Law Students
Snell & Wilmer wants attorneys to succeed in the practice of law, in the community, and in life. The firm’s culture is designed to promote an environment for success.
Compensation & Benefits
Snell & Wilmer delivers a comprehensive benefits package to employees and family members.
| Offices | Summer Associate
Weekly Salary | Entry-Level Associate Starting Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Denver | $3,462 | $180,000 |
| Las Vegas | $3,173 | $165,000 |
| Los Angeles | $3,846 | $200,000 |
| Orange County | $3,846 | $200,000 |
| Phoenix | $3,365 | $175,000 |
| Portland | $3,173 | $165,000 |
| Reno | $3,173 | $165,000 |
| Salt Lake City | $3,173 | $165,000 |
| San Diego | $3,846 | $200,000 |
| Tucson | $2,788 | $145,000 |
Work/Life Balance Benefits
- Employee Assistance Program providing resources and counseling is available to all family members.
- Public transportation commuter program
- Pre-tax qualified parking program
- Access to referral service for childcare, pet care and senior care providers
- Discounted tickets for movies, museums, and other family destinations
- Corporate gym discount
- Automobile employee purchasing programs
Summer Program
The Snell & Wilmer Summer Associate Program is designed to provide new legal professionals with an opportunity to experience as many facets of the firm’s practice and to work with as many of the firm’s attorneys as possible. The firm appoints several senior associates to coordinate the program, solicit and screen projects from both partners and associates, and assign them to summer associates.
We aim to provide summer associates with meaningful assignments, shadowing opportunities, and feedback to prompt professional growth. To the greatest extent possible, summer associates are urged to attend client conferences, depositions, negotiations, closings of various commercial transactions, administrative and court hearings, and trials in which the firm is involved. At the mid-point and end of the summer, the coordinators meet with each summer associate to discuss their progress. In addition, each attorney for whom the summer associate works provides an oral and/or written evaluation.
Our comprehensive interview process for the summer associate program involves spending a lot of time up front, to target the individuals whom we believe will join the firm.
Because of the extensive time and effort our hiring committee invests in the selection process, once a candidate is welcomed as a summer associate, the individual has great potential to become a valued addition to the firm.
Reality Snell & Wilmer was developed to provide our summer associates with the most realistic experience possible. Our goal for the program is to ensure that through the summer, our summer associates become part of our firm, and have an experience that is as similar as possible to the reality of practicing law.
In addition to the traditional practice of assigning structured projects, our firm would like to enhance the experience of our summer associates by exposing them to team projects including: short-fused projects, projects that expand, and projects that change direction, or arise from time-to-time.
Beginning with their second week at the firm, each summer associate will be assigned a Reality Partner for the duration of their summer program. Summer associates will be that attorney’s “go-to” person and may work on any of the partner’s matters, as the partner sees fit. Reality Partners may call summer associates at any time, sometimes on short notice, to give them work, change the scope of a project, or to include them in brainstorming sessions and client meetings. We anticipate that 30% of a summer associate’s time would be spent working with their Reality Partner.
Reality Snell & Wilmer provides summer associates with a realistic experience to the practice of law, while allowing them to showcase their assets through assistance with updates, suggestions and research on matters.
The Snell & Wilmer Summer Associate Reader Program helps Snell & Wilmer summer associates with their legal writing. The recruiting office automatically distributes two projects from each summer associate to an assigned Partner Reader.
The Partner Readers will read, edit, and discuss the summer associate’s projects with them, and offer constructive feedback to help further develop and enhance their writing skills. While the Partner Readers are not evaluating the substantive aspect of the summer associate’s projects, their guidance regarding legal analysis, organization, grammar, language choice, and clarity will help the summer associate produce more polished legal writing.
Campus Interview Dates and Upcoming Student Events
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Home for the Holidays in Orange County | December 19, 2024 |
| Home for the Holidays in Phoenix | January 2, 2025 |
| Home for the Holidays in Salt Lake City | January 2, 2025 |
| University of Nevada, Las Vegas | January 16, 2025 |
| Arizona State University | January 27, 2025 |
| Brigham Young University | January 30, 2025 |
| University of Utah | February 3, 2025 |
Chart Your Course Program
We have launched a new program called Chart Your Course for Snell & Wilmer to preview candidates who would like to express early interest in a specific office at Snell & Wilmer. By applying through the program, you are expressing interest and intent to start your career here. This preview program is a head start to earlier consideration by the firm, as compared to individuals who apply through general application channels.