Mandy Earl University of Cincinnati Law School class of 2010; member of the 2008 summer associate class

You’ll find a page just like this on almost every law firm’s recruiting website, where current and former summer associates opine about the awesome magnificence of their firm. If you believe what you read on these recruiting sites, every law firm is full of smart and collegial people, every summer summer associate does cutting-edge legal research, and nobody ever works long hours. So what can I say to convince you that Bricker is any better than that?

Simply put, there are just a lot of little things about working at Bricker that you know you’ll appreciate someday when you’re working here for longer than just twelve weeks. Experiences speak louder than vague platitudes about how great it is to work here, so I’ll tell you about some of mine.

At Bricker you are not just another nameless face in the crowd of summer associates that blow through for a few weeks each summer. Bricker folks are always friendly and smile back when you pass by in the halls. People who were still strangers to me would often greet me by name, and the niceness was appreciated whether I was popping into the office for just a few minutes or putting in a full day at the desk.

The folks at Bricker are very tuned in to each summer associate’s interests and aspirations. As a second-careerist hoping to apply my prior experience in a specific practice area, I valued the program’s flexibility and Bricker’s ability to tailor the summer associate experience to meet my interests. But even though I had a narrow focus on one practice area, the summer associateship still afforded me opportunities to socialize with the rest of the firm and to attend interesting “out-of-office” experiences where I could watch experienced Bricker lawyers in action at trials, mediations, or depositions.

Bricker was also flexible in allowing me to work in both the Columbus office and the Cincinnati-Dayton office, which is nearer to my home. The friendly culture from the Columbus office has infected the Cincinnati office, which is also full of nice people. Although Cincinnati is a satellite office, there is a significant amount of crossover of work with the Columbus office, so you still feel connected with the rest of the firm.

Every firm’s recruitment site will tell you that their office is where “all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the summer associates are above average.” All of that is no different at Bricker. However, the firm-wide friendliness, flexibility, and interest in promoting individual success that you’ll find at Bricker are what make this firm an even better and most enjoyable place to work.