2026 1L Summer Associate

Role Summary

Summer associates will be immersed in AbbVie’s in-house legal and compliance teams, learning about and handling real-world matters under the supervision of AbbVie attorneys and compliance officers. They will work with one of several departments within the in-house legal or compliance team for the duration of the summer internship, gaining practical experience in a global biopharmaceutical company’s legal and regulatory environment.

Responsibilities

• Patent Legal Academy: Draft materials for U.S. and foreign patent prosecution, list patents in the FDA’s Orange Book, analyze freedom-to-operate issues, address contractual issues, evaluate biopharmaceutical patent and trade secret litigation matters, and participate in strategy meetings with in-house and outside counsel.
• Clinical R&D Legal Academy: Support clinical-trial related legal and regulatory matters, including clinical trial design, transactions to start trials, legal analysis on patient-related matters (informed consent, recruitment, retention), integration of novel technologies into trials, and global regulatory advice.
• Corporate Legal: Work in corporate financing, securities compliance and disclosure, compensation and benefits, and corporate governance.
• Strategic Transactions Academy: Conduct substantive legal work related to acquisitions and collaborations; assess antitrust risks in mergers, acquisitions, licensing, and venture capital transactions.
• Global Commercial Legal Academy: Provide legal and strategic guidance to Marketing, Sales, Medical Affairs, and Regulatory Affairs; advise on FDA, FTC, OIG, and related laws and guidance.
• Operations, Privacy, and Technology Academy: Support manufacturing, procurement, quality assurance, supply chain, product development; assist Legal Privacy team; work on Legal Technology projects including AI and data use across the enterprise.
• Litigation/Employment/Compliance Academy: Collaborate with Commercial Litigation, Employment, Labor & Immigration, and Legal Compliance teams; engage in litigation and counseling across product liability, antitrust, contractual disputes, visa/immigration issues, and compliance with healthcare laws.
• Office of Ethics and Compliance Academy: Support policy assessments, training initiatives, monitor business practices, participate in investigations, and collaborate with Operations, Commercial Brands, R&D, Privacy, and International teams.

Qualifications

• Students must complete their 1L year at an ABA-accredited law school during 2025-2026
• Must be enrolled in law school the semester following the internship
• Strong undergraduate academic background, including in relevant disciplines
• Statement regarding how the internship will be career transformative and enable leadership
• Bachelor’s or graduate degree in a scientific or engineering discipline required for Patent Legal Academy; recommended for Clinical R&D Legal Academy
• Ability to perform complex legal research and analysis
• Excellent communication, leadership, and project management skills

Education

• Bachelor’s or graduate degree in a scientific or engineering discipline (required for Patent Legal Academy; recommended for Clinical R&D Legal Academy)

Skills

• Legal research and analysis
• Communication and leadership
• Project management
• Regulatory and compliance awareness