2026 1L Patent Summer Associate

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is accepting applications for a 1L Patent Summer Associate in our Seattle or Washington, D.C. offices. If you want to know about the requirements for this role, read on for all the relevant information. Build your career at a firm that recognizes your individual strengths, fosters genuine collaboration, and creates opportunities to serve clients and communities in meaningful ways. Your Journey Starts Here We want future colleagues who spend their summers with us to get the full experience of working at DWT. That includes doing complex work for market-leading clients alongside colleagues who care about your interests and who have expertise and insight that can help you learn how to build a practice. It also means joining a community that values excellent work and client service, teamwork, fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture, giving back to our communities, and leading rich personal lives outside the office. So, what does that actually look like? It's doing everything from drafting motions and contracts to assisting with pro bono matters to preparing for and attending client meetings, depositions, negotiations, and trials. It's getting legal and skills training from our practice and industry groups and being paired with mentors based on your particular goals and interests. And it's getting to know your colleagues at work and beyond, through affinity groups, events like our Summer Associate retreat, and countless conversations over lunch and coffee. By the end of the summer, you'll know what it's like to be a first-year associate at DWT-and a member of our community. Come join us Our 1L Patent Summer Associate position is open to first-year law students who: Have a technical background and an interest in patent prosecution and/or litigation; Are patent bar eligible with a degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, or related technical area (industry experience in these or a related field is a plus); Are committed to practicing in Seattle or Washington, DC after law school; Take an entrepreneurial approach to their work and career; Excel in written and oral communication, research, and analysis; Prioritize collaboration, effective use of time, and professional responsibility; Bring creativity and unique ideas to their work; and Commit to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive legal profession Please have the following documents ready to upload for your application: Current resume Cover letter (please indicate your connection to Seattle or Washington, D.C. in the letter and address it to Sandra Morriss, Manager, Law Student Talent Acquisition) Legal writing sample, not heavily edited by a third party (generally 5-10 pages) List of three references (one of whom is qualified to comment on your law school work) Complete undergraduate transcripts (unofficial copies are acceptable) Complete graduate transcripts, if applicable (unofficial copies are acceptable) Law school transcript for fall term (unofficial copy is acceptable)* *If your transcript is not available at the time you submit your application, please submit a blank copy. You will receive an email with a link and instructions for submitting it via our website when you receive it. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and positions will remain listed on our website until they are filled. Emailed applications cannot be accepted. Questions? Check out our FAQs: The weekly salary for this position in Washington D.C. and Washington State is $3,942/week. Summer Associates are eligible to accrue sick leave in accordance with DWT's Sick & Safe Leave policy. Summer Associates working in the Seattle office are eligible to receive an ORCA card that allows for unlimited rides on regular bus routes, regional rail and water taxi at a cost of $25 per month pretax (deducted from paycheck); with the ability to add a ferry pass for a cost of $50 per month. Davis Wright Tremaine LLP fosters a culture where all talented individuals-including those who are traditionally underrepresented in the legal profession-can have, and can see, paths to success. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion sits on four pillars: Community, Growth, Education, and Engagement. Learn more about the firm's commitment to DEI here: At Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, every employee has the right to work in an environment free from all forms of unlawful discrimination. It is our policy to hire, promote, transfer, terminate, and make all employment-related decisions without regard to an employee's sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical condition), race, color, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, religious creed, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, medical condition, military condition, military or veteran status or any other basis prohibited by applicable local, state, or federal laws. xhmxlyz Davis Wright Tremaine provides reasonable accommodations for those who need them to complete the application or recruiting process and for employees who need reasonable accommodations to perform the essential functions of their positions due to a disability or for religious reasons. If you need to request accommodation during the application or recruiting process, please email