Ben Fleming
Partner
New York
Work on meaningful and dynamic assignments
High-quality opportunities
After my first year of law school, I spent the summer as an intern for a nonprofit organization that was very involved in media law. As the summer was winding down and I was beginning to prepare for on-campus interviews, I asked for thoughts about what firms I should target. Everyone at the organization was pretty unequivocal – Hogan Lovells should be at the top of my list.
Before I started, past summer associates told me that the summer work would be substantive, and that I’d get to contribute to ongoing matters. Sure enough – from day one, we were dropped right into the middle of ongoing cases and were given relevant, timely assignments. As the summer continued, we focused more on the practice areas that interested us the most.
Personal growth
I graduated from the New York University School of Law and earned an M.S. at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. After working in the New York office as a 2010 summer associate, and I joined the firm.
Many of the projects I worked on while I was a summer associate involved research and writing. I also had the opportunity to sit in with other lawyers to observe something new, whether it was a motion being argued in court or the closing of a deal. I can't imagine a better arrangement for brand new summer associates than one that keeps you engaged with real work and accommodates your personal goals.
Deep relationships
Almost immediately after I turned on the lights in my office on my first day, lawyers in the surrounding offices began stopping by to introduce themselves. The warmth and friendliness of these visits provided a great start to the summer. When we needed a little help getting up to speed in a particular area or asked for background on the matters we worked on, both partners and associates were invariably ready to sit down and work with us until we were ready to go. Their welcoming approach is a big reason why I returned to the firm.