You may apply via your law school career services offices to meet with us at On Campus Interviews (OCI). If we do not participate in your law school’s OCI program, you can submit an application online.

We traditionally recruit on campus at:

We also encourage students to apply directly to us prior to, and outside of, the OCI process. Please submit your resume, cover letter, and law school transcript (unofficial is fine) to recruiting@bodmanlaw.com.

Yes. We typically hire one or two first-year law students as summer associates each year. This is accomplished via our participation in the Wolverine Bar Association’s Summer Clerkship Program (SCP) and considering 1L candidates who apply to us directly. 

Are summer associates assigned to a specific office?

Our summer associates spend the majority of their time in our Detroit office, while also spending one to two weeks in our Troy and Ann Arbor offices. In addition, the summer associate class makes at least one visit to our Grand Rapids office. We also typically hire one summer associate who is based in Grand Rapids for the summer.


What is the length of Bodman’s Summer Associate Program?

Our program lasts for ten weeks, typically beginning in late May.

Does Bodman allow split summers?

Yes, but we ask that summer associates spend at least 8 weeks participating in our Summer Associate Program.

What does Bodman expect from summer associates?

We look for individuals who share our core values of integrity, client service, collaboration, diversity, stewardship, and stability. Our summer associates are smart and hard-working, possess strong writing skills and good judgment, and take ownership over all aspects of their work. 

How does Bodman train its summer associates?

We work hard to train new lawyers and that training starts during the summer. Summer associates receive a specialized firm orientation and are invited to attend all regular practice group training sessions. They also participate in weekly touchpoint meetings with the Summer Associate Program coordinators and their fellow summers. They also receive one-on-one writing instruction. 

Beyond these formal training opportunities, Bodman summer associates begin to learn to practice law. We give summer associates real client work and bill the clients for their time. As a summer associate, you will work on projects that would otherwise be handled by associates, and may attend client meetings, depositions and court hearings. 

We understand that summer associates want practical experience — not to write articles for members or answer esoteric questions unrelated to the practice of law. You will work directly with a member on each case and will not have work filtered to you through a more senior associate. We believe this hands-on approach, augmented by formal training, is the best way to learn to be a lawyer.

Do summer associates receive mentors?

Each summer associate receives an associate mentor and member mentor during the summer. These mentors, many of whom are members of the firm’s Lawyer Recruiting and Personnel Committee, are valuable resources for summer associates. They facilitate introductions to other attorneys at the firm, provide feedback on summer associates’ work product, and help ensure the summer associates receive feedback from the attorneys with whom they have worked. 

The firm also has a robust attorney mentoring program in which mentors are assigned based on each attorney’s specific professional objectives.

What types of social events are summer associates invited to?

Bodman hosts a variety of events during the summer. The highlight of the summer is the Bodman Folly. Each year our summer associates, associates, and younger members, along with their spouses, spend a carefree weekend at Barothy Lodge near Ludington, Michigan enjoying Michigan’s natural beauty, playing volleyball, kickball, swimming, hiking and enjoying each other’s company. The attire is casual and no business meetings are held at the Folly. 

Summer associates participate in a number of additional formal and informal events over the course of the summer. These events typically including a behind the scenes tour of Ford Field with our client, The Detroit Lions, a Detroit Tigers baseball game and several lunches and receptions.

We also encourage our attorneys to invite summer associates to join them at external social and networking events hosted by bar associations and other professional organizations throughout the summer.

What are Bodman’s DEI initiatives?

Bodman is committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable firm environment. For more than a decade, the firm has maintained an active DEI Committee that is comprised of members, associates, staff attorneys, and administrative professionals. Bodman also has a full-time Manager of Diversity and Talent who coordinates our diversity initiatives. The firm was also awarded Mansfield Rule 6.0 Certification Plus in 2023, and we continue to actively participate in the 2023-2024 Mansfield iteration.

Do summer associates participate in pro bono?

Yes. Bodman has a long-standing commitment to serving the community via pro bono legal services. We have an active Pro Bono Committee that oversees pro bono work and a full-time Pro Bono Counsel who is dedicated to administering Bodman’s pro bono program. 

Bodman attorneys provide pro bono legal representation to both low-income individuals and organizations that serve low-income individuals, in addition to participating in numerous legal clinics and performing work on behalf of organizations seeking to enforce civil liberties.

The firm’s strong commitment to pro bono extends to our summer associates. We strongly encourage each summer associate to actively participate in our pro bono program. See our Giving Back page for more information on Bodman’s pro bono commitment.

I’m a 3L. Do I have a chance of securing an entry-level associate position with Bodman?

Yes. The number of entry-level associate positions varies year to year, but applications from 3Ls who did not participate in our Summer Associate Program are always welcome and accepted. 

Do most Bodman attorneys start as summer associates?

Many current Bodman attorneys – associates and members – started with the firm as summer associates. This is a reflection of how strongly we value the Summer Associate Program. In recent years, the firm’s growth has exceeded that which could be satisfied solely through the Summer Associate Program, and we have added a number of superior lateral associates and members to the firm.

Where did Bodman attorneys go to law school?

Bodman hires nationally, seeking the best attorneys who desire to practice in Michigan from a broad array of law schools throughout the country. A full list of the law schools our attorneys attended is available here.


Where can I learn more information about Bodman?
You can visit Bodman’s National Association for Law Placement (NALP) listing for more information on the firm and our Summer Associate Program.