Background on Legal Internships
Internships play a pivotal role in helping students explore career choices, gain real-life experience, and establish valuable connections. As a law student, the importance of having an internship cannot be understated. Legal internships are a practical opportunity for students to put theoretical knowledge into action, adapt to the demands of a professional work environment, and identify areas of interest within the expansive field of law. They provide a preview of what securing employment in a specific area of interest would be like. Understanding the tasks and expectations of legal interns is crucial for both law students and law firms. Law students benefit from a clear roadmap that outlines the fundamental responsibilities and skills they should aim to develop during their internships. Firms , on the other hand, can use an understanding of these tasks to create more structured internship programs that align with the needs of the student and the position. Such an understanding can also help initiate a good relationship between employer and intern from the very beginning. This can lead to a more productive and beneficial relationship that would be advantageous for both parties. Below, we’ve compiled a list of the most common tasks and responsibilities expected of legal interns, then broken them down into specific examples organized by practice area.
Legal Research Tasks
Depending on the nature of the practice you are interning for, a legal intern or extern will likely perform research that runs the spectrum from simple to complex. For example, you might use an online legal research platform like Westlaw to look up a case name in an appeal you’re writing, but you’d also search a more advanced Boolean query for relevant statutes and cases to support arguments.
In working through a research question, the legal intern might collaborate with other students in a research team or partner with an attorney in the firm. Interns can learn a lot from the expertise and perspectives of their colleagues through research, allowing you to go on to make meaningful contributions to a case.
Legal research is important even for supporting arguments for a motion. Prior cases, statutes or pleadings offer insight into what the court might think about your position. Supporting your argument with a solid basis in facts, evidence & case law makes the case more persuasive. While it’s not possible to predict a case’s outcome, understanding how similar situations have been decided can give you a better idea of what you might expect to happen.
Drafting Projects
A legal intern may also get involved in drafting legal documents such as memos, briefs, or contracts. When writing a memo, an intern is often assigned a specific legal question to research and respond to the associate or partner. This involves not only citing leading law journal articles or cases on the subject but forming an opinion as to the correct legal interpretation and supporting that opinion with facts and legal principles. The resulting memorandum is aimed at answering one question, and may be used in further drafting of case materials by the attorney.
Some firms may have legal interns prepare briefs for clients, should they take interest in litigation, with supervision. Briefs consist of issues, questions, short summaries of rules, relevant statutes, and citations to applicable caselaw.
Legal interns may also be asked to write up short contracts on behalf of the firm or client. These contracts are usually fairly simple, and outline terms of an agreement in objective language. Writing effective clauses in these contracts requires a legal intern to not only know the basic rules of contract creation but to be aware of the intent and possible ambitions of the client so that all terms of agreement are clearly understood. These tasks help to hone the interns skills or legal research and reasoning.
Participating in Client Interviews
Legal interns actively participate in client interviews. These interviews can be face to face or conducted over the phone. Interns organize the interview and prepare the interview area to ensure that the intern is comfortable facilitating a comfortable setting for the client to share information. Interns take notes or record the interview. Interns may also review interview notes to summarize the facts and information gathered during the interview. This process is crucial for the client’s case. Take careful notes so that you do not forget any details of the client’s case. This is an opportunity to ask clarify, if necessary, and to begin to identify important topics that will be used to prepare for future meetings with the client and to research issues and answer questions that the client may have. Interns learn how to use open-ended questions to gather information. Open-ended questions allow the client to provide additional details and information. These types of questions are broad and give the client an opportunity to explain in a conversational manner. Open-ended questions encourage clients’ to share more information. Gathering more information, responding to clarifying questions, being responsive to the client’s inquiries, and following up shows the client that you are hearing their concerns and that you are attentive to the case. Legal interns generally take the lead on escorting the client to the firm and away from the firm. Interns escort the client to the conference room and help to arrange seating. Interns sometimes call the client to confirm appointments and assist with rescheduling. It is important to allow the client time to react to the legal situation. Give the client adequate time to absorb the information and ask questions. Ask follow up questions to guide the client. The client will feel more confident if he or she can ask questions that provide clarification.
