What are the responsibilities and job description for the 2026 2L Portland Summer Associate position at Davis Wright Tremaine?
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP seeks applications for 2026 2L Summer Associate positions in the Portland office.
Your Journey Starts Here
We want future colleagues who spend their summers with us to get the full experience of working at DWT. That includes doing complex work for market-leading clients alongside colleagues who care about your interests and who have expertise and insight that can help you learn how to build a practice. It also means joining a community that values excellent work and client service, teamwork, fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture, giving back to our communities, and leading rich personal lives outside the office.
So, what does that actually look like? It's doing everything from drafting motions and contracts to assisting with pro bono matters to preparing for and attending client meetings, depositions, negotiations, and trials. It's getting legal and skills training from our practice and industry groups and being paired with mentors based on your particular goals and interests. And it's getting to know your colleagues at work and beyond, through affinity groups, events like our Summer Associate retreat, and countless conversations over lunch and coffee.
By the end of the summer, you'll know what it's like to be a first-year associate at DWT-and a member of our community. Come join us!
- Take an entrepreneurial approach to their work and career
- Excel in written and oral communication, research, and analysis
- Prioritize collaboration, effective use of time, and professional responsibility
- Bring creativity and unique ideas to their work
- Commit to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive legal profession
- Intend to practice in Portland after law school
- Current resume
- Cover letter (please indicate your connection to Portland in the letter and address to Sandra Morriss, Manager, Law Student Talent Acquisition)
- Legal writing sample, not heavily edited by a third party (generally 5-10 pages)
- List of three references (one of whom is qualified to comment on your law schoolwork)
- Complete undergraduate transcripts (unofficial copies are acceptable)
- Law school transcript (unofficial copy is acceptable)*
2L Summer Associate opportunities open on May 1, 2025. Application review is conducted on a rolling basis, and we highly recommend applying as early as you are able. Submissions received before Sunday, July 20, 2025, 11:59 p.m. PT will receive preference, but positions will remain listed on our website until they are filled. Scroll to the bottom of this page to see available positions.
At Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, every employee has the right to work in an environment free from all forms of unlawful discrimination. It is our policy to hire, promote, transfer, terminate, and make all employment-related decisions without regard to an employee's sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical condition), race, color, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, religious creed, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, medical condition, military condition, military or veteran status or any other basis prohibited by applicable local, state, or federal laws.
Davis Wright Tremaine provides reasonable accommodations for those who need them to complete the application or recruiting process and for employees who need reasonable accommodations to perform the essential functions of their positions due to a disability or for religious reasons. If you need to request accommodation during the application or recruiting process, please email HumanResources_Confidential@dwt.com.
