About AbbVie
AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas including immunology, oncology and neuroscience - and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.
Job Description2027 Overview
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. Summer associates will work with one of the following departments within the in-house legal or compliance team for the duration of the summer internship:
Patent Legal Academy
Work on a wide variety of patent prosecution and IP (patent, trade secret) litigation-related tasks, which may include drafting materials for U.S. and foreign patent prosecution, listing patents in the FDA’s Orange Book, analyzing freedom-to-operate issues, addressing contractual issues, evaluating issues related to biopharmaceutical patent and trade secret litigation, and participating in strategy meetings with in-house and outside prosecution and litigation counsel.
Clinical R&D Legal Academy
Work on a wide range of clinical trial-related legal and regulatory matters in support of AbbVie’s therapeutic pipeline. Provides support for AbbVie’s global clinical research-based pharmaceutical business, including: clinical trial design; executing transactions required to get a clinical trial up and running, conducting legal analysis relating to patient-related matters such as informed consent, recruitment and retention strategies, and integration of novel technologies into AbbVie’s clinical trials; and providing global regulatory advice relating to AbbVie’s pipeline programs.
Corporate Legal Academy
Work in key corporate legal areas such as corporate financing, securities compliance and disclosure, compensation and benefits, and corporate governance.
Strategic Transactions Academy
Substantive legal work related to acquisition transactions as well as new and existing collaborations; assessing antitrust risks associated with mergers, acquisitions, and licensing transactions; and venture capital transactions.
Global Commercial Legal Academy
Support comprehensive legal and strategic guidance to Marketing, Sales, Medical Affairs, and Regulatory Affairs teams. Advise on a broad range of matters involving the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Office of Inspector General (OIG), and other applicable laws, regulations, and industry guidance relevant to our business.
Operations, Privacy, and Technology Academy
Support the Operations function, which is responsible for AbbVie’s product manufacturing, procurement of goods and services, quality assurance, supply chain, and various aspects of product development; support the Legal Privacy team; and work on various Legal Technology projects, including those related to AI and the use of data across the enterprise.
Litigation/Employment/Compliance Academy
Work alongside attorneys across AbbVie’s Commercial Litigation, Employment, Labor & Immigration, and Legal Compliance teams. Opportunity to work across a broad array of litigation and counseling matters, including areas such as product liability, antitrust, contractual disputes, visa and other immigration issues, and compliance with relevant laws including the Anti-Kickback Statute, Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and many others.
Office of Ethics and Compliance Academy
Gain hands-on experience by supporting the Compliance team in activities such as conducting policy assessments, developing and supporting training initiatives, monitoring business practices and participating in investigations to help promote compliant conduct under healthcare and pharmaceutical industry codes, laws, and regulations. This role will also involve cross-functional collaboration with teams in Operations, Commercial Brands, R&D, Privacy, and International.
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All summer associates will research and present on a legal or compliance issue related to their work and will have the opportunity to meet and work with AbbVie’s in-house and outside counsel and compliance professionals, including partnering closely with both a manager and mentor who will both provide ongoing guidance and professional development.
By the end of the summer, AbbVie 1L Summer Associates should have attained:
- practical experience working for a global biopharmaceutical company in an interesting and evolving area of law,
- an understanding of how in-house attorneys and compliance officers provide value to their company as trusted advisors to the business,
- leadership opportunities and experience building business relationships effectively, and
- meaningful writing and communication development.
How to Apply
Submit your application, which includes your resume and related information at the AbbVie Career Site AND Email a single PDF consisting of the documents set forth below to [email protected].
- Current resume
- A letter explaining your interest in the AbbVie 1L Legal Academy Program, including your ranking of your top three choices among the internship programs listed above.
- A personal statement addressing how this program will be career transformative and enable you to be a leader within the legal profession or greater community
- Undergraduate transcript (unofficial)
- If applicable, other graduate transcripts (unofficial)
In addition, as soon as your first semester law school grades are available, please email your unofficial law school transcript to [email protected].
Preference will be given to applications received by January 11, 2027.
Qualifications
Qualifications
- Students must complete their 1L year at an ABA-accredited law school during 2026-2027
- Must be enrolled in law school the semester following your internship
- Strong undergraduate academic background, including in relevant disciplines
- Statement regarding how this internship will be career transformative and enable you to be a leader within the legal profession or greater community
- 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
Benefits and Amenities:
Competitive pay
Relocation support for eligible students
Select wellness benefits and paid holiday / sick time
Applicable only to applicants applying to a position in any location with pay disclosure requirements under state or local law:
The compensation range described below is the range of possible base pay compensation that the Company believes in good faith it will pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual compensation paid within this range will depend on many factors including geographic location, and we may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future.
Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, incentive, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole and absolute discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole and absolute discretion, consistent with applicable law.
AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives and serving our community. Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled.
US & Puerto Rico only - to learn more, visit https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/equal-employment-opportunity-employer.html
US & Puerto Rico applicants seeking a reasonable accommodation, click here to learn more:
https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/reasonable-accommodations.html
Skills Required
- Complete the first year of law school at an ABA-accredited law school during 2026-2027
- Remain enrolled in law school during the semester following the internship
- Strong undergraduate academic background, including relevant disciplines
- Submit a statement explaining how the internship will be career transformative and support leadership in the legal profession or community
- Bachelor’s or graduate degree in a scientific or engineering discipline for the Patent Legal Academy
- Bachelor’s or graduate degree in a scientific or engineering discipline recommended for the Clinical R&D Legal Academy
- Ability to perform complex legal research and analysis
- Excellent communication, leadership, and project management skills
- Resume, application letter, personal statement, undergraduate transcript, and applicable graduate transcripts
AbbVie Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about AbbVie and has not been reviewed or approved by AbbVie.
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Retirement Support — Retirement programs are portrayed as a standout, with a dollar‑for‑dollar 401(k) match up to 6% and an additional annual company contribution based on age and service. Feedback suggests this materially boosts perceived total compensation for many U.S. employees.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental and caregiver leave are emphasized, including up to 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave for all parents and 4 weeks of paid caregiver leave in the U.S. Feedback suggests these policies are a meaningful differentiator for employees balancing family needs.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time off is described as extensive, with tiered vacation that scales with tenure, 17 company holidays, and two paid volunteer days in the U.S. Feedback suggests the breadth of leave contributes notably to overall benefits satisfaction.
AbbVie Insights
What We Do
AbbVie is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on creating medicines and solutions that put impact first — for patients, communities, and our world. We aim to address complex health issues and enhance people's lives through our core therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, aesthetics and other areas of unmet need.