Appearance in Court
One of the more exciting tasks an intern will get, legal or otherwise, is to observe court proceedings. Whether in state or federal court, there are usually multiple people who have a hand in bringing about a case. Court observers must acquire knowledge of courtroom etiquette and present their best professional image. Interns may come in contact with court personnel, whether law clerks to judges, opposing counsel, or secretaries. Early on they’ll be instructed on proper decorum in the courtroom, which includes notes on attire and demeanor. Then, with court reporters, clerks, marshals, clerks, witnesses, and jurors around, they should be mindful of everything as they observe. Further, interns should pay attention to how attorneys make their best case for each argument . For example, although a case’s advantages to the client may be readily apparent, the lawyer must also point out the weaknesses in the case of the opponent in order to persuade the judge. There is no reason why the intern cannot draft a summary of the case once they return to the office. Courtroom observers get a chance to observe the practical aspects of the attorney’s profession. They’ll thus become proficient in recognizing the stages of the trial and discern how the courtroom participants carry out their respective roles. By shadowing an attorney throughout the trial, and taking copious notes, the intern will learn to appreciate the nuances that make for brilliant courtroom performances.
Administrative Work
Every organization, no matter how big, small, or virtual, needs a minute or two devoted to the mundane task of organization, especially for any law firm. I don’t mean simply documenting the address of your favorite client, but of file organization, cleaning out your inbox or even just finding out what happened to that $1,000 retainer check you sent over a week ago (hint, it was in the bottom of the old trash can you forgot to throw out last month). Law clerks and interns can help ease some of the administrative duties (and by some [a majority] I mean most) for any solo or small firm, ranging from sorting out files, organizing documents, setting up or repopulating sap, reconciling bank statement discrepancies and organizing conference room items like jellybeans or underutilized Iphone / Ipad peripherals from the last client meeting. You’re never too busy though, right? If there is one thing that I can stress, it is to develop an orderly filing system in place where you can easily locate all correspondence and documents. Why does this help? Think about it. How many times have you forgotten the name of a client or their case? How many times did you forget when and where you left that file or those documents, or if you properly filed them. Organization is crucial, whereas miss-organization can lead to improper handling, notifications or even accidental spell-check "oopsy daisies" where your dandy little letter turns into a nasty confession of wrongful doings. The resulting embarrassment or reprimand (or loss in litigation), can be avoided with a bit of organizational "growing up" and a little effort on your part. Also, in this day and age of increasingly managed satellite offices, a bit of organization on your part can allow for your office assistant to stay out of the discovery request / apply for leave and continuance request game (which is seriously more than enough work for one person). Disorganization in correspondence on either side can lead to missed deadlines and now you’re stuck scrounging through your filing system looking for that pesky request that your critical witness tried e-mailing you 2 days ago before he left town for a wedding in the Bahamas. Whoops. But when it comes down to it, the most important thing is simple: organization = efficiency. Efficiency = less time, less labor, less stress… and more money (unless you’re running a pro bono service, in which case – free stuff)!
Networking and Professional Growth
Internships also provide an opportunity to network and develop professionally. Legal interns can often attend events with their supervising attorneys, which is a great way to meet other attorneys. Additionally, some employers will invite interns to company or industry events. They may also go along to law school career fairs and events, where they have the chance to network with other students who may become valuable contacts in the future.
Internships can lead to potential job offers , so make sure you connect with staff at your firm. Attend networking events and get to know your colleagues. Take time to meet attorneys from other departments. If you get an offer, don’t be afraid to request informational interviews. Or ask if you can lead a lunch and learn event – this is a great way to learn more about other departments, but also to show that you are interested in the company and want to contribute to their success.
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