Cleary Gottlieb 2028 summer associate application guide

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2028 summer associates
Sources
12 cited

Applying to Cleary Gottlieb for the 2028 summer associate program? Check your resume against a Cleary-style screen below, then read when the Cleary Interview Program opens, which of its two routes to pick, what to send and how offers work.

A law student in a dark green sweater working at a laptop in a cluttered law journal office in the evening, stacks of unbound page proofs and a printed resume on the desk, the laptop turned away from view.
Cleary Gottlieb's Cleary Interview Program accepts 2028 summer associate applications from Nov 12, 2026.

Key facts

  • When it opens: For summer 2028, the Cleary Interview Program accepts applications from Nov 12, 2026. For summer 2027, it opened on Nov 14, 2025.1,2,3
  • Two routes: Apply to either the 1L + 2L Dual Summer Experience (2027 and 2028) or the 2L Summer Program (2028), not both. Dual applicants without a dual offer are considered for 2L automatically.1,2
  • Documents: A resume, a law school transcript and an undergraduate transcript (unofficial copies accepted), and a cover letter.1
  • What they assess: Demonstrated interest in one or more of Cleary's practice areas, academic and leadership achievements, and the application itself.1
  • GPA: Cleary does not rely primarily on a minimum GPA requirement. It weighs prior work experience, judgment, interpersonal skills and high academic performance in law school and college, among other factors.2
  • Offers: Applications and offers are rolling, with offers made after your first-semester transcript is in. You get 14 days to respond, with no extensions.1
  • Offices: New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C., each hiring its own summer associates.1,2
  • Pay: US summer associates are paid a prorated first-year salary, currently $225,000, over a 10-week program.2,6

Both routes need at least seven consecutive weeks at Cleary each summer, and a 2L place won through the dual route depends on completing the 1L summer.1

Check your resume before you apply

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What the Cleary Gottlieb online application looks like

  1. Apply through the Cleary Interview Program

    Cleary takes applications for all four US offices through its own Cleary Interview Program, an online portal that lets students from law schools across the country interview directly with the firm. It also recruits through school on-campus programs and resume collections. The portal opens on Nov 12, 2026.1,5,2

  2. Pick one route

    The 1L + 2L Dual Summer Experience puts you at Cleary in summer 2027 with Antitrust, Corporate, ERISA, IP Litigation, LatAm, Litigation or Tax, then for the full 2L summer in 2028. The 2L Summer Program is 2028 only. Apply to one, not both: if you miss a dual offer, Cleary considers you for the 2L program automatically.1

  3. Send the documents

    Upload your resume, your law school and undergraduate transcripts (unofficial copies are fine) and a cover letter. Add your law school transcript as a supplement if your grades are not out yet. You can update your materials at any time from the link in your confirmation email. Keep a writing sample ready in case an interviewer asks.1,2,12

  4. Write a cover letter that shows interest

    The cover letter can cover your interest in a legal career at Cleary, your practice area interests and your office preferences. Demonstrated interest in one or more of Cleary's practice areas is the first thing the firm says it assesses, so make the letter specific.1

  5. After you submit

    Cleary reviews applications on a rolling basis. Screener interviews are virtual; a callback is four attorneys for 30 minutes each, in person or virtual. Decisions can take up to two weeks after the interview, offers follow your first-semester transcript, and you have 14 days to answer.1,2

What the application asks

Route Pick one
The 1L + 2L Dual Summer Experience (2027 and 2028) or the 2L Summer Program (2028).
Resume Required
The document interviewers read first. One page, law school first.
Law school transcript Unofficial is fine
Send it as a supplement once grades are out. Offers follow it.
Undergraduate transcript Unofficial is fine
Upload it with the application.
Cover letter Required
Your interest in Cleary, practice areas and office preferences.
Updates Any time
Use the link in your confirmation email to update your materials.

Every step comes from Cleary's CIP flyer and FAQ. The resume format lines are our reading of law school guidance; check each field when you open the portal.1,2,10,11

Cleary Gottlieb resume checklist

  • One page, saved as a PDF, in an 11 or 12 point font.
  • Law school first, written as "J.D. Candidate, May 2029", then your college and degree.
  • A law GPA only in the exact form your school allows, never rounded up, once you have one.
  • Honors, activities and leadership roles under each school.
  • Experience newest first, each bullet starting with a verb and saying what you did.
  • Languages with an honest level, and two or three specific interests.
  • A cover letter naming your practice interests and office preference.
  • One route chosen: the dual 1L and 2L program or the 2L program, not both.

