We have asked four of our previous summer associates who spent their 1L and 2L Summers at Katten to answer some frequently asked questions regarding the summer experience at Katten. These summer associates hail from Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas and Washington, DC and their responses are shared below.
Navigate by clicking on the Summer Associate Ambassador names below:
Nelson Brown, Dallas
Brianna High, Charlotte
Faraz Khan, Chicago
Leigh Anne Reuter, Washington, DC
Nelson Brown
2025 1L and 2026 2L Katten Summer Associate
Dallas
What's your favorite memory from last summer at Katten?
My favorite memories are from my day-to-day. The summer associate class was collaborative - working, eating, and learning together. Attorneys took the time to explain what they were doing and gave me constructive feedback on my work. The combination of meaningful work experience and networking made the summer very productive.
What surprised you most about the firm's culture?
What surprised me most about Katten's culture was how approachable everyone was. Coming in, I expected a firm of Katten's size and reputation to feel harder to navigate as a summer associate. Instead, attorneys across seniority levels were incredibly welcoming, generous with their time, and genuinely interested in getting to know me.
What stood out most was that the openness felt authentic. Partners, associates, and staff were all willing to answer questions, talk candidly about their practices and career paths, and make summer associates feel included in both the work and the broader life of the office. More than anything, Katten felt like a place where people genuinely enjoy working with each other, and that combination of professionalism and warmth is what sets the firm apart.
What is something that you are most excited about returning to for your 2L summer?
What I am most excited about returning to for my 2L summer is the opportunity to step back into substantive work on real matters. Last summer, I was trusted with assignments that allowed me to engage directly with the kind of work attorneys do every day. I was not just learning by watching, but by doing and by seeing my work become part of something larger and real. Being able to have that kind of hands-on experience while learning from attorneys who are leaders in their practice areas made the summer incredibly valuable, and it is what I am most eager to build on this year.
What is your favorite part of Katten's summer program?
My favorite part of Katten’s summer program is the summer academy in Chicago. I got to meet summer associates from across the firm’s offices, network with attorneys in practice groups I wouldn’t have encountered at my home office, and build foundational professional skills. It was a great mix of social and professional, and it gave me a much broader view of the firm.
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Brianna High
2025 1L and 2026 2L Katten Summer Associate
Charlotte
What surprised you most about the firm's culture?
I was most surprised by how accessible everyone was despite busy workloads. Attorneys at every level made time to participate in the summer program, whether it was through work assignments, social events, or coffee chats. The firm’s culture—across offices—showed me that investing in people’s growth is a priority.
What is something that you are most excited about returning to for your 2L summer?
Something that I am most excited about returning to for my 2L summer is strengthening my relationships with everyone that I had the privilege of working with last summer and developing relationships with even more people at Katten. My 1L summer at Katten, I worked on various interesting projects with extremely talented attorneys and staff. I am really looking forward to working on similar and new projects to apply the feedback that I received last summer and to learn even more this summer!
What is your favorite memory from last summer at Katten?
My favorite memory from last summer at Katten was attending the Summer Associate Academy at the Chicago office! I enjoyed getting to meet, know, and collaborate on assignments with my fellow summer associates from other Katten offices over the course of the week. Moreover, I found the workshops about personal and professional development to be engaging and helpful for navigating the rest of my summer experience.
Faraz Khan
2025 1L and 2026 2L Summer Associate
Chicago
What is your favorite memory from last summer at Katten?
My favorite memory from last summer at Katten was the Summer Associate Academy. Each summer, Katten brings all of its summer associates from every office together in one city for a week of programming, training, and social events. You arrive knowing only the people from your home office and leave feeling connected to people across the firm.
The moment that stayed with me most was a negotiation exercise. We were placed into small teams made up of summer associates from different offices, given a fact pattern, and then asked to prepare for and conduct a negotiation. I had not known anyone on my team beforehand, but within an hour we were working through the problem together, building a strategy, and operating like we had known each other much longer.
What made that experience stand out was how naturally it captured Katten’s culture. Even though we came from different offices, everyone was collaborative, engaged, and eager to work together. Watching a group of strangers become a real team over the course of one afternoon showed me that Katten truly operates as one firm. That sense of connection was a big part of what made last summer so memorable and why I am excited to return for my 2L summer.
What surprised you most about the firm's culture?
What surprised me most about Katten's culture was how approachable everyone was. Coming in, I expected a firm of Katten's size and reputation to feel harder to navigate as a summer associate. Instead, attorneys across seniority levels were incredibly welcoming, generous with their time, and genuinely interested in getting to know me.
What stood out most was that the openness felt authentic. Partners, associates, and staff were all willing to answer questions, talk candidly about their practices and career paths, and make summer associates feel included in both the work and the broader life of the office. More than anything, Katten felt like a place where people genuinely enjoy working with each other, and that combination of professionalism and warmth is what sets the firm apart.
What is something that you are most excited about returning to for your 2L summer?
What I am most excited about returning to for my 2L summer is the opportunity to step back into substantive work on real matters. Last summer, I was trusted with assignments that allowed me to engage directly with the kind of work attorneys do every day. I was not just learning by watching, but by doing and by seeing my work become part of something larger and real. Being able to have that kind of hands-on experience while learning from attorneys who are leaders in their practice areas made the summer incredibly valuable, and it is what I am most eager to build on this year.
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Leigh Anne Reuter
2025 1L and 2026 2L Katten Summer Associate
Washington, DC
What is your favorite part of Katten's summer program?
My favorite part of the summer program is the Summer Associate Retreat! It's an incredible opportunity to connect with people across the firm and build the confidence needed to get the most out of your experience. The negotiation seminar was a great way to strengthen teamwork skills, and the writing workshop provided practical tools for professional communication.
What surprised you most about the firm's culture?
I was most surprised by how genuinely invested the attorneys were in helping summer associates find the right fit within the firm. They took the time to walk us through their practice areas and were candid about both the rewards and challenges of their work. The more junior associates were especially valuable since they recently navigated the same decisions.
What does a typical day at the firm look like — and what made it enjoyable?
A typical day varies but often includes working on projects from the firm's summer associate database, attending learning sessions on practice groups or professional skills, networking with attorneys over lunch, and participating in weekly social events. These experiences are all enjoyable since they are building a strong foundation for a post-law school career, but I particularly enjoyed the social events since they enable you to get to know people at the firm in a more relaxed setting.