I must confess: while I enjoyed my 2L year, I have been counting down the days until the start of my second summer at Bilzin Sumberg. Last summer was an incredible experience, and throughout the school year I found myself missing the wonderful people I had worked with and wondering about the fascinating projects I had contributed to.

Now that the first week of our much-anticipated summer program has concluded, I’ve realized that this year I felt much more confident than I did as a 1L summer, perhaps because I knew what to expect. With this in mind, I figured future summer associates may want to know what to expect on your first day at Bilzin Sumberg. Here is my list of tips.

  1. The night before, review any emails regarding your first day. They are the best source of information and will share all that you actually need to know!
  2. Miami traffic is always worse than you expect, so build in enough time to your commute to ensure you arrive on time. Plus, if you arrive early, you’ll have a few minutes to chat with the other summers, all of whom are certainly looking forward to meeting you!
  3. The parking garage will be more full than you would expect, so also build time in to find a spot, if you drive into the office.
  4. Most of us wear business professional on the first day, but still make sure to wear shoes you can walk in.
  5. There’s no need to worry about finding your office on your own. The first day orientation sessions all take place in a conference room, and you’ll be shown to your office at the end of the day.
  6. Our photos for our work accounts are taken on the first day, so it can’t hurt to throw a hairbrush in your bag or any other items you may need to freshen up before photos are taken.
  7. You don’t need to bring a laptop or any device other than your cell phone. The firm provides laptops and any tech you may need for work.
  8. The first day is kind of like syllabus week in college. Lots of very important information, but no actual assignments to complete just yet. Take it all in and don’t worry about getting work done just yet—you’ll have plenty of time for that over the rest of the summer.
  9. A few things you may want in your bag include a water bottle, a Tide pen or sewing kit in case of a wardrobe malfunction, a lint brush, a phone charger, and a notebook. None of these are necessary, but they are certainly useful to have in some cases.
  10. Feel free to start reaching out to attorneys right away—they are really excited to meet you. Everyone always says that the reason they love to work at Bilzin is because of the people, so start meeting the folks who make this firm so special.
  11. Take a deep breath. Everyone wants to see you succeed, and you were chosen as a summer associate because you are smart, accomplished, and personable. You are meant to be here!