What to put on it

Cleary reads your resume, transcripts and cover letter before anyone meets you, and its interviewers ask about your interests and your academic and work experience. A law resume keeps to one page with law school first. The examples below are Intervyo rewrites of common 1L lines, not questions from the form.1,5,10,11

  • Education: Law school first, then college: J.D. Candidate with the month and year, honors and activities under each school.
  • Experience: Jobs newest first, with action verbs that say what you actually did.
  • Cover letter: Your interest in Cleary, the practices you want to try and the office you prefer.
  • Languages and international: Languages with your level, which count for Cleary's overseas placements.

Example questions and how to answer them

Education line"Rewrite this education line: "Georgetown Law, JD 2029.""10,11,1
  1. 1Law school name and city on the first line.
  2. 2Write the degree as "J.D. Candidate" with the month and year.
  3. 3Add a GPA only in the exact form your school allows, to the hundredths and never rounded up.
  4. 4Put honors and activities under the school.

Tip: If you apply in November, you have no law grades yet. Cleary takes your law school transcript as a supplement later, and offers follow it.

Example answer, written by Intervyo (not a real candidate)

Intervyo example.

Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, DC J.D. Candidate, May 2029 Activities: Georgetown Journal of International Law (prospective); International Law Society

Tufts University, Medford, MA B.A. in International Relations, summa cum laude, May 2025

Cover letter"Write the paragraph of your cover letter that shows your interest in Cleary's practice areas."1,5,2
  1. 1Name one or two practice areas in the first sentence.
  2. 2Give one reason for each, from a class, a job or a matter you followed.
  3. 3Tie it to Cleary: a matter, its international work or how its summer is staffed.
  4. 4Name your office and why.

Tip: Cleary assesses demonstrated interest in its practice areas first, so this paragraph carries more weight than your opening.

Example answer, written by Intervyo (not a real candidate)

Intervyo example.

I am most interested in Cleary's antitrust practice. As an economics analyst before law school, I worked on market definition for a merger review, and I want to be on the legal side of that work. Cleary's role on the antitrust aspects of Google's $32 billion acquisition of Wiz is the kind of matter I hope to learn on. I would like to work in Washington, D.C., and I value that Cleary's summer has no formal rotations, so I could also try cross-border M&A.

Experience bullet"Rewrite this bullet from a job before law school: "Did economic analysis for mergers.""5,10
  1. 1Start with a verb for what you did yourself.
  2. 2Name the matter type and your part of it.
  3. 3Give scale with a number you can stand behind.
  4. 4End with what your work fed into.

Tip: Cleary's interviewers ask about your academic and work experiences, so write lines you can talk through in detail.

Example answer, written by Intervyo (not a real candidate)

Intervyo example.

Built price-overlap analyses for 3 merger reviews at a 25-person economic consulting team; my diversion estimates went into a white paper submitted to the Department of Justice.

Languages and international"Rewrite this languages line: "Some French.""2,11
  1. 1Name each language and your level plainly.
  2. 2Add where you used it, if it was for work.
  3. 3Keep interests to two or three specific lines.

Tip: Cleary places some summer associates in its overseas offices for four weeks, based partly on language ability, so state your level honestly.

Example answer, written by Intervyo (not a real candidate)

Intervyo example.

Languages: French (professional working proficiency; one year at a Paris think tank), Portuguese (conversational) Interests: Long-distance cycling, West African jazz, competitive trivia

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How long to hear back after the online application

Cleary reviews applications and makes offers on a rolling basis, after your first-semester transcript is in. A decision after an interview can take up to two weeks, because Cleary asks every attorney who met you for feedback first.1,2

  1. May 1, 2025 (summer 2026)

    Cleary, CIP

    The program for 2L summer 2026 opened in May, at the end of 1L year.4

  2. 2025 (summer 2026)

    All firms, NALP survey

    85% of 2L summer offers went out before July. May 2025 was the busiest month at 36%, then June at 29%.7

  3. Nov 14, 2025 (summer 2027)

    Cleary, CIP

    The program opened in the 1L fall, with a dual 1L and 2L route for the 2026 and 2027 summers.3

  4. Jan 2026 (summer 2027)

    Berkeley Law Preview program

    Firms picked students by Jan 17, and virtual interviews ran on Jan 22 and 23, 2026.9

  5. Nov 12, 2026 (summer 2028)

    Cleary, CIP

    The program opens for the 2028 2L program and the 2027 and 2028 dual route.1

  6. Jan 8 to 13, 2027 (summer 2028)

    Harvard Early Interview Program

    A virtual program for private sector employers, for the Class of 2029's 2L summer jobs.8

Offers come with 14 days to respond, and Cleary grants no extensions, so line up any other callbacks before your decision window starts.1

Best guessApply on or soon after Nov 12, 2026, and expect virtual screeners from late November to February, with offers once fall grades are in, from January 2027.

What happens after the online application

  1. Online application (CIP)You are here

    This page. Resume, transcripts and a cover letter through the Cleary Interview Program portal, from Nov 12, 2026.1

  2. Virtual screener, then callback

    A virtual screener with senior lawyers, then a callback of four 30-minute interviews, in person or virtual.2,5

  3. Offer

    Made on a rolling basis after your first-semester transcript is in, with 14 days to respond and an optional second visit to meet more attorneys.1,2

Dual 1L and 2L route vs 2L Summer Program

Cleary recruits current 1Ls two ways this cycle. Pick one: dual applicants who miss a dual offer are considered for the 2L program automatically.

Summers

1L + 2L Dual Summer Experience

Summer 2027 and summer 2028.1

2L Summer Program

Summer 2028.1

Work

1L + 2L Dual Summer Experience

In 2027: Antitrust, Corporate, ERISA, IP Litigation, LatAm, Litigation or Tax. In 2028: any practice group.1

2L Summer Program

Assignments from any practice group, with no formal rotations.1,2

Extras

1L + 2L Dual Summer Experience

In the 2L summer, a client internship, pro bono secondment or overseas rotation.1

2L Summer Program

A client internship or pro bono secondment, or four weeks in an overseas office.1

Conditions

1L + 2L Dual Summer Experience

At least seven consecutive weeks each summer; the 2L place depends on completing the 1L summer.1

2L Summer Program

At least seven consecutive weeks; nine for an internship, secondment or overseas placement.1

2028 summer associate status

Cleary's 2025 summer class was 128 summer associates, 110 of them 2Ls, and all 101 2L summer associates received offers in 2024. The program runs 10 weeks.6,2

FAQ

When do Cleary Gottlieb 2028 summer associate applications open?

On Nov 12, 2026, through the Cleary Interview Program. For summer 2027 the program opened on Nov 14, 2025. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.1,2,3

What is the Cleary Interview Program?

Cleary's own online application and interview program for its New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C. offices, open to students at any ABA-accredited law school. It runs alongside on-campus programs and resume collections.1,5

Should I apply to the dual 1L and 2L route or the 2L program?

One, not both. If you want to be at Cleary in summer 2027 too, apply to the dual route: if you miss a dual offer, you are considered for the 2L program automatically and should not reapply.1

What documents does Cleary ask for?

A resume, a law school transcript, an undergraduate transcript and a cover letter. Unofficial transcripts are accepted, and you can add your law school grades as a supplement.1

Does Cleary have a minimum GPA?

Cleary says it does not rely primarily on a minimum GPA requirement. It weighs prior work experience, judgment, interpersonal skills and high academic performance in law school and college, among other factors.2

Does Cleary have an online test?

Expect none: the CIP application is the four documents on the flyer. Watch your email after you submit in case another step is added.1,2

How long do I have to accept a Cleary offer?

14 days, with no extensions. Offers come on a rolling basis after your first-semester transcript is in.1

How much do Cleary summer associates earn?

A prorated first-year associate salary, currently $225,000 a year, over a 10-week summer.2,6

Online application at other firms

Sources

Firm pages first, then dated candidate reports. Last checked Nov 4, 2026.

  1. 1Cleary Gottlieb: Cleary Interview Program (CIP): 2028 Summer Program
  2. 2Cleary Gottlieb: Summer Program
  3. 3Cleary Gottlieb: Cleary Interview Program (CIP): 2027 Summer Program (Dec 2025; archived)
  4. 4Cleary Gottlieb: 2025 Cleary Interview Program
  5. 5Chambers Associate: Cleary Gottlieb firm profile: Get Hired · prep site
  6. 6Vault: Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton: Summer Law Program · prep site
  7. 7NALP: Law Student Recruiting Moves Earlier as Employer-Sponsored Hiring Expands (Jan 2026) · press
  8. 8Harvard Law School Office of Career Services: Recruiting Programs for Employers · prep site
  9. 9Berkeley Law Career Development Office: Class of 2028 2L BigLaw Recruiting · prep site
  10. 10Penn Carey Law Career Planning & Professionalism: Do's and Don'ts for 1L Resume Writing · prep site
  11. 11Boston University School of Law Career Development Office: Resume Handbook · prep site
  12. 12Yale Law School Career Development Office: Writing Samples, References & Transcripts · prep site

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