Launching your career.
Be a part of a Summer Program where you will handle real client matters, learn what it is like to be an associate at the Firm and work on legal issues confronting business today. You will forge new relationships, collaborate with colleagues, contribute to client service, begin to give back to the community and find your early mentors.
Here are a few of the opportunities we offer law students
Summer Program
Every year, a group of talented, high-performing law students from across the country participate in our summer program. You’ll work directly with associates and partners and be provided meaningful opportunities to experience our diverse practice.
The firm’s human resources and professional development director, who is also an attorney, leads our program and will assist you and your fellow summer associates as you get to know our people and our culture, while immersing yourself in our professional and civic values.
Summer associates also have the opportunity to help lead our branded diversity pipeline program, Peace Out! You’ll take part in volunteer efforts, as well as carefully planned social, educational and shadowing opportunities, including visits to other Phillips Lytle offices. And keep in mind – students may be hired from our summer program, or upon graduation from law school.
To be considered, please send a cover letter, resume, official transcript and a writing sample to Sandra E. Langs, Esq.
Entry Level Associates and Judicial Clerks
Whether you are joining Phillips Lytle directly out of law school or you have served as a judicial clerk, we make it a priority to provide you with everything you need to be successful. This includes a mentoring program, formal business development training and a robust skills curriculum.
We give you all the tools you need to move forward in your career. In addition, you are immersed in sophisticated client work right from the start – collaborating with experienced partners. And you’ll be indoctrinated in The Phillips Lytle Way, our philosophy of client service that is embraced by all and put into practice each and every day.
AdvanceU
AdvanceU is Phillips Lytle’s robust professional development program, offering specialized courses to facilitate practice, enhance expertise and deepen awareness of the many skills possessed by a successful legal practitioner. Training is offered in areas such as skills, practice essentials and business development. What’s more, AdvanceU provides opportunities for learning through in-house CLE programs, informal training sessions and access to courses through our partnership with Practising Law Institute (PLI).
Mentoring
Phillips Lytle recognizes the important role mentoring plays in a career. Every associate is assigned a partner mentor when he or she begins a career with us. We regularly communicate about the many ways in which we all can be effective mentors and, as a firm, collectively bolster those occasions on which attorneys can share interests, experiences and expertise with one another.
A little more about us
Phillips Lytle was founded in 1834 as a one-man office. Today, we have over 140 attorneys and a total staff of more than 300. We represent local, national and international clients in numerous industries, including health care, education, energy, human resources, insurance, automotive, manufacturing, textiles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, financial services, telecommunications, luxury goods, storage and other mainstays of commerce.
We are recognized
Phillips Lytle is a premier law firm, consistently recognized for legal excellence. The firm is ranked by Chambers USA in seven different Phillips Lytle practices: Corporate/M&A, Environment – both Upstate and New York State, Litigation: General Commercial, Real Estate, Energy, and Labor & Employment. Each year, we are also recognized by The Best Lawyers in America©, Super Lawyers® and City & State Magazine. In addition, we are highlighted in various diversity publications for our DE&I efforts.
We work with the top businesses around the globe
Phillips Lytle attorneys engage in sophisticated and complex work for some of the top businesses in the country – companies on the FORTUNE 500 and FORTUNE Global 500 lists.
We encourage a healthy work-life balance
To ensure our attorneys have fulfilling careers outside the firm, we encourage professional and civic goals, and provide the resources to achieve them.
We invest in our people
We feature robust training and mentoring programs for associates, providing opportunities to learn from our highly skilled attorneys and our clients’ in-house legal departments.
We support our communities
We encourage all of our attorneys to find ways to give back to the communities in which they work and live – from board positions, to participating on our Volunteer Crew, to supporting organizations that make a difference. In addition, over the last six years, Phillips Lytle has provided more than $6.3 million in pro bono legal services to low-income and disadvantaged individuals and families, as well as to not-for-profit groups.
We are inclusive
Phillips Lytle is committed to cultivating an inclusive environment where all individuals have the opportunity to succeed, personally and professionally.
We are diverse
We recognize that differences among people are a key part of providing the highest level of client service, and that we are strengthened by the different perspectives, backgrounds and experiences of every colleague in our organization.
We are accredited
Phillips Lytle is fully accredited by the New York State Continuing Legal Education Board as a provider of continuing legal education. Our attorneys never have to travel far to receive the latest legal updates.