Summer Associates Want More Than a Desk: Give Them a Summer to Remember
- a few seconds ago
- 2 min read
Why your summer associates are looking for a culture, not just a paycheck
In Chicago’s legal market, talent has options—and plenty of them. Firms are offering eye-watering salaries, signing bonuses, and perks that would have sounded absurd a decade ago. And still, associates leave. Salaries capture attention, experience determine loyalty and retention.
Summer associates arrive observant and switched on. They take in the tone of the office, notice who makes time for them and pick up on the small details others long term members overlook. They notice whether lunches feel welcoming or procedural, whether conversations feel genuine or obligatory, and whether their presence feels valued or incidental.
These early impressions form quickly and carry lasting weight. Perception settles early, and once it does, it begins influencing decisions that affect joining one firm or the other.
The ROI of a shared table
Careers are built on relationships, and relationships rarely take hold over Outlook invites or silent sandwich wrappers eaten alone at a desk. They form in moments that feel effortless—when conversation flows naturally, when hierarchy fades into the background, and when people begin to recognize themselves as part of something shared rather than something temporary.
That’s where events and foodservice become a strategic advantage. A well-designed program or series of designed get togethers creates the forum for connection in a way formal meetings never can. It gives summer associates, partners and support teams a reason to linger, talk, and to see each other beyond job titles and billing codes.
Food For Thought helps firms create experiences people remember:
● The Mentorship Breakfast replaces stiff conference room setups with something far more inviting. Espresso bars, seasonal menus, and designed stations create comfort, movement and energy, encouraging people to circulate, pause, and engage in conversations.
● The "Neighborhood" Series brings Chicago’s culinary identity into the office, drawing inspiration from the North, West, and South Side, and the city’s famous foods and most loved dining institutions. These experiences introduce personality into the workday and create moments that connect people to the firm and the city around them.
● Hospitality as a Stress Buffer acknowledges the intensity of legal work and the importance of stepping away, even briefly. Providing high-quality hospitality gives teams a chance to reset, reconnect, and return to their work with renewed focus and energy.
Specificity wins this summer
Associates remember how a place makes them feel, a welcome breakfast, partners who stay to talk, an outside experience or end of day event leave people feeling welcome. These moments communicate something more powerful than stating it outright. Associates feel the care and culture shaping their impression and decision to join your firm.
Event and foodservice hospitality is a reflection of your firm and its culture. It influences whether the office feels energizing or transactional, whether people feel included or peripheral, and whether they can imagine themselves building a future there.
Those early signals stay with them. They shape perception, guide decisions, and ultimately influence where they choose to invest their careers.
Ready to make your firm impossible to forget?
