A more thorough explanation:

Associate

An associate is a lawyer who works for a law firm or another lawyer. They are not a partner or a member of the law firm. Associates can be junior or senior attorneys. They may choose to be on a non-partner track if they don't want to become a partner.

For example, John is a junior associate at a law firm. He works under a senior attorney and helps with legal cases. He is not a partner in the firm.

Another example is a summer associate. This is a law student who works for a law firm during their summer break. They are like a legal intern. Many law firms hire summer associates and offer them a job after they graduate.

These examples illustrate that associates are lawyers who work for a law firm or another lawyer. They are not partners and may be junior or senior attorneys. Summer associates are law students who work for a law firm during their summer break.