Come for the summer. Come back for the long haul. 

Sharpen your skills by working alongside Frost Brown Todd attorneys at depositions, arbitrations, negotiations and client consultations. As a summer associate, we see to it you are exposed to a wide range of activities and hands-on training based on the area(s) of law you want to explore. By program’s end, you will leave with a better sense of what you have to offer and a network of people ready to help you reach your career goals.

Do meaningful work.

We believe in providing summer associates with meaningful hands-on experience in a variety of industries and practice areas. We learn what aspects of the law excite you and connect you with teams specializing in those areas. Throughout the summer, our work coordinators make sure all assignments are fairly distributed among associates, with the appropriate balance of billable hours, observation and training opportunities.

Team up with not one, but two mentors.

We pair summer associates with both a partner and an associate to serve as mentors, on hand to answer questions and introduce you to attorneys and clients. These mentor/mentee relationships often outlast the duration of the program, continuing into the school year and beyond.

Darnell McCoy | Partner | Louisville, KY

One of Frost Brown Todd’s greatest strengths is the existence of ample opportunity for young lawyers to find and learn from experienced mentors who are committed to their success and who are able to help them learn, develop and thrive in their practice. I will always be grateful for the amazing mentors who have guided me along the way and continue to do so at Frost Brown Todd, and I believe that culture of mentorship is one of the keys to the firm’s continued success.

Learn your strengths, pinpoint areas for improvement.

When it comes to communicating with summer associates, we articulate expectations clearly and provide constructive feedback on your performance at every step of the way. Most of this feedback will be informal in nature, but at both the midpoint and conclusion of the program you will receive a formal evaluation, highlighting your strengths and pinpointing areas where additional training would help you deliver on your full potential.

Enjoy several career development opportunities.

Summer associates also spend a great deal of time in the field, touring our clients’ facilities, learning about their business operations and getting a firsthand glimpse of what it takes to build in-house relationships with world-class companies. In addition to fieldwork, we host weekly forums during which representatives of the firm’s management committees and practice groups share their perspective and interact candidly with summer associates.

Alesha Hamilton | Summer Associate ’21 | Cincinnati, OH

By the end of my first summer with the firm, I knew that Frost Brown Todd was a great culture fit for me and I could not wait to come back for a second summer. The summer associate program afforded me the opportunity to gain substantive experience in a variety of practice groups and interact with attorneys across the firm. Not only did I gain valuable work experience, but I also had the chance to attend fun social activities to get to know attorneys in the firm outside of the office. Starting my legal career here, I know I am surrounded by great people who have a genuine interest in my development as an attorney and as a person.

Connect with colleagues at informal social events.

Summer associates aren’t isolated from one another, nor are they excluded from various firm-wide events during the summer months. Rather, here at the firm and elsewhere, you can get to know your colleagues during luncheons, meet-and-greets and community engagement projects. For previous summer associates, these social gatherings have been both fun and illuminating.

Witness skilled attorneys in action.

Many of our attorneys are at the forefront of complex and still-evolving areas of the law, such as blockchain, artificial intelligence and global privacy regulations. Some are considered luminaries in their respective fields. As a summer associate, you will get to work alongside these accomplished attorneys.

Note: Frost Brown Todd LLP is an equal opportunity employer.

Get your start at the right firm. With real opportunities right from the start.

Combining skills-based instruction and observation with direct hands-on experience in the field, our First-Year Associate Program is designed to give you the tools and relationships needed to quickly rise to the level expected of a Frost Brown Todd attorney. As a first-year associate, you will take on a high degree of responsibility early on, with increasingly sophisticated assignments as you progress through the program. You will also have opportunities to broaden your horizons through client placements and by contributing to pro bono and community service projects.

Mentoring is an equally vital part of our professional development platform. We pair you with a partner and an associate mentor. These attorneys will guide you forward, introduce you to colleagues and clients and help you take your practice to the next level.

At Frost Brown Todd, it’s all about putting the right people and opportunities in your path while giving you license to determine your own success.

Market-competitive salaries (with reduced billable hour requirement)

We offer market-competitive salaries, yet with a billable hour requirement that is below that of other similarly sized firms. We supplement billable work with additional hours of training during your first year, allowing you to focus on the kind of professional development that will be most beneficial to you in the long run.

Tessa Castner | Partner | Cincinnati, OH

The first-year program jump-started my career through substantive training that translated directly to my practice. I learned about negotiations through peer simulations and observation opportunities. Then I was entrusted with my first solo mediation shortly after passing the bar.

