4346 - 2026 Summer Associate - Intellectual Property

At Nixon Peabody, we are committed to attracting, retaining, and promoting talented individuals from a wide range of experiences and cultures, including individuals from a wide range of racial, ethnic, social, economic, religious, genders, and personal backgrounds. Therefore, we encourage talented individuals of all backgrounds and experiences to apply.

Our Intellectual Property Practice Group is seeking to hire a 2026 summer associate to join our Chicago, IL office. Qualified candidates will be rising second-year law students with technical backgrounds in any science/engineering field and a demonstrated interest in intellectual property law. Qualified candidates will have strong academic credentials (3.0 GPA or higher), superb judgment and communication skills, excellent legal writing skills, and a commitment to providing excellent client services. This is a hybrid position with four days in office expectations.

Our summer associates provide legal research, writing, discovery and other substantive support for attorneys. As a summer associate in the Chicago office, you will have the opportunity to work on a variety of assignments in our Intellectual Property practice group. You will also receive substantive feedback and mentoring on assignments. We also offer various training programs throughout the duration of the program.

Nixon Peabody's Intellectual Property practice guides clients through the full IP lifecycle-from mining an organization's research and development activities to capture and protect intellectual property to supporting the commercialization and branding of those assets, enforcing intellectual property rights, and defending against competitors. Serving as an extension of our clients' teams, our cross-industry and interdisciplinary practice leverages technical experience, which extends beyond the legal sector, to help leaders, inventors, creators, and artists seize market opportunity around the world. To learn more about who we are and what we do, please visit our website at https://www.nixonpeabody.com/capabilities/practices/intellectual-property.

Interested applicants are invited to submit a cover letter detailing why they are interested in this specific opportunity with Nixon Peabody and describing how they would contribute to our dynamic and inclusive culture. Please create an application and submit your resume along with your cover letter, law school transcripts, and a writing sample.

Applications for the Summer Program will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

In accordance with applicable Federal and State laws, the anticipated salary for this position in Chicago is $4,134.00 per week. This salary is Nixon Peabody's good faith estimate at the time of this posting.

Nixon Peabody LLP is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer.
Disability / Female / Gender Identity / Minority / Sexual Orientation / Veteran.

To comply with Federal law, Nixon Peabody participates in E-Verify. All newly-hired employees are verified through this electronic system established by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to confirm their identity and employment eligibility. Please refer to the Notice of E-Verify Participation and the Right to Work posters on the Nixon Peabody Careers page for more information.