Summer Experiences: Alec Hubbard, ’26, Summer Associate, Faegre Drinker
Alec Hubbard, ’26, is spending his summer working in the Denver office of Faegre Drinker, a full-service international law firm with 1,200 attorneys. As a summer associate, he is learning and applying his skills in multiple areas of the law. Hubbard plans to practice law at a major law firm in Denver after he graduates, so getting this preview of his future career goal has been a gratifying experience.
How did you connect with this summer opportunity?
I learned about Faegre Drinker because it is one of the few “Big Law” style firms in Denver with practice groups in all areas of the law. I applied through their 1L Summer Program and thankfully was offered a position. I plan to practice in the Denver area when I graduate, which significantly narrowed my search area for summer jobs.
How does your experience connect with what you currently envision doing with your law degree?
I plan to practice in Big Law when I graduate so working in a national law firm in my desired city, Denver, perfectly aligns with my goals. It has been great to connect with and learn from practicing attorneys who are currently doing what I hope to do when I graduate.
Please describe a “typical” day at work.
A typical day at work starts around 8:30 a.m. I spend most of the day researching and drafting memos for projects that I’m assigned. I also meet with the attorneys I’m working with for project updates or simply to talk about any interesting cases that they are working on. Occasionally, I’m able to sit in on depositions, arbitrations, and hearings before judges. Lunch is either with the other summer associates or with an attorney. I usually get done with work around 5:00 p.m., and two to three times a week there are social events after work such as cooking classes or concerts.
What is something you learned or experienced that was surprising or particularly compelling during this summer position?
The amount of time it takes for a case to go to trial. We hear in class about how it takes months or years for a case to get to trial, but actually having an attorney show me the timeline of a “simple” claim and why it likely won’t get to court until late 2025 when it was started in 2022 was surprising. It helped me understand why litigation costs so much, why settlements are so common, and why there is a need for more lawyers.
What are a couple of your key takeaways from the experience so far?
I have spent most of my summer working on litigation projects, which is the area of law I plan to practice in when I graduate. This means that most of my time has been spent on Lexis and Westlaw, reading cases and articles and drafting memos. Legal research and writing do not end with law school.
What advice would you offer another law student contemplating working in a similar position next summer?
If possible, try to work in a firm that has a wide range of practice areas. While talking to professors and networking with local attorneys is great for getting an idea of what you want to do when you graduate, there’s no substitute for experience. Working in a firm with litigation, transaction, corporate, government, and all the other practice areas will give you a better idea of what you enjoy doing than any class will.
How are you spending your free time this summer?
I’ll be spending the rest of my summer traveling throughout Colorado and spending time with my husband. We both love being outdoors, camping, and hiking, so we’ll be doing as much of that as possible before returning to school in the fall.
What are you most looking forward to in returning to UChicago Law this fall?
First and foremost is seeing and hanging out with all of my friends again! Academically, I’m extremely excited about starting on a journal, and also being able to select the classes that I’m most interested in now that I have a better idea of what I want to do when I graduate.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
If your job offers it, take any pro bono opportunity you can. Those are usually the rare cases that can move “quickly,” relative to more standard work and it’s extremely gratifying to help people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to get the legal aid they need.