The social side of summer will be a lot of fun, and social events are a great way for you to initiate relationships with the people at your firm. But with all your summer-associate colleagues shaking the same hands, making similar small talk, and applying equal focus to using the correct fork at formal dinners, how can you stand out from the crowd? In this lesson, we’ll show you how to make a positive—and lasting—impression. The key to this is, in a word, commitment.

Commitment is essential...