialized. Computer mapping skills and the ability to analyze political, economic, social, and environmental issues with depth are sought. By numbers of jobs, the private sector is larger than the government sector. The understanding of how business and international trade works is useful.

What technical skills for a summer associate stand out to employers?

Paula Smith

Assistant Dean for Career & Professional Development, Texas Tech University

Legal employers are seeking young lawyers with a good academic grasp of the law, excellent legal research and writing skills, advocacy abilities including negotiation, trial, and appellate exposure, and personal attributes of integrity, teamwork, diligence, resilience, and an expectation of success.

What soft skills should all summer associates possess?

Alexander Nagel Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Assistant Chair, Art History and Museum Professions, Fashion Institute of Technology

Soft skills needed are flexibilities to adapt quickly to new opportunities, to be open to non-traditional career paths. Being organized and responsive to email correspondence, being friendly and kind, having empathy are values that will never be out of fashion. FIT is known for being home to "unconventional minds," and our students are super creative, engaged, and ready to take on challenges.

Do you want to know more?

List of summer associate skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a summer associate resume and required skills for a summer associate to have include:

PowerPoint
Litigation
Financial Models
Due Diligence
Legal Memos
Private Equity
Legal Issues
Financial Analysis
Intellectual Property
Business Development
Real Estate Transactions
Market Research
Discounted Cash Flow
Interrogatories

Law Firm
Employment Law
Competitor Analysis
Arbitration
Commercial Litigation
Financial Institutions
Corporate Law
Trial Preparation
DCF
Financial Statements
Civil Litigation
Research Memoranda
Pro Bono
Legal Memorandum

Client Interviews
Bloomberg
Settlement Agreements
Demand Letters
Corporate Governance
Probate
FinTech
Federal Courts
Civil Procedure
LBO
Summary Judgment Motions
Leveraged Finance
Estate Planning

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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