Landing a Law Internship

Internship programs are a great way for a student to get real world experience in their field of choice, but for those studying to become attorneys interning is a must. Since this industry is, by nature, competitive, not doing a law internship will put a student behind in their career before they even begin.

Although programs can be found at various times during the year, the most popular season for law internships is the summer. Since law school can be rather intensive and legal internships are also demanding, the break period is the best for all involved. Participating in a program at another time requires great time management skills or a decreased course load. For those who do not believe they can manage such, there are always shortened internships available that last as little as a week and usually take place during spring break or other vacation periods.

One extremely positive thing about internships in this field is that they are almost always paid. Law interns tend to make more for their time with a company than students in any other field. Because of this, a law student rarely has to concern themselves with the burden of a part-time job during their internship.

A student interested in interning in this field should put some time considering which field of law they hope to practice in and do there best to secure a position with a firm that specialize in that area. By doing this the intern can discover if they have chose the right type of law for them and possibly find a future employer.

Since law firms frequently use their internship programs as a manner of recruiting new employees, it is important that an intern take their position very seriously. n larger firms, where many interns may be all to be noticed, blending in and doing only the minimum required won’t result in an offer of employment. Law firms usually have an idea of exactly the type of person that would be suited to their practice.

For the most part, the field itself requires that an individual be good with factual information. Because of this it is important to back up ones claims with proof such as grades and positive performance evaluations. Other traits that are important to demonstrate include analytic ability, ambition and drive, flexibility, teamwork and interpersonal skills, discipline and organizational skills and commercial sense.