You’re a new summer associate. All the first-day orientations and office tours are over. Finally, you’re at your new desk, eager to get to work and probably wondering what your first assignment will be. 

Frankly, your first task could be anything, from research specifically designed to test your intellectual agility to matters involving living, breathing clients. It may be as glamorous as anything in a legal drama. But more likely, it won’t be, as most legal work suffers from a serious...