Your summer internship is an opportunity to put the knowledge you gained in the classroom into practice and to showcase yourself professionally. While some summer jobs may lead to permanent employment after graduation, your primary goals should be to add value to the firm or organization, learn as much as you can, explore the areas of law that the firm specializes in, and build upon your growing network of connections in the legal community. Below are some tips to guide you along.
Maximize Your Summer Experience
- Learn as much as you can about what your employer does. Try to both observe and participate in a wide variety of legal proceedings, transactions, and client meetings.
- Seek out assignments that will help you develop expertise in your area of interest and seek out an experienced associate or partner as a mentor.
- Request feedback throughout the summer on the assignments you have completed and your performance in general.
- Consult the career books, periodicals and subject area articles at LCS.
- Cultivate relationships with your fellow interns and supervising attorneys. Professional colleagues can be an excellent source of information, job leads, and support.
Present Yourself Professionally
- Treat all staff with respect and courtesy. While you want to impress the attorney you are working for, do not underestimate the importance of building a relationship with administrative staff and first-year attorneys.
- Treat every office event, no matter how casual, like an interview. The truth is that you are under perpetual evaluation and the impression you make should always be professional.
- If you have a part-time work schedule, it may be hard for everyone else at the office to remember your hours. Write your schedule out neatly on an index card to be posted at your work station where anyone looking for you can see it.
- Always carry a pen and paper with you to meetings and every time you go to an attorney’s office.
- Dress professionally to show your respect for the office and its clients. Even if your office has a casual dress code, resist the temptation to dress too casually. You want to create an image of yourself as a future lawyer.
Handle Your Workload Successfully
- Keep a calendar and a log with notes on who assigned you each project, details about the project, and when it is due.
- When you receive an assignment, come prepared, exhibit enthusiasm, take notes, and don’t hesitate to ask questions! Make sure you understand the nature of the final assignment, goals, time frame, and any relevant administrative details.
- Be thorough in your research but also adhere to time constraints. If you are uncertain whether you are going in the right direction or whether you are spending too much time on an assignment, check back with your assigning attorney.
- Be proactive – ask for work, especially from an attorney in the firm who does work you are interested in.
- Communicate regularly regarding your workload and deadlines so that you can prioritize which tasks to complete first and which tasks require more of your time.
Moving Forward
- Update your resume and cover letter to reflect the responsibilities and skills you developed over the summer.
- Upgrade your writing sample by using a redacted brief or memo that you prepared for your employer, rather than something you drafted for a class. Seek your employer’s permission before distributing it as part of your job search.
- Ask your supervisor if s/he would be willing to serve as a reference for future job searches.
- Start applying for Fall positions. Many law firms, courts, government agencies, and public interest organizations have openings for law students on a part-time basis during the fall and spring semesters. Use LCSonline as a starting point, and conduct research to expand your pool of prospective employers.
- Call LCS to make an appointment with a career counselor to explore your areas of interest and to maximize your job search strategies.
