Sullivan & Cromwell 2028 summer associate application guide

Key facts

• When it opens: For summer 2028, the posting went up on Oct 30, 2026 and S&C accepts 2L resumes from Nov 1, 2026.^6,1
• Closes: The 2028 posting closes on Mar 5, 2027 at 23:59 GMT. The 2027 posting closed on Mar 11, 2026 (summer 2027).^1,2
• Who it is for: Current first-year law students, applying for the summer after their 2L year. The summer 2026 class was 211 2Ls.^1,6
• Portal: S&C's candidate application portal on Flo Recruit, or your law school's OCI program if S&C interviews there.^1,3
• Documents: A resume, transcript and cover letter. Upload your fall 1L transcript to the application once grades are out.^3,1
• Interviews start: In most cases interviews begin once first-semester transcripts are released and submitted, so from around January 2027 for summer 2028.^1,12
• Offices: New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Palo Alto. Each US office runs its own hiring, and a few students may spend time in an office abroad, such as Tokyo or Frankfurt.^1,4
• Pay: An expected $9,791.67 semi-monthly in summer 2028, for a 10-week program with at least 8 consecutive weeks.¹

S&C's New York careers page still tells pre-OCI applicants to apply once 1L spring grades arrive. The 2028 posting is newer and asks for your fall 1L transcript instead, so go by the posting.^3,1

What the Sullivan & Cromwell online application looks like

1. 1

   Know which calendar you are on

   Law firm hiring has moved into the 1L year. In the 2025 cycle (summer 2026), 85% of 2L summer offers went out before July and May was the busiest month. For summer 2028, S&C's posting opened on Oct 30, 2026, interviews start once fall grades are in, and law school programs such as Harvard's virtual Early Interview Program run on Jan 8 to 13, 2027. Most 2L summer offers now go out before the end of May of the 1L year, and some firms make them as early as the winter.^{9,10,1,6,12,17}

2. 2

   Choose your route in

   Apply directly through S&C's candidate portal, or through your school if S&C takes part in its interview program. If it does, rank S&C highly in your bids; if it does not interview at your school, apply directly. S&C interviews at about 20 schools through OCI or a job fair, and most offers market-wide now come from employer-run recruiting such as direct applications rather than school programs.^3,8,7,9

3. 3

   Pick your office

   The posting covers New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Palo Alto, and each US office handles its own hiring. New York is by far the largest: 179 of the 211 summer associates in 2026. For an office outside the US, send your first application to New York and email the firm about splitting a summer or an international office.^1,4,6

4. 4

   Send the documents

   Submit a resume, transcript and cover letter through the portal, then upload your fall 1L transcript once grades are available to finish the submission. Have a writing sample ready as well: S&C asks for the three documents above, but law school guides say firms may ask for one, sometimes with the application and often during interviews, at 5 to 10 pages.^3,1,11,15

5. 5

   Meet the firm before the screener

   S&C recruits through people as well as paper. In fall 2025 (summer 2027), upperclass students who had accepted S&C offers were taking 1Ls out on the firm's behalf at top schools. Use those meetings to learn the generalist model, because "Why S&C" comes up in interviews.^18,8

6. 6

   After you submit

   Interviews begin once first-semester transcripts are released and in your file. If you are picked for a callback, the Legal Talent Office emails you a link to book a slot in its online appointment book, and slots each day are limited.^1,5

Sullivan & Cromwell resume checklist

• One page, saved as a PDF, in a 10 to 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.
• Honors and activities under each school, with leadership roles named.
• Experience newest first, each bullet starting with a verb and saying what you did.
• A legal writing line that matches the writing sample you would hand over.
• Languages with fluency, and two or three specific interests.
• The same facts in your resume, cover letter and transcript, checked twice for typos.

What to put on it

Your resume and transcript are what the firm reads before it meets you, and grades weigh most at the screener stage. A law resume keeps to one page with law school first. The examples below are Intervyo rewrites of common 1L resume lines, not questions from the form.^13,14,19

• 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 describe lawyering skills and what you actually did.
• Legal writing and activities: Your legal writing course, journal tryouts, clinics and student groups where you did real work.
• Languages and interests: Fluency levels and a few specific interests, so interviewers have something to ask about.

Example questions and how to answer them

Practice for Sullivan & Cromwell with Intervyo

Start free to practice Sullivan & Cromwell questions and track when it opens. Go deeper on Sullivan & Cromwell with the pack, or cover every firm you apply to with the Season Pass.

How long to hear back after the online application

S&C reads applications through the season and starts interviewing once fall grades are in. If you get a callback you book it yourself, and an offer gives you 14 days to respond, with no exploding offers.^1,5

1. Sep 2013 (summer 2014)

   Summer associate, New York

   A screener of about 20 minutes at school, then a callback at S&C's offices with five 1-on-1 interviews. The whole process took less than a month.¹⁶

2. Apr to Jun 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% and April at 15%.⁹

3. Jan 2026 (summer 2027)

   Berkeley Law Preview program

   Firms were to pick students for interviews by Jan 17, with virtual interviews on Jan 22 and 23, 2026.¹¹

4. Mar 11, 2026 (summer 2027)

   S&C, all US offices

   The 2027 2L posting closed.²

5. Oct 30, 2026 (summer 2028)

   S&C, all US offices

   The 2028 posting went up, with 2L resumes accepted from Nov 1, 2026.^1,6

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.¹²

Virtual "OCI" interviews for 2028 summer associate jobs run at several top schools in early January 2027, and most 2L summer offers now go out before the end of May of the 1L year.¹⁰

Best guessExpect screener invitations from January 2027, as fall grades come out. Apply in November or December so your file only needs the fall transcript added when grades land.

What happens after the online application

1. Online applicationYou are here

   This page. Resume, transcript and cover letter through the Flo Recruit portal, then your fall 1L transcript.^3,1

2. Screener, then callback

   A short screener about your interests and experience, then a callback in S&C's offices, usually with two partners, two associates and a hiring partner.^8,20,5

3. Offer

   Generally 14 days to respond, with more time on request, second visits and offer receptions.⁵

FAQ

Online application at other firms

• Skadden online application
• Davis Polk & Wardwell online application
• Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz online application
• Simpson Thacher & Bartlett online application