Small by design, with offers in mind
Otten Johnson’s summer associate program is small by design. We hire the number of summer associates we expect to need as full-time associates after graduation, rather than hiring a large class to evaluate down to a few. The result is a program built around collaboration, collegiality, and real development, not a program designed for competition.
What we look for
We hire top-performing, motivated law students who are seeking a career with a firm that practices substantively in commercial real estate, business, finance, land use, and litigation. The firm’s five values are Excellence, Respect, Community, Shared Commitment, and Integrity, and summer associates are evaluated the same way our associates are evaluated, based on how well they demonstrate those values during their summer.
What summer associates do
Each summer associate is paired with a dedicated associate mentor for the duration of the summer. The work is hands-on and real client work, with substantive projects from across the firm’s practice areas. Beyond the work itself, summer associates attend hearings and land use meetings, draft transactional documents, litigation briefs and motions, sit in on meetings with clients and other parties, and meet with the firm’s professional staff and attorneys.
Project assignments come through our director-level Summer Program Coordinator, who works to ensure the workload is balanced and to introduce summer associates to as many attorneys as possible across practice areas. When practical, the coordinator matches projects to a summer associate’s stated practice area interests.
Recruiting happens through law school on-campus interview programs, direct outreach, and applications. Our Recruiting Committee identifies candidates who will fit both as summer associates and, more importantly, as full-time attorneys after graduation.
Recruiting process and career prospects
Otten Johnson hires summer associates with the expectation that they will become full-time associates. Each summer associate has the opportunity to earn an offer of full-time employment after graduation. They are earned through their substantive work and demonstration of our firm values. The result is a collaborative summer class where everyone is working toward the same goal.
Evaluation
Summer associates receive direct, project-specific feedback from assigning attorneys throughout the summer. Formal evaluations happen twice: in the middle of the summer and at the end and are designed to gauge whether each summer associate is progressing well.
Evaluations consider how well summer associates demonstrate the firm’s values along with the quality and substance of their work.
Compensation
The summer associate salary is $3,075 per week. The starting salary for new associates after graduation is $170,000 per year.
How to apply
Students at the University of Colorado Law School and the University of Denver Sturm College of Law should apply through their school’s on-campus interview program. Students from out-of-state law schools should submit their materials here (opens in a new tab).
The deadline for out-of-state students to apply for 2027 summer associate positions was May 15, 2026. Our 2027 Summer Associate class is full.