2025 Benesch Summer Associate Program – Patent Prosecution (Chicago, IL) Benesch’s ten-week Summer Associate Program is designed to provide a realistic view of a career in private practice including client interaction, teamwork with Benesch attorneys, and courtroom and other legal activities. This summer opportunity is designed for law students pursuing a career in Patent Prosecution. This individual will work directly with a close-knit team of patent lawyers and benefit from one on one training, with a focus on preparing and prosecuting patent applications in the electrical engineering, computer science, and mechanical engineering technology space. Other work projects may also include conducting patentability searches, providing patent litigation support, opinion support, and supporting patent application process strategy. You may have opportunities to take on work projects in other practice areas as well to gain a well-rounded understanding of our firm. Our comprehensive professional development sessions and training programs, such as our mock negotiation and mock deposition simulations, go hand-in-hand with your direct work experience and are designed to build a foundation for success in our firm. Some of the training programs offered are part of the firm’s ongoing operations, such as practice group meetings and specially planned events. Other programs, such as our Summer Associate Retreat and practice group overviews are exclusively created for you. The summer will include a variety of planned social events designed for you to meet and build relationships with our attorneys and become better acclimated to the city and the culture of our firm. Our summer associates have immediate contact with clients and are involved in strategy, negotiating and drafting sessions, as well as business development meetings. We review each summer associate’s work on an individual basis and attempt to include assignments which go beyond standard research projects, although such projects are important in developing your skills and enabling us to learn more about your strengths and weaknesses. Prompt and constructive feedback will be provided, and you will participate in a formal midsummer and end-of-summer work performance evaluation. Each summer associate will have a dedicated partner mentor to provide career advice, make internal connections and help you navigate the firm as you learn more about what a career in private practice entails. Criteria Candidates must be full-time rising 2L law students or part time 3rd year law students enrolled in an ABA-accredited law school, with an expected graduation date of December 2025 or spring 2026. Requirements for application include: Must be a registered patent agent, or eligible to sit for the USPTO exam Must possess an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or Mechanical Engineering Exceptional academic performance-top 25% of class preferred Moot court, law journal or other previous legal experience is a plus Strong writing and analytical skills Outstanding leadership abilities and on campus involvement A commitment to community service Strong communication and interpersonal skills A desire for a long-term career in Chicago, IL Permanent authorization to work in the United States required Completion of the Suited candidate assessment within three days of submitting your application Suited Assessment Benesch has partnered with the predictive candidate screening platform Suited to help us better understand our applicants and what makes each one unique. Our goal is to make the recruiting process as fair and seamless as possible, so that we can find the candidates who will be fulfilled in their roles and complementary to our culture. In addition to your academic background and experience, the traits and competencies captured by these assessments have been proven to be both highly relevant and predictive of on-the-job success as a law associate, while reducing bias in the process. Completion of the Suited assessment is a required part of our application process. Please complete the Suited candidate assessment within three days of submitting your application using this link. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Note that if you already completed the Suited assessment for another firm, you will not need to do so again. Rather, you may share your assessment results with Benesch by using the same above link. For more information about Suited or to request an accommodation, click here.