The American Lawyer’s 2012 Summer Associate Survey – which polled 4,137 summer associates at 138 firms – revealed that, on a scale of 1-to-5, respondents put their ‘worry’ level at an alarmingly high average of 3.95. The figure is the highest reported since the survey began in 2009, and represents a big leap from last year’s 2.76.

Casino nights

With the average debt for law students rising and law firm starting salaries falling, many respondents suggested that they needed more work in order to properly demonstrate their skills and improve the chance of future job offers – especially as 84 per cent of those surveyed said they had or expected to receive permanent job offers from the firm they spent their summer with.

Among the activities that summer associates had to endure were casino nights, karaoke parties, swimming with dolphins and skeet shooting.