Hunton Andrews Kurth Hosts Third Annual Shark Tank-Style Competition for Summer Associates

This summer, 46 Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP summer associates are participating in the third annual firm-wide “Hackathon” — a Shark Tank-style competition where teams are tasked to develop a proposal to address a specific topic. This initiative is part of the firm’s overall effort to increase diversity and inclusion in the legal industry and foster engagement with the next generation of leaders.

For this year’s hackathon, eight teams of summer associates, together with a partner and associate advisor, have been given a choice of two topics. The first, to develop a program fostering relationships, connections and community in a remote or hybrid working environment and the second, to create a pipeline program targeted at students prior to law school. At the end of the summer program, each team will make a presentation to a panel of firm partners with winners selected by the judges and their fellow summer associates.

“The Hackathon is a testament to the firm’s ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion,” said Rudene Mercer Haynes, one of the firmwide hiring partners. “The Hackathon provides a great opportunity for us  to tap the talents and ingenuity of the next generation of our firm leaders as we strive to make the legal profession a more welcoming, diverse and inclusive environment.” 

Following each of the first two Hackathons, a committee was formed consisting of partners, associates, and professional staff, including members of the Executive Committee, managing and hiring partners, and  law school ambassadors, to evaluate all of the proposals. Since inception of the program, the firm has rolled out several initiatives based on one or a combination of several Hackathon proposals including a program for first-generation law students and expansion of the firm’s coaching and mentoring program.