Knowledge Coach

You will be paired with an attorney to serve as your “knowledge coach” for the duration of the program. Your knowledge coach will put the time in to learn about your interests and work with you to devise a training regimen, pursue relevant opportunities and manage overall workflow.

Secrets of Success

We’ve developed an innovative and informative mini-MBA program, which will give you some fluency in core business strategies and help you relate to clients on a broader plane. We also offer a series of “Secrets of Success” programs throughout the year to help refine your lawyering skills. You will hear experienced attorneys and clients advise on topics like initiative-taking, business generation and client responsiveness.

Miles Harrison | Partner | Louisville, KY

Frost Brown Todd’s competency-based evaluation process provided me with a roadmap for advancing my career. It set clear, objective benchmarks for my peers and me to monitor our progression and strive for ever-higher levels of achievement. Unlike more rigid processes based on years of practice, our competency-based model allows first-year associates to have some flexibility in charting their path forward. The annual performance review also helped me target areas of my practice to focus on to assist my growth as an attorney and contribute to the firm’s overall success.

Placement opportunities with clients and non-profit organizations

You will have opportunities to work directly with our clients in their place of business, learn about their operations and fine-tune your client service skills. Frost Brown Todd also maintains longstanding relationships with several nonprofit organizations in our footprint, giving you the chance to contribute through pro bono and community service projects.

Note: Frost Brown Todd LLP is an equal opportunity employer.

Investment for Your Future

We help you invest in you and your future. While many firms do not give you the benefit of retirement savings until year two, at Frost Brown Todd, you are eligible to make contributions after 30 days of employment. Our 401(k) retirement plan provides matching contributions after one year, with discretionary contributions available after two years. Investing early means your money is working for your future sooner and longer. You are eligible to contribute up to $20,500 into a qualified retirement plan. After year one, we will provide a 4% match of your compensation directly into your plan on a per-pay-period basis. The match is your money working for your future. Additional discretionary contributions may be made that further maximize your deferred tax benefits.

Selecting the right person for the right firm.

We have given significant thought to understanding what makes someone successful at Frost Brown Todd and how to better identify successful future contributors to our team. We have a unique call-back process where candidates participate in traditional 30-minute interviews as well as a structured 60-minute interview with a panel of trained interviewers. In this way, candidates get to share their stories, experiences, and why they are primed for professional success.

• 30-minute one-on-one interviews.
• 60-minute panel interview: A structured form of interviewing with a panel of trained interviewers and questions based on the firm’s competencies. During the panel interview, we utilize behaviorally-based questions in a systematic process to eliminate impermissible bias and to better understand the past experiences of our applicants. By understanding the experiences that shape an applicant, we can better identify potential for future success at the firm.
• Lunch with a few of our associates.

Frost Brown Todd’s 1L Diversity Scholarship is a vital component of our Summer Associate Program. It’s also one of the many concrete ways we support building a diverse pipeline while fostering equitable opportunities and outcomes in the legal profession and society as a whole.

Eligibility

The 1L Diversity Scholarship is open to all first-year law students who have successfully completed paid internships in our summer program as evidenced by accepting an offer to return the following summer. Scholarships will be awarded to select students who (a) have made significant contributions to a diverse and inclusive environment and provide diversity of thought and perspective in their lives and through the organizations with which they have been involved, and (b) demonstrate academic excellence.

Process

All 1L summer associates are invited to request consideration for the scholarship in the final weeks of the 1L program by submitting a memo/letter outlining how they meet the criteria. This submission should include describing how they have contributed to a diverse and inclusive environment and diversity of thought with specific examples of leadership roles, participation in efforts, and impact. Additionally, an updated law school transcript may be appropriate.

Each submission will be reviewed against the criteria with final decisions approved by the Chair of the Associate Recruiting Committee and award announcements made shortly after the conclusion of the program.

Value

Scholarship recipients receive $5,000 in the form of W-2 compensation or a direct payment of tuition and/or academic fees. Upon successfully completing a second summer internship at FBT and accepting an offer to return to the firm as an entry-level associate, scholarship recipients will receive an additional $5,000 toward their educational expenses.

In addition to our 1L Diversity Scholarship, Frost Brown Todd established a Diversity Scholarship Fund in 2010, which is open to all students regardless of whether they are participating in our summer program. Each year, through the scholarship fund, we award approximately $10,000 in scholarships to support deserving students in their education and exploration of the law. Learn more about our Diversity Scholarship Fund.