Summer Program
What is practicing intellectual property law at Wolf Greenfield really like? Our summer program will immerse you in our work and culture, and you’ll learn firsthand why we have industry leading attorney retention rates. From cybersquatting to snowboard binding design to free speech cases, our summers have helped IP clients solve problems, move innovations forward, and protect cutting edge inventions.
We are currently accepting Technology Specialist Summer Intern and 1L Summer Associate applications for Summer 2025.
Real direction.
Your mentor will provide guidance and answer questions you may have about the firm and your work assignments. Wolf Greenfield has a friendly and open environment, so you will be able to create your own unique summer experience. At the end of the summer, we expect that you will have a realistic sense of what it’s like to work here.
Real change.
Wolf Greenfield is committed to recruiting and retaining future attorneys who will contribute to the diversity of our firm and the field of intellectual property law. Our Diversity Fellowship Program is designed to give students pursuing a career in intellectual property law a realistic sense of what it is like to practice at Wolf Greenfield.
Real work.
The majority of your work will come from your primary practice group, and you’ll also be exposed to other practices and types of work. For example, you may work on both patent prosecution and IP litigation matters focusing on issues as varied as innovative antibody medication, aerospace innovations, and sneaker design. You’ll also have the opportunity to be involved in pro bono work. If you want to work on a certain kind of matter, just ask!
Real connections.
In addition to making sure that our summers are exposed to challenging and interesting IP work, we provide opportunities for you to discover our collegial culture. You’ll enjoy getting to know the Wolf Greenfield family at special events designed to help you develop professional relationships in casual settings that take advantage of all that Boston has to offer. From Red Sox games and the Lawyers Have Heart 5K, to team bonding in an escape room or at paint night, our summer events offer something for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the dates of the summer program?
The starting date varies each year, but our program typically runs for ten weeks from the end of May through the end of July.
How many summer interns are in your program?
We usually hire between six to eight summer interns.
What are the hours for summer interns?
The firm has flexible daytime hours for associates and there is no specific total hours requirement for summer interns. The general guideline is that you should be at the office between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. We’re operating in a hybrid environment with the expectation that our summers are in the office twice per week.
How much input will I have regarding my mix of work?
We try to give each summer intern a variety of assignments, touching on areas like patent prosecution, litigation, pro bono, post-grant, and agreement work. If you have a particular interest, let us know and we’ll do our best to match that interest with an ongoing firm project.
How do I get feedback on the work I’ve done?
The practitioners you’re working with will provide feedback on specific projects as the summer progresses. You will also receive mid-summer and end-of-summer evaluations.
What if I need to take a day off over the summer?
Take a day off!
Professional Development
Dedicated training.
We are committed to training and helping our summers take advantage of the wealth of knowledge that our attorneys and tech specialists possess. We run a complete series of introductory and advanced classes geared to the different stages of your career development.
Essential introductions.
You’ll take a number of structured courses designed to introduce you to the practice of intellectual property law. From our patent basics program to our bi-weekly Federal Circuit Case Review Program, we will provide you with a solid foundation in intellectual property law. And training does not have to end with the summer program. Many summers go on to benefit from the professional development opportunities provided to our associates and technology specialists.
Interactive coaching.
Of course, even with all the formal training we offer, the informal training and hands on-experience you get working directly with other professionals on client matters and practice development will be the basis for the majority of your learning opportunities.
Diversity Fellowship Program
Wolf Greenfield is committed to recruiting and retaining future attorneys who will contribute to the diversity of our firm and the field of intellectual property law. Our Diversity Fellowship Program is designed to give students pursuing a career in intellectual property law a realistic sense of what it is like to practice at Wolf Greenfield.
The Wolf Greenfield Diversity Fellowship Program is a paid summer intern or co-op position at the firm, running 10 weeks from mid-May through July.
Pro Bono Opportunities
As lawyers, we have a special obligation to promote the public interest, assist the disadvantaged, and strengthen our community. While the attorneys in our firm contribute individually to a wide variety of civic, charitable, and cultural organizations, we believe it is important that, as a firm, we demonstrate a clear commitment to providing pro bono legal services to those in need.
We know that handling litigation or legal counseling in other areas provides our summer associates with stimulating and rewarding opportunities to help those in need, and that this work may expose you to different sets of challenges than you would face on a daily basis with our traditional client work.
Over the course of the firm’s history, we have assisted a variety of non-profits and charitable organizations. Our founder’s son, David Wolf, took one of his earliest pro bono cases all the way to the Supreme Court – the seminal Aro Mfg. Co. v. Convertible Top Co. case is still the leading precedent for the important patent law doctrine of “permissible repair.”
In recent years, the firm’s pro bono program has focused on representing clients in non-IP related cases, and we have scored victories on behalf of a range of clients in a variety of cases. For example, we won a significant First Amendment case on behalf of a speaker who had been silenced by the Massachusetts Department of Education for his criticism of standardized testing.
Current Openings
We are currently accepting Technology Specialist Summer Intern and 1L Summer Associate applications for Summer 2025.
We fully comply with all laws prohibiting discrimination against any qualified applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, citizenship, national origin, marital, parental or veteran status, or disability as well as any other consideration made unlawful by applicable federal, state or local laws.
All offers of employment at Wolf Greenfield are contingent upon clear results of a thorough background check. Background checks will be conducted on all final candidates and on all employees who are promoted, as deemed necessary.
Current regulations relating to the deemed export of certain information and technologies with which we and our clients work require us to limit access to citizens of the United States and United States permanent residents.